Blood Test Results Due This Week
Current Emissions Testing Starting Soon
By Doug La Rocque
Hoosick Falls Village Mayor Rob Allen opened the Village Board meeting on Tuesday night, November 13, with news that 350 samples from the second round of blood testing conducted on village residents by the NYS Department of Health (DOH) are completed. Those residents should receive the results in the mail this week. He also stated that another 100 plus tests conducted the past couple of weeks should be completed and mailed soon. Residents have been pressuring village officials to push DOH for the results, which were overdue by several weeks.
While the Mayor does not have special information on any particular person, that would be a violation of privacy laws, he had been told by DOH that as a group, the tests results show about a 40% decline in the median levels of PFOA in the bloodstream. He indicated the reports that are being sent out this week also include the original testing levels, so residents can compare the two results. The sample report also includes an estimated half-life, or a projection of how long is will take for the PFOA levels to completely dissipate. Mayor Allen added DOH is waiting on the results of another 300 samples.
Let’s See What the Air Looks Like Now
Ben Potter of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation spoke to the meeting, indicating that DEC will begin testing air emissions at both the Saint Gobain production facilities on McCaffery Street and Liberty Street later this month or in early December. Mr. Potter stressed these tests will only show what pollutants are being emitted now, not when PFOA was part of the production process years ago. He indicated they expect to find different results at the two facilities, as different dispersion processes are being use at each facility. Village Trustee Brian Bushner pressed the DEC official for information about what products are used at the McCaffrey Street facility. He indicated that because Liberty Street operates under a permitting process, that information has been readily available, but because a powder dispersion is used at the McCaffrey Street site, it is a simple registration process, and the information is not contained in those documents. Mr. Potter indicated that acetone was one of the primary components of the process, but that Mr. Bushner could request a copy of the application for the registration, and that would contain the information he is seeking.
If You Smell Something, Say Something
Mr. Potter indicated that his office has only received a few complaints about orders emanating form the facilities, and when DEC personal arrived to check on it, they found nothing. He said they have also received reports about a bluish haze hanging over parts of the village at times, but again have not found evidence. He urged any residents that have complaints to call his office immediately, so it can be investigated. The number is 518-357-2045.
Two HF Police Officers Given Full-time Status
Hoosick Falls Police Chief Bob Ashe recently approached the Village Board, about hiring two officers full-time, instead of relaying on a completely part-time force. At their meeting Tuesday night, the board voted unanimously to approve that request, and named Officers Cory Wagner and John Hudson to those posts, effective November 17. Both officers are currently serving on the force part-time.
After some brief discussion with Village Attorney Andy Gilchrist, the board decided to place a 180 day probation period on any new hires, but also voted to count the time to the officers have already served as part of that timeframe.
A New Village Clerk
The meeting was opened with a moment of silence to remember long time Village Clerk Ann Marie Bornt, who passed away last week. Both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Bob Ryan offered testimonies to how helpful she had been for them in their term in office, and how much she meant to the village as a whole. Mayor Allen then formally appointed Marie O’Neil-Ferrannini as Clerk to finish out the two-year appointment.
Other News
The Village Tree Lighting ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 8 at 6 pm in Wood Park. Following the lighting, there will be a procession starting at 6:30 pm to the Unihog BBQ for refreshments, rumored to include Christmas Cookies.
The Village is still waiting for final bids to come back for Survey and Environmental Assessments services for the Hall Street Buyout project. Mayor Allen says they will likely request state approval and award bids later this week, with a formal resolution presented a next month’s meeting for all services awarded. As far as a new pump station to replace the existing one on Rensselaer Street goes, it’s the old waiting game with New York State for formal approval of the state grant that will be used to pay for part of it. These approvals must go through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), which is notoriously slow in then granting process. The Board decided at the November 2 meeting, not to go ahead with the purchase until the grant money was in hand.