New York will undertake a series of "aggressive water quality initiatives" to protect drinking water, including the creation of an interagency rapid response team to deal with contamination incidents, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) announced Feb. 18. In addition to the broad water quality initiatives, Cuomo also focused on specific sources of contamination such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), industrial leaks into a groundwater plume on Long Island and runoff from mulching and composting facilities. The announcement signals a bid by Cuomo to put the state in a national leadership position amid drinking water controversies sparked by source contamination in Flint, Mich., and elsewhere.
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