Sara Foss is a freelance journalist with experience writing for newspapers and other publications including the Adirondack Explorer and New York State School Boards Association. She lives in Albany with her husband, son and two cats and enjoys hiking, swimming and exploring the outdoors.
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‘I Didn’t Know I Was Sitting in a Pool of Poison’
In 2016, high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—PFAS—were discovered in Monette’s drinking water well at her home in the upstate New York town of Petersburgh, along with the wells of many of her neighbors. Petersburgh’s municipal water supply was also tainted, as was the Little Hoosic River, where Monette liked to cool off. “I didn’t know I was sitting in a pool of poison,” says Monette, a 68-year-old retired elementary school art teacher who taught at a local school district.
July 17, 2025