JUMP TO: Bennington and North Bennington |Southern Bennington | Clarendon | Pownal | Shaftsbury
PFAS Status Report
- Since that first discovery of PFAS contamination in Bennington and North Bennington, the DEC has investigated numerous sources of PFAS using a strategic sampling strategy that is updated and adapted based on the latest scientific research. The DEC has prepared a report which provides an overview of the findings of this work and provides a look into additional work needed in the future. Read the July 2018 PFAS Statewide Sampling Report
NO. BENNINGTON and BENNINGTON
Public Meetings
Area of Interest Maps
MAP: Updated Map with Corrective Action Areas
MAP: Designated Areas of Concern in North Bennington and Bennington
MAP: North Bennington Water System Map
Annual Sampling Reports and Responses
2020 Report: SGPP-VT_2020_OUB_CAP2 Annual Report_03302021.pdf
2020 Response: 04292021.Spiese.Angier.Comments.on.Annual.Rpt.ltr.jss.comments.pdf
2021 Report: 2021 OUB CAP2 Annual Report.pdf
2021 Response: 06102022.Spiese.Angier.Comments.on.Annual.Rpt.ltr.pdf
2022 Report: SGPP-VT_2022_OUB_CAP2 Annual Report_compiled.pdf
2022 Response: 05312023.Spiese.Angier.Comments.on.2022.Annual.Rpt.ltr.pdf
2023 Report: 2023 OUB CAP2 Annual Report.pdf
2023 Response: 07012024.Spiese.Angier.Comments.on.2023.Annual.Rpt.ltr.pdf
How to get your drinking water tested:
If you are within the Bennington area of concern: Please contact Richard Spiese (richard.spiese@vermont.gov or 802 249-5083) or Malayika Vincent (malayika.vincent@vermont.gov or 802 505-1351).
If you are not within an area of concern:
Drinking Water Testing Information Sheet for Well Owners (PDF)
Bottled Water Information:
If PFOA was detected in your well in any concentration level, DEC contractor W.B. Mason should be delivering bottled water to your home by now. If this isn't happening, please contact W.B. Mason directly at 508-436-8869.
Starting on September 26, 2016, bottled water will no longer be available for pick-up from D' s Market & Deli. The Department of Environmental Conservation thanks D's Market & Deli and Village Variety for offering generous service to the community by acting as pick-up locations for bottled water during the many months of PFOA well testing.
Data
|
Environmental Testing Type |
Results Summary |
Sampling Map (zoom in for detail) |
|---|---|---|
| Point of Entry Treatment (POET) System Operation and Maintenence Manual | POET Operation and Maintenence Manual (PDF) (April 2017) | |
| Surface Waters and Sediment | Surface Water and Sediment PFC Results Summary (PDF) | Map of Sampling Locations (PDF, 4.4 MB) |
| Surface Soils | Surface Soil Testing PFC Results Summary (PDF) | Map of Sampling Locations (PDF, 3.1 MB) |
| Private Drinking Water Wells (Ongoing effort) |
Private Well Sampling Results (PDF) |
Map of Sampling Locations (PDF, 14 MB) |
| Burgess Brothers Landfill | Memo from Weston Solutions to EPA-R1, “Groundwater, Surface Water and Influent/Effluent Sampling Activities at the Burgess Brothers Landfill” (June 10, 2016) |
|
| Shallow Soil Samples at Former Chem Fab & Surrounding Areas |
Report from St. Gobain's contractor, CT Male Associates,
Letter Response from the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (PDF) |
|
| Maple Syrup Testing Results |
Lab Results from Maple Syrup Testing Analysis (PDF)
|
Municipal Water System Extension Studies
Presentation: Water Line Extension Proposed for the Village of North Bennington (PDF 3.17MB). Presented at the July 2016 North Bennington Public Meeting by Otter Creek Engineering.
Revised (July 5, 2016) Preliminary Engineering Report on Bennington Water Distribution System Expansion (PDF, 19.8MB). Prepared by MSK Engineering and Design.
Revised (June 19, 2016) Preliminary Engineering Report on Bennington Water Distribution System Expansion (PDF, 19.5MB). Prepared by MSK Engineering and Design.
Preliminary Engineering Report on Bennington Water Distribution System Expansion (PDF, 10MB). Prepared by MSK Engineering and Design.
Revised (June 24, 2016) Preliminary Engineering Report on Village of North Bennington Water Distribution System Expansion. Prepared by Otter Creek Engineering.
- Appendix A - Existing Water Distribution System
- Appendix B - PFOA Area of Interest (Prepared by DEC)
- Appendix C - Proposed Water Distribution System Improvements
Preliminary Engineering Report on Village of North Bennington Water Distribution System Expansion (PDF, 35MB). Prepared by Otter Creek Engineering.
Monitoring and Sampling Plans: Drinking Water Wells and Point-of-Entry Treatment Systems
Audit Summary of Saint-Gobain Sampling Methods (PDF, 0.2MB). Prepared by Weston & Sampson for the DEC.
Water Supply Well Re-Sampling Plan (PDF, 7.2MB). Prepared by C.T. Male Associates for Saint-Gobain. Reviewed and approved by the DEC.
Letters
Joint Letter: From Governor Peter Shumlin and Governor-elect Phil Scott to Saint-Gobain CEO Tom Kinsky, December 2016
Response Letter: From Saint-Gobain CEO Tom Kinsky to Governor Peter Shumlin and Governor-elect Phil Scott, December 2016
Information from Community Meeting on Thursday, April 27, 2017:
- MEMO: Summary of Bennington and North Bennington Community PFOA Meeting, April 2017
- REFERENCED IN THE MEMO:
- Watch a recording of the meeting from Bennington College
- "Understanding PFOA" -- View slide deck from David Bond, Bennington College
- Joint Statement on the State of Vermont's Agreement from Saint-Gobain to Fund Design Work for Waterline Extension in Bennington
- "Gathering and Modeling Data to Understand PFOA Contamination" -- View slide deck from John Schmeltzer, Department of Environmental Conservation
Site History
Chemfab operated in North Bennington from 1970 through 2000, when it was purchased by Saint-Gobain. It was closed in 2002. During its operation, the facility primarily applied PTFE (Teflon) coatings to fiberglass fabrics by dip coating the fabrics in a liquid bath of micron size PTFE particles and various additives (likely including PFOA) followed by ovens to dry and melt the Teflon onto the fabric. PFOA is used in the production of Teflon which may contain residual PFOA in the final product. PFOA also has uses as a surfactant and dispersant in various products including application of Teflon to fabrics and wires. Ultimately, Chemfab was purchased by Saint-Gobain and moved to New Hampshire.
SOUTHERN BENNINGTON
Community Notices
Notice of Public Meeting_Feb.2025.pdf
Memo: Southern Bennington Fall 2023 Sampling Results Memo
Reports
Bennington PFAS Summary Report.pdf
Southern Bennington PFAS Report.pdf
2024 Bennington PFAS Report.pdf
Area of Interest Maps
MAP: March - July 2024 PFAS Concentration Southern Bennington
MAP: December 2023 PFAS Concentration Southern Bennington
SOUTHERN VERMONT REGIONAL AIRPORT
What is happening in Clarendon?
The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) have collectively sampled 74 bedrock and 4 springs (2 of which are sources of drinking water) in the area surrounding the Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport in Clarendon. A sample location map and a table summarizing results has been prepared and is provided through the links below.
Bottled water is being offered to all users of drinking water supplies with detections of PFAS until it can be established that concentrations detected are stable and the health advisory will not be exceeded. If water supplies exceed the health advisory, users will also have a point of entry treatment (POET) system installed to effectively remove the PFAS from the water. The State has installed three residential POETs, one POET on a well serving a barn, and will continue to work to install POETs at any residences where the drinking water health advisory is exceeded.
If you are concerned with the possible contamination of your well and you are not in the area of concern, please see the Drinking Water Testing Info Sheet for Well Owners. Property owners who live near the airport and have questions for the project manager can reach out to Richard Spiese by phone at 802 249-5083 or by email at richard.spiese@vermont.gov.
While other sources have not been ruled out, the PFAS contamination may stem from aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) which are required to be available at airports with specific operating certificates. AFFF is used to extinguish fires of flammable liquids such as gasoline or jet fuel, and other hazardous chemicals. At all airports, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires specialized firefighting equipment and AFFF to be tested regularly so they will not fail at extinguishing a fire.
A site investigation was completed during the Summer of 2018. Soil and groundwater samples were collected from various locations on the Airport property where AFFF was used regularly. The report on this Site Investigation is currently being prepared by the State’s consultant and will be posted here once it is received by the Vermont DEC.
- May 30, 2018 Press Release - State Agencies Continue Investigating PFAS Contamination at the Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport in Clarendon
- April 5, 2018 Press Release - State Agencies Work to Remove PFAS Contamination From Rutland Business Park Water System
Public Meeting
Both the Vermont DEC and VTrans will attend the Clarendon Selectboard meeting on Monday, October 8, 2018 which starts at 6:00 pm at the Clarendon Grange Hall located at the intersection of Moulton Avenue and Grange Hall Road in Clarendon. The Vermont DEC’s site manager will update the Town on the sampling of bedrock supply wells, as well as the site investigation, before a question and answer session.
Data
| Environmental Testing Type | Results Summary | Area Map |
|---|---|---|
| Private Drinking Water Wells | Private Wells Sampling Results | Area map Clarendon |
POWNAL
All residents using the municipal water supply (Pownal Fire District #2) are encouraged to use tap water again for drinking. On July 28, 2016, Governor Shumlin announced the lifting of the "do not drink order" for the municipal water supply. Four new granular activated carbon treatment units are effectively removing PFOA from the water supply.
Data
|
Environmental Testing Type |
Results Summary |
Sampling Map (zoom in for detail) |
|---|---|---|
| Private Drinking Water Wells (ongoing effort) |
Drinking Water Well Sampling Results Posted January 4, 2017 |
Map of Sampling Locations July 2, 2016 |
| Former General Cable Facility |
Remedial Investigation Work Plan, Phase I (June 1, 2016) for Former General Cable Facility. |
Map of Proposed Profiling Locations (June 1, 2016) |
Shaftsbury
Community Notices
Notice of Public Meeting_Feb.2025.pdf
Reports
2024.04.08.VTDEC.ShaftsburyPFAS.DW Sampling.rpt..pdf
2024.11.21.VTDEC.ShaftsburyPFAS.rpt.pdf
SHAFTSBURY LANDFILL
What is happening in Shaftsbury?
The chemical PFOA was detected at a concentration of 25 parts per trillion in a groundwater monitoring well at the Shaftsbury Landfill. The Town of Shaftsbury tested for perfluorinated compounds at the closed landfill site in response to concerns from local residents about the proximity of the landfill to the former Chemfab plant in North Bennington. Results from the testing events are listed below.
Data
| Environmental Testing Type | Results Summary | Area Map |
|---|---|---|
| Private Drinking Water Wells |
Private Wells Sampling Results (196 KB PDF) |
MAP (6.5 MB, PDF): Area of Interest near Shaftsbury Landfill |
| Shaftsbury Landfill Groundwater Monitoring Wells | Groundwater Monitoring Well Results (Excel Workbook) *Updated Tuesday, October 4, 2016 |