Advocates against the expansion of Westchester County Airport held a press conference last week to update the public on its findings and to call for additional measures to protect the area’s water supply.
The public debate over the future of the county airport, which has remained basically intact and untouched over the past three decades, began when former County Executive Rob Astorino proposed a new agreement that called for a new operator and expansion of the airport, as a way to collect additional revenue in lieu of county property tax increases.
Astorino’s proposal was met with opposition from democrats on the county board on several fronts. Many environmental groups, including the coalition to Prevent the Westchester County Airport Expansion, opposed any attempts to further infringe on the Kensico Reservoir and nearby water supply for county residents – which they feared from an expansion.
And the neighboring communities of Rye, Harrison and North Castle did not want any additional traffic flowing into and out of the airport, nor the additional flights, from an expansion.
The press conference highlighted the presence of PFAS, a class of toxic contaminants that poses an emerging threat to drinking water in many areas of the country. Due to the detection of PFAS at groundwater wells both on and off the Westchester County Airport property, the Coalition to Prevent Westchester Airport Expansion sought to update the public and to unveil a package of initiatives, including support for legislation that can be taken at the county and local levels to protect the drinking water supply.
Since 2018, the county has been conducting testing at several well sites at the airport and has hired an environmental consultant for guidance. Tests completed in September 2018 showed extremely high levels of PFAS under the northern part of the airport, including 14,940 parts per trillion PFOA and PFOS, and 57,390 PFAS in the most contaminated well. The county reinstated testing at the airport for pollutants after it was discontinued by the prior administration in 2011without approval of the Board of Legislators or notification to the public. The coalition commends the county for reinstating groundwater testing and for recently agreeing to add surface water testing.
“The coalition became aware of the PFAS situation after the September 2018 groundwater tests showed PFAS in all 52 wells on the airport site and in two private water wells off the airport site,” said George Klein, spokesperson for the coalition and a leader in the Sierra Club Lower Hudson Group. “There are highly elevated concentrations of PFAS between the suspected source of the pollution at Westchester County Airport and the Kensico Reservoir, the water supply for 9 million people in Westchester and New York City. We urge the Board of Legislators to pass a law requiring that biannual groundwater testing at the airport be conducted consistently under current and future administrations. We are also advocating for improvements to the water testing by the addition of wells on the south end of the airport.”
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection tested the water in the Kensico in 2017 and found no evidence of PFAS at that time.
The coalition is also advocating for an environmental airport “czar” with environmental expertise who would provide sustained attention, resources and transparency about airport operations.
Dukie Baxter, a 40-plus-year resident of neighboring Mt. Pleasant, said: “The coalition believes that it is best to prevent environmental degradation now and to remain vigilant because new threats emerge over time. We believe an environmental czar would provide an ongoing evaluation of policies, plans and projects by looking at everything through an environmental lens. This person would also be a liaison for public stakeholders.”
The coalition said it appreciates the on-going collaboration with the Latimer administration and will continue to communicate regularly and openly.
“We do not advocate for closing or crippling the airport,” said the coalition. “We oppose expansion of the environmental impact of the airport – whether through air, water or noise pollution. We oppose privatization of the airport because it will reduce oversight and accountability while creating incentives for expansion. The coalition seeks to engage with others in the county, including aviation and business interests, who share its goals. We all have a common interest in safe water, clean air, security and quality of life.”
Jonathan Wang, founder of Citizens for a Responsible County Airport, said: “Westchester County has taken positive steps to assess the extent of groundwater contamination since we first published the finding of PFOS and PFOA in a private well near the airport in January 2018. However, there remains much work to be done to remediate and address the environmental harms attributable to the airport. I look forward to continuing to work with Westchester County to reduce and prevent air, water, and noise pollution caused by the airport.”
Westchester County Airport, originally conceived as a temporary New York State Air National Guard base during World War II, has become the third busiest airport in New York State.
Peter Schlactus, a member of the coalition said: “The NYS Air National Guard used firefighting foam containing PFAS for firefighting drills and although the county no longer uses PFOS or PFOA in its drills, the FAA still requires the use of firefighting foam with other PFAS chemicals to be used in the event of a fire. We also know that the private operators at the airport have PFAS in the foam they have. The FAA Reauthorization Act was passed by Congress in 2018 and requires the FAA to change its regulations within three years (by October 2021) to allow the use of some non-fluorinated foams as a substitute for PFAS. The coalition advocates for Westchester County to pass a law that will require all airport operators to create a plan within a year to phase out PFAS so that when the FAA is ready, we are ready. We also ask for a moratorium on new PFAS systems and a full PFAS inventory and rules to minimize PFAS usage at the airport.”
Exposure to PFAS has been linked to serious health impacts, including cancer, thyroid disease, developmental effects to fetuses during pregnancy or to breastfed infants, liver damage and immune effects. The current EPA health advisory level for certain PFAS chemicals in drinking water is at 70 parts per trillion. Other PFAS chemicals have no threshold levels, but due to public demand are under review. Several states have instituted lower levels.
PFAS are the subject of media attention because of their long life and have been labeled “forever chemicals.” Ellen Weininger, a member of the coalition and educational outreach director of Grassroots Environmental Education said, “Independent scientific studies find that the safe level of exposure to PFAS chemicals is about 1 part per trillion, significantly lower than the reporting level set by the EPA.”
The Coalition to Prevent Westchester Airport Expansion exists to protect the Kensico Reservoir and Blind Brook watersheds, residents’ quality of life, and the welfare of Westchester and the surrounding region.
The coalition includes a growing list of organizations and individuals, including the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, the Sierra Club Lower Hudson Group, Citizens for a Responsible County Airport, Grassroots Environmental Education, Purchase Environmental Protective Association, Westchester for Change, The Quiet Coalition, N.O.I.S.E, National Quiet Skies Coalition and Usonia Historic District.
Support for making improvements at the airport include the Coalition for Westchester Airport, which was formed in August 2018 so that it could provide a reasoned voice to the public debate, separating myths from facts about enhancing the delivery of services at the airport. The coalition is comprised of businesses large and small, as well as labor organizations, educators and nonprofits. Learn more at http://coalitionforwestchesterairport.org
