Town of Fishkill
FISHKILL CONSIDERING LOCAL WELL TEST LAW:
The campaign to create a Dutchess County well-testing law is on its last legs, but efforts at the town level are just beginning.Fishkill Supervisor Joan Pagones, in a 40-minute speech Wednesday evening, spent a few minutes affirming the town's support for the county law while pledging to pursue a town law, if necessary, to require tests for well contamination when homes are sold.
"This issue is not a partisan issue. It is a public health priority," Pagones, a Republican, said in her annual State of the Town speech. "County government exists to provide services that individual municipalities cannot provide. When that need is not met, municipalities must then step up and provide the service."
Sitting nearby during the speech were East Fishkill Supervisor John Hickman, a Republican, and Wappinger Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero, a Democrat. Both towns have faced water quality problems in recent years and could follow Fishkill in seeking town laws.
The new push follows County Executive William Steinhaus' veto last week of a countywide bill passed by the Dutchess Legislature. As a sort of prelude to the veto, Steinhaus sent letters in January to all the county's 30 municipal leaders suggesting they consider adopting well-testing laws appropriate to their communities, and he included sample legislation.