Vermont Officials Find Widespread Contamination in Water Wells Near Chemical Plant

Source: WSJ

Vermont officials testing samples at drinking-water wells in North Bennington, Vt., found widespread contamination on properties near a closed chemical plant, Gov. Peter Shumlin announced on Tuesday. Of 67 samples taken this month, 52 private wells showed unsafe levels of perfluorooctanoic acid, Vermont officials said. Known as PFOA, perfluorooctanoic acid is used in various industrial and commercial products.

The state plans to conduct soil samples starting Wednesday and has scheduled a community meeting to discuss findings and concerns. Public water supplies in North Bennington and nearby Bennington aren’t in danger, and only private wells have been found to be contaminated, officials said.

Concerns about PFOA contamination in Vermont join growing worry about PFOA contamination near a factory in Hoosick Falls, N.Y., and reports of PFOA contamination near a plant in Merrimack, N.H.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. operates the plants in Hoosick Falls and Merrimack, and used to operate the plant in North Bennington. In a statement, the Aurora, Ohio, company said it was cooperating with officials in all three states and is doing its own testing. The company said it isn’t required to do so since the EPA hasn’t ruled PFOA “to be a regulated or hazardous substance.” It also said none of its facilities now use PFOA.

In the recent water tests, elevated PFOA levels in samples ranged from 38 parts per trillion to 2,730 parts per trillion, according to the state officials. The Vermont Department of Health has determined 20 parts per trillion to be acceptable for drinking water, though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has advised that 100 parts per trillion is safe. Vermont health officials say high PFOA levels in blood can cause problems for a person’s heart, liver, and kidney. Research has found a correlation, but not a cause-and-effect relationship, between high PFOA levels in the blood and high blood pressure, immune-system problems and various cancers, according to the Vermont Health Department.




Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/vermont-officials-find