Well Water Contamination Info Hearing Scheduled In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — An information session has been scheduled for May 14 concerning well water contamination in Greenwich, organizers announced. The public meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Harvest Time Assembly of God, located at 1338 King St. in Greenwich.

Representatives from the state Department of Public Health, state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Greenwich Department of Health will be on hand to discuss the results of recent tests conducted in Northwest Greenwich.

The tests were conducted to determine if Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) migrated into the groundwater supply servicing public and private wells in that area of town. PFAS concentrations have been discovered in New York and in groundwater monitoring wells at Westchester County Airport, according to officials, which led to the precautionary tests in Greenwich.

"Perfluoroalkyl substances are not found naturally in the environment but can be released when used or disposed of at factories, airports, fire training areas, landfills and other industrial facilities," wrote Greenwich officials in a statement. "These chemicals do not break down easily in the environment, even when they are introduced into the water. Several PFAS, Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), which are the most studied, are of special concern including Perfluorohexane Sulfonate (PFHxS), Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFNA) and Perfluoroheptanoic Acid (PFHpA) as they are persistent in the human body and exert a variety of toxic effects."

For more information on PFAS and the May 14 public hearing, click here.

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