Village Board Set To Approve Agreement At December 28 Public Meeting
submitted by Hoosick Falls Mayor David Borge
Village of Hoosick Falls officials, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International are in the process of finalizing an agreement whereby the Village has sought reimbursement from the companies for costs it has incurred related to the PFOA water crisis.[private]The agreement calls for the payment of $850,000 to cover, among other items, water monitoring and analysis, flushing Village water lines and associated repairs of several hydrants, losses the Village incurred from reduced water and sewer usage, and engineering, legal and public relations consulting fees.
The reimbursement supplements prior financial commitments the Village obtained from Saint-Gobain and Honeywell to fund temporary and full capacity carbon treatment systems at the Village water treatment plant, installation of water treatment systems at several locations in the Village, and the provision of bottled water. These commitments are embodied in a Consent Order the companies signed with New York State earlier this year.
“This agreement, along with New York State’s Consent Order, will ensure that Village residents are not forced to bear the financial burden of paying for the Village’s response to the PFOA crisis — a situation they did not create,” said Village Mayor David Borge. “This is a substantial reimbursement that will significantly replenish the Village coffers, ensure we continue to provide critical services for Village residents, and protect the Village in the future.”
In addition to the reimbursement of funds, the agreement provides for a reservation of rights by the Village for future potential liabilities related to PFOA releases associated with the companies’ former manufacturing facilities in the Village. PFOA contamination that may have resulted from other locations, such as the Village-owned landfill, are not covered by the new agreement.
Attorneys representing the Village Board reviewed the major provisions of the agreement with the Village Board at a meeting earlier this week. Village Board members considered voting on a resolution to authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement once it was finalized, but chose to wait until the final agreement was prepared and available for public review. A special meeting of the Village Board has been scheduled for December 28 for review and approval of the agreement. [/private]