Lawmakers Call For Legislation To Get Chemicals Out Of Long Island Water

LONG BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- State lawmakers are calling for legislation to clean up the water on Long Island.

As WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported, the man-made chemical 1,4-dioxane – which is listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as a "probable carcinogen" -- was found in nearly all the water districts on Long Island.

Meanwhile, Democratic state senators said the chemical hexavalent chromium – also known as the Erin Brockovich chemical – has been found during testing.

State Sens. Todd Kaminsky (D-Rockville Centre), John Brooks (D-Massapequa), Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers), and Democratic Policy Group Chair Daniel Squadron (D-Brooklyn) are sponsoring bills they said would unpoison the well.

"The bill that I have is very simple. It will require the Department of Health to come up with a specific regulation for 1,4-dioxane," Kaminsky said. "Right now, it is treated in the catch-all category. There is no specific regulation for 1,4-dioxane, event hough it is not like any other chemical."

Another bill would regulate hexavalent chromium, and the senators said they want more testing for lead in the water done in schools and day care facilities.