Bill to require monitoring details of KJ wells passes Senate

ALBANY – A bill introduced to require full disclosure of monitoring reports related to public wells receiving permits from the state Department of Environmental Conservation has passed in the state Senate. It was sponsored by Senator James Skoufis (D, Woodbury).

The Assembly passed the measure last year when Skoufis served in that house.

The bill is in response to a Mountainville well in his district that official says is affecting water supplies in Woodbury, Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson.

The Assembly must approve the measure again this year.

The bill would require the DEC to post results of well monitoring on its website in addition to all information related to water usage and conservation related to DEC-issued well permits.

“Access to clean and drinkable water is a basic human right, and our community deserved to know if it’s ever at risk,” Skoufis said. “This legislation, alongside local efforts to keep a watchful eye, would ensure that the DEC is transparent and people know whether to have peace of mind or cause for alarm.”