Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson (D-104) is applauding the first-ever national drinking water standard to protect against exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Jacobson, who has long fought to address contamination in New York’s public water systems, called the announcement a “historic step in the fight to ensure safe, clean drinking water for all.”

Known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS chemicals have been used since the 1940s and can be found in everything from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam. This category of chemicals is linked to cancer, organ damage, and disruptions to immunity and development in infants and children. The EPA’s new standards would protect an estimated 100 million people from PFAS pollution, preventing premature death and serious illness for countless Americans.

“As a resident of the City of Newburgh, which is unable to use its water supply due to high levels of PFOS and PFOA stemming from the firefighting foam used at Stewart Air Force Base and the Air National Guard Facility, the need for these new standards is not just theoretical, it is personal to me and my neighbors,” said Jacobson. Newburgh now receives its water from the Catskill Aqueduct, which also supplies New York City.

In 2019, Jacobson successfully urged the State Department of Health to adopt new standards against these chemicals, as recommended by the New York State Drinking Water Quality Council.

These new EPA standards reduce the limits of PFOA and PFOS to 4 parts per trillion. In New York State, it is currently 10 parts per trillion.

Jacobson has fought on multiple fronts to ensure clean drinking water for New Yorkers. He has also been at the forefront of advocating for the expedited identification and removal of lead- contaminated pipes from public water systems.