PFOA Contamination Response: Community Updates
Week of 05/16/2016 We apologize for the delay. This is last week's update.
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blood  U.S. EPA Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS Announced May 19, 2016    
Last Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new drinking water health advisory for lifetime exposure to PFOA and PFOS. The new federal advisory supersedes the previous short-term exposure health advisory of 400 parts per trillion for PFOA. Vermont's health advisory limit for PFOA is 20 parts per trillion.

Statement from Vermont Department of Health Commissioner Harry Chen, MD on the new U.S. EPA Drinking Water Advisory:

The Health Department evaluated all of the scientific information available at the time when setting Vermont's advisory level of 20 parts per trillion for PFOA in drinking water.
Now that EPA has set a new advisory level of 70 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS combined, we will evaluate the hundreds of pages of supporting documents just released by EPA to assess how this differs from our current advisory level, and consider if any changes are warranted.We remain committed to protecting the health of Vermonters from these harmful chemicals.

BenningtonNorth Bennington & Bennington Update

Summary of soil testing results posted online -- Summary sheets, data tables, and sampling maps have been posted online for soil sampling results and surface water and sediment testing that occurred in March. To view the results, go to the PFOA Community Info page and scroll down to "Data" under North Bennington.

An updated spreadsheet with all of the private well sampling results received to-date has also been posted under "Data." View the PDF summary or Excel spreadsheet now. 

DEC is
also planning on summarizing point-of-entry treatment (POET) system results in the coming weeks. Results will be posted on the same page.  
 
Preliminary engineering studies for North Bennington and Bennington to be available this week -- The engineering firms contracted by the Village of North Bennington and the Town of Bennington are nearing completion of two preliminary feasibility reports. The preliminary engineering studies will identify approaches and cost estimates for expanding each of the towns' municipal water systems to impacted homes. The firms will submit the reports to DEC this week. The Department expects to complete its review of the studies within 1 week of receipt. 
 
PownalPownal Update
From Fire District #2 Prudential Committee Member Melissa Collins -- Special meeting to be called to order at 6pm, Wednesday, May 25 2016 at the Pownal Rescue Squad, 22 Ladd Brook Rd., Pownal, VT.
This is a special meeting to update Pownal Fire District #2 and its ratepayers of the progress of the installation of the GAC Water Filtration System. Unicorn Management, engineer Mark Youngstrum, and various officials from the state will be in attendance.

Update on sampling in North Pownal -- Well samples were collected from an additional four homes in North Pownal. Of the four homes, one had concentrations of PFOA greater than 20 parts per trillion. At the Pownal Tannery site, additional samples from groundwater monitoring wells were also collected. All samples contained less than 20 parts per trillion of PFOA. Additional sampling of private wells in North Pownal is expected to begin soon.  

infoInformation Resources Available
For general PFOA questions and concerns:
Call 2-1-1.
Visit: Vermont DEC PFOA Response Page

For questions about potential health effects of PFOA:
Call the Vermont Department of Health toll-free at 800-439-8550.
Visit: Vermont Department Health PFOA Page

You may also reply to this e-mail with general questions.