Special Meeting On February 23 At 6 pm
by Alex Brooks
The Village of Hoosick Falls announced on Tuesday February 21 that it has reached a new, revised agreement with Saint Gobain and Honeywell to reimburse the Village for expenses it incurred dealing with the PFOA crisis over the last two years or so.[private] The Board has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday evening February 23 at 6 pm at the HAYC3 Armory, 80 Church Street in Hoosick Falls, to consider approval of the agreement.
The new agreement would provide $1,045,000 to the Village. It covers professional services of three consulting firms assisting the Village with the PFOA crisis through December 31, 2016, and provides an additional $153,000 for the Village to use at its discretion.
The Village release continues, “In return, the Village agrees not to sue either or both companies for their potential role in contaminating three existing wells with PFOA and their associated water delivery apparatus in their current configuration at the existing water treatment plant. These wells have already been retrofitted with the Full Capacity Granular Activated Carbon system which is consistently removing PFOA to non-detect levels.
The agreement has been revised to ensure the Village retains its right to pursue any other claims, such as those associated with: new wells or their equipment; alternative sources of water; extensions or additions to the current municipal water supply system; contaminants other than PFOA; or responding to PFOA contamination other than in, and associated with, the Village’s current municipal water supply system. For example, the Village can pursue litigation relative to contamination at or emanating from the Village-owned landfill.
Finally, the agreement preserves the Village’s right to seek indemnification and acknowledges that nothing set forth in the agreement affects any rights and claims any third parties may have against the companies or their predecessors.”
The text of the agreement can be viewed at the Village’s website, villageofhoosickfalls.com. [/private]