New York holds manufacturers liable for fouled water

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York regulators say Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International are required to pay for the investigation and cleanup of a toxic chemical in an upstate village's drinking water. The federal Environmental Protection Agency told Hoosick Falls residents to...

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York regulators say Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International are required to pay for the investigation and cleanup of a toxic chemical in an upstate village's drinking water.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency told Hoosick Falls residents to stop drinking municipal water in December, more than a year after contamination was found. The chemical PFOA was used for decades in the manufacturer of nonstick and stain-resistant coatings and hundreds of other products.

The state Environmental Conservation Department traced the contamination to a factory operated by Saint-Gobain, part of a Paris-based global conglomerate. It was formerly owned by Honeywell predecessor AlliedSignal Laminated Systems.

Thursday's action makes them responsible for the cleanup.

Saint Gobain did not immediately respond to a request for comment. New Jersey-based Honeywell noted the companies' voluntary actions.

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