Andrew Shapiro, the town’s environmental contamination administrator, updated the Board of Health on PFAS sampling and investigations at the board’s July 17 meeting, reporting new detections above state guidance and an expanding investigation by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).

What was reported

- MassDEP resampling and the town’s follow‑up detected two values the agency is treating as imminent‑hazard detections near the Hammock Pond / Burnt Swamp area: 171 parts per trillion (ppt) at Oak Hollow Lane and 87 ppt at Hammock Pond Road (the latter just under MassDEP’s imminent‑hazard threshold of 90 ppt but treated as imminent by DEP because of the local pattern).
- One sample exceeded the Massachusetts state standard (reported at 20.1 ng/L in the packet) and several other detections fell below the state standard but above non‑detect levels.
- Since spring, MassDEP has sampled more than 100 island properties as part of its source investigation; the town’s voluntary program and board‑required property‑transfer testing have yielded nearly 200 samples (the number has continued to grow since the meeting packet was prepared).

Town actions and MassDEP plans

Shapiro said the town sent notification letters to abutters newly within 500 feet of the imminent‑hazard detections; MassDEP has sampled in the area and will return for further sampling, and has asked the town to assist in identifying nearby private wells.

Shapiro offered to help well owners interpret results and noted that the town’s program also reaches out to well owners whose samples are above the state standard. He reiterated a common public‑health recommendation: have private wells tested periodically (MassDEP advises testing on a regular schedule, often suggested every 10 years unless there is a reason to test more frequently).

Data and lab constraints

Shapiro told the board that lab turnaround times and national demand for PFAS analysis are slowing sample processing; the town’s lab supply (kits and COCs) is managed through Barnstable County and the town has asked residents for patience while testing demand grows.

Why it matters

PFAS chemicals have been linked to adverse health outcomes at some exposure levels; new detections near private wells and in neighborhoods highlight potential exposure pathways to drinking water and the need for testing, notifications and follow‑up health guidance. The board discussed public outreach, blood‑testing conversations with clinicians, and the advantage of wider private‑well sampling to better delineate sources and plumes.

What’s next

MassDEP sampling and source‑investigation work will continue; the town’s environmental office will keep updating maps and sending voluntary assistance letters to well owners. Eastern Research Group’s island sampling of public bathing beaches and other surface waters is underway and results were expected for a future meeting.