Westport health board withdraws broad well‑testing advisory after Mid City Scrap fire; LSP testing continues

The Westport Board of Health on May 11 rescinded an initial, broad advisory that had urged private‑well testing after a large fire at Mid City Scrap on May 4 and said testing by a licensed site professional (LSP) hired by the site owner is underway.

"We kind of pulled back that initial guidance," Chair Tanya Bryen said, describing consultations with the state agency referred to in the record as "D" and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Basically recommended that no well testing is needed at this time," she added, noting the site owner has engaged an LSP and that phased surface‑water and well testing is being carried out.

The board and public health director, identified in the meeting as Matt, told residents that the LSP was performing the sampling under hazardous‑waste site requirements and that the sampling area is being expanded in planned phases. "They're branching a little over 1,000 ft now testing some of the wells in the area," Matt said, describing the wider phased sampling; he clarified the pattern is part of a planned multi‑phase approach rather than a single confirmation of contamination.

Resident Karen Goya pressed the board on whether test results would be made public and where to find them. "Will we get the report from the testing? Will that be made public to the residents of Westport?" she asked. Bryen and Matt said they expect the LSP to post results on the state site where LSP information is maintained and that the board will pull the posted report and make it available locally if possible.

Board members emphasized that private well testing is the homeowner's responsibility. "Unlike public water supplies which get tested very frequently, it's up to the homeowner," Matt said, noting Westport does not have local private‑well regulations and that state guidance recommends some tests annually and some on a longer schedule. The board committed to publishing a plain‑language guidance column in the town's Shorelines publication covering which analytes to request, how often to test and how to find certified labs.

Officials also addressed surface‑water concerns downstream of the site. A resident asked whether Bread and Cheese Brook — which runs past the Mid City site and toward residential yards — would be sampled; Matt said surface‑water monitoring "would be part of the surface water testing" and noted conservation staff were also looking into downstream impacts.

The board advised residents with private wells to obtain a baseline water test and said it would follow up to post or link to LSP results when they are publicly available. The board did not impose mandatory testing or local requirements; members said they would continue to coordinate with state agencies and the LSP on sampling and public updates.

What happens next: Board staff said they were awaiting lab turnaround on initial samples and would post links or copies of results once the LSP posts them on the state site. The board also said it would publish a Shorelines column with testing guidance and lab resources for homeowners.