Health department reports new PFAS detects, schedules public session with Harvard expert on Dec. 11
Summary
Environmental contamination administrator Andrew Shapiro reported a new detection above state PFAS standards in the Nashon/Tripside area and another at Fulling Mill; nearly 500 properties have been sampled to date and the board promoted a Dec. 11 public information session featuring a Harvard TH Chan School presenter.
Andrew Shapiro, the town’s environmental contamination administrator, provided a PFAS update at the Nov. 20 Board of Health meeting. Since the October meeting, 59 PFAS results have been received: one new detection above the state standard (Nashon/Tripside area), 14 below the standard and 44 non-detects. Shapiro said MassDEP will visit the island after Thanksgiving to follow up at Fulling Mill, where detections above the state standard were also reported to MassDEP.
Shapiro noted the town and MassDEP sampling combined now cover nearly 500 properties and that testing continues to show detections in multiple areas of the island. He encouraged private well owners to test and promoted an upcoming in-person and Zoom session on Dec. 11 featuring Dr. Tamara James Todd of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on PFAS and health across life stages.
Board members thanked staff for the outreach and urged continued sampling and MassDEP coordination.
