Investigation of Perfluorinated Compound Contamination Near Former Teflon Coating Plant
Weston & Sampson is assisting the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC) investigate and assess the extent and degree of perfluorinated compound contamination surrounding a former Teflon coating plant. Recently discovered contamination of a public water supply in a nearby town in upstate New York was linked to a firm that also had operations in North Bennington. Local and state-wide community representatives requested that environmental conditions surrounding the North Bennington plant be evaluated. The VTDEC contracted Weston & Sampson to collect several water supply samples from nearby private and public water supplies. The initial sampling results of the limited well set determined that Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) was present in several private water supply wells greater than 2,000 parts per trillion, 100 times the Vermont Health Department recommended exposure level.
We developed a comprehensive drinking water well sampling protocol and are providing sampling teams to investigate all water supply wells within 1.5 miles of the former ChemFab Plant. Within 21 days of discovering the PFOA presence we sampled and reported results for more than 180 public and private water supply wells. Data management includes quality assurance and control review, data entry review, and reporting to the VTDEC for publishing to the public. Continued sampling is being performed on the periphery of the initial 1.5-mile radius area to define the extent of PFOA contamination in drinking water.
Additionally, Weston & Sampson is preparing a site-specific, interactive ArcGIS environment, which will provide data in a spatially oriented environment for further analysis. Databases being generated for inclusion in the interactive environment include well owner information, well construction details, relative elevation data, water quality data, soil, surface water and sediment sampling locations and quality data. This product will allow for data tracking through time along with providing a vital project management tool for regulatory tracking of progress.