Stewart Air Base PFAS Cleanup Delayed to 2051 — Full Press Conference, Sept. 4, 2026

PFAS from firefighting foam at Stewart Air National Guard Base contaminated Washington Lake, Newburgh's drinking water source, a decade ago. The federal study that decides how the base finally gets cleaned up was due in September 2026. It is now scheduled for 2051. On September 4, 2026, Rep. Pat Ryan gathered advocates and local officials on the shore of Washington Lake to respond. This is the full press conference, unedited except for trimming before and after the remarks. Speakers: Rep. Pat Ryan; Jennifer Rawlison of the Newburgh Clean Water Project, who co-chairs the Restoration Advisory Board; Newburgh Council Member Ronald Zorrilla, the city's representative on that board; a representative of the Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance; Jeremy Cherson of Riverkeeper; Rob Hayes of Environmental Advocates NY; Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson; and Orange County Legislator Gabrielle Hill. COME TO THE PUBLIC POSTER BOARD SESSION Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Newburgh Free Library, Board of Education Room, 124 Grand St. The Restoration Advisory Board meeting follows the same evening. At the poster session, Air National Guard staff and the contractors doing the work stand beside maps and sampling results and answer questions one on one. There is no three-minute comment clock. You do not need to know anything about PFAS to attend. CHAPTERS 0:00 Rep. Pat Ryan opens: what changed and why it matters 2:37 "They will be 30 years old before the study is even done" 6:47 Jennifer Rawlison, Newburgh Clean Water Project and RAB co-chair 10:43 Council Member Ronald Zorrilla on what the delay costs the city 13:59 Introductions continue 15:23 Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance on how the contamination spread 17:01 Jeremy Cherson, Riverkeeper, on how long cleanups take 19:11 Rob Hayes, Environmental Advocates NY, on what PFAS does to people 21:40 Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson on liability and the foam ban 23:43 Orange County Legislator Gabrielle Hill: everyone has a part to play 25:08 Ryan closes: "Don't agonize, organize" BACKGROUND Washington Lake stopped serving as Newburgh's drinking water source in 2016, and New York listed the base as a state Superfund site that August. The city has bought water from New York City's Catskill Aqueduct ever since. The Restoration Advisory Board, formed in 2020, reviews the cleanup four times a year and seats 15 community members alongside 10 agency representatives. The Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study maps how far the contamination spread and lays out options for a permanent fix. Reporting by the Times Herald-Record and USA TODAY, cited in Rep. Ryan's August 5 letter to the Defense Secretary, showed deadlines moving at more than 20 New York military sites. Ryan's office says Stewart's study now lands in 2051. -- Español --- Los PFAS de la espuma contra incendios de la Base Aérea Stewart contaminaron Washington Lake, la fuente de agua potable de Newburgh, hace una década. El estudio federal que decide cómo se limpiará finalmente la base vencía en septiembre de 2026. Ahora está programado para 2051. El 4 de septiembre de 2026, el representante Pat Ryan reunió a defensores del medio ambiente y a funcionarios locales a la orilla de Washington Lake para responder. Este es el video completo de la conferencia de prensa. SESIÓN PÚBLICA DE CARTELES Miércoles 21 de octubre de 2026, de 4:30 a 6:30 p.m. Biblioteca Pública de Newburgh, Sala de la Junta de Educación, 124 Grand St. A continuación, la reunión de la Junta Asesora de Restauración. En la sesión de carteles, el personal de la Guardia Nacional Aérea y sus contratistas están junto a los mapas y los resultados de muestreo y responden preguntas uno a uno. No hay límite de tres minutos. Usted no necesita saber nada sobre PFAS para asistir.