PBS News Weekend

With no federal limit on a chemical found in drinking water, New York state takes action on its own. Tests mandated by the EPA discovered a chemical called 1,4-dioxane in the drinking water in some communities on Long Island, New York. Found in degreasers, paint strippers, and some household products, it's been labeled as "likely to be carcinogenic" by the EPA. With no federal action on setting a federal limit on the amount of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water, New York state decided to act on its own, proposing the first firm limit for the chemical in the country. In a follow-up to our 2017 report on drinking water safety, NewsHour Weekend's Hari Sreenivasan returns to Long Island to report on the state's latest efforts to tackle emerging contaminants.