[CPEO-BIF] Schumer legislation on Bethpage (NY) plume

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Clean drinking water finally a priority

Editorial

Long Island Newsday (NY)

January 16, 2017 


The more eyes on a problem, the better. So we applaud the recent passage and signing of a federal water infrastructure bill that requires the secretary of Navy to report to Congress annually on the groundwater plumes in Bethpage.

A provision written by Sen. Chuck Schumer forces the Navy to map the plumes coming from the former manufacturing facilities run by the Navy and Northrop Grumman and devise ways to prevent them from contaminating more water supplies. It’s an important step toward accountability - by involving Congress in the process and mandating that the Navy report include sites being remediated by Northrop, which has been more reluctant to share information. If the Navy and Northrop miss deadlines and benchmarks, congressional heat can move things along.

The legislation is the latest in a series of positive developments after decades of frustrating and destructive inactivity. State and federal officials are now working together to ensure the cleanup is progressing.

...

For the entire editorial, see
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial/clean-drinking-water-finally-a-priority-1.12953192

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice/Fax: 650/961-8918 
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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