WINDSOR -- People in Windsor are still concerned about their drinking water after firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals leaked into the Farmington River.
"I don’t kayak. My dog doesn’t swim in the river anymore. I warn fishermen all of the time, 'You’re not supposed to eat those fish'", says one Windsor resident who lives at the bank of the Farmington River.
Testing of the groundwater in Windsor hasn’t yet come back as positive or negative for PFAS contamination. But, the state says they need more money to establish more efficient research methods.
"All of that takes millions of dollars and already our agency experts at DEEP and DPH have talked about the tremendous costs that they will incur as a result of their commitment to do this work," says Anne Hulick of Clean Water Action, a national non-profit organization.
It will take at least $1 million dollars in 2020 alone to expand the monitoring of waste disposal sites in Connecticut. At the federal level, a total of nearly $275 million dollars was appropriated to establishing a maximum contaminant level of PFAS in drinking water, remediation, and research.
"Remediation, clean up, making our groundwater PFAS free is a goal that we have to pursue relentlessly," says Senator Richard Blumenthal.
$3 million are going to the EPA to make a report- due 60 days after the new year- that develops standards for contamination levels in drinking water. Senator Blumenthal says he expects an actual standard to be set within a year. The government will also set eligibility criteria for a piece of the $250 million dollars in federal remediation funding.
"We’ll be fighting for money to come to Connecticut," says Senator Blumenthal.