Bedford Landfill Wells Show High PFOA, PFOS Levels

BEDFORD, NH — Results received for groundwater samples collected from two of the five monitoring wells at the former Bedford landfill on Chubbuck Road have returned results in excess of the 70 parts per trillion (ppt) US EPA lifetime health advisory for the combined presence of perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoroctane sulfate (PFOS), according to a press statement from Bedford Town Manager Rick Sawyer.

The town of Bedford completed the water testing as a result of the announcement of PFOA being present at the former town of Merrimack landfill. The results show that two wells immediately adjacent to the former landfill have results of 73 and 84 ppt, he noted. A well further downgradient and further away from the wells with the elevated contamination shows a result of 2.8 ppt which may indicate that the contaminates have not migrated off the former landfill property.

"The town of Bedford immediately turned the results of the test over to the N.H. Department of Environmental Services who will now be conducting a further investigation of 25 private wells on Magazine Street, Spring Hill Road, Nathan Cutler Drive, Harvard Lane, Dartmouth Circle, and Balsam Court which are in the vicinity of the former landfill," he noted.

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The former landfill is located behind the current transfer station on Chubbuck Road and was in operation from the early 1970s through the summer of 1995. The landfill was capped with an impermeable membrane in 1998.

“It is truly unfortunate that residents in a fourth area of Bedford are being impacted by the evolving presence of PFCs in our drinking water," Sawyer said. "Hopefully the fact that the findings adjacent to the landfill are significantly lower than those found in other sites being investigated in southern New Hampshire is an indication that the contaminants have remained on site. We will work with NHDES to ensure a complete investigation as expeditiously as possible and continue to provide information on this issue on our website and Facebook page.”

For more information regarding NHDES' investigation into PFCs found in southern New Hampshire drinking water, visit des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pfoa.htm.