I am pleased to announce that legislation I authored to expand the timeframe for New Yorkers affected by water contamination to file a personal injury action was signed into law today by Governor Cuomo. Existing state law only allowed for a suit to be filed within the earlier of three years from the occurrence of an injury caused by exposure to chemical contamination or three years from the point at which the injury reasonably should have been discovered. The bill (A.9568-A/S.6824-A) extends the statute of limitations from three years after an injury was discovered to three years after a site is designated as a Superfund site.

This bill came in the wake of the situation in Hoosick Falls, where residents are enduring the public health threat of the potentially toxic effects of PFOA contamination in their water supply. My inspiration was driven by the anxiety felt by the children who were impacted. Specifically, it was when I heard the poignant words of a high school senior say so simply, “We want to be able to wash off and eat off our dishes free from the threat of cancer.”

I appreciate the bipartisan effort of Senator Kathy Marchione, who carried this bill in the Senate, and I commend Governor Cuomo for signing this into law and for continuing to provide the necessary support to the residents of Hoosick Falls. The far-reaching impact of this legislation will bring fair and resolute legal recourses to members of the Hoosick Falls community and to New Yorkers across the state that have suffered or may suffer from undetected toxins in their water supply.