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Residents press officials on PFAS testing privacy and lab capacity; town explains limits
Summary
Residents urged publication of test results and questioned why house‑level results circulate on social media; the town said DOH/DEM control samples and that only three certified labs in Rhode Island perform PFAS testing under state standards.
Residents at the meeting raised privacy and transparency concerns after seeing household sampling information shared online. One resident asked why household sampling information showed up on Facebook and urged that results be public so neighbors know if they should test.
Administrator Jones said DEM collected samples and provided the town with a list of people the agency had not reached; he emphasized the town is not the repository for DEM's test results and that privacy rules limit how the town can use or publish individual well results. "The information that I have my well tested, that is my information," Jones said. "If I choose to share it on social media or anywhere else, that is my choosing. We cannot take someone's personal information from a well test and utilize that."
Councilors and residents also questioned why residents must drive to Providence to obtain test kits and submit samples. Jones and others explained that DOH uses three certified labs in Rhode Island for PFAS testing and that outside labs may follow different standards that DOH might not accept. "There are 3 certified labs in the state of Rhode Island... If we go to another lab ... I am not sure DOH or DEM are gonna rely on those standards," Jones said.
The council discussed whether the town could host a pickup or courier to reduce travel burdens for residents; Jones said he would press DOH to provide a local pickup option and recommended starting with small batches of tests to avoid wasting resources if a lab experiences problems.
