Montpelier – April 6, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — Gov. Peter Shumlin released today preliminary test results from private water supplies surrounding two former wire-coating facilities in Essex and Winooski. All samples showed no presence of the potentially harmful chemicals PFOA and PFOS.
The two sites are former locations of local wire coating and cable extrusion companies Belden Wire & Cable (Essex) and Super-Temp Wire and Cable (Winooski). An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contractor took five samples from residential wells near the former Belden Wire & Cable site in Essex, and five samples from wells owned by businesses near the former Super-Temp site in Winooski. All test results were non-detect for PFOA.
The two former facilities represent two of eleven sites identified in a statewide plan announced by the Governor in March to proactively test water in locations where there could be concern for elevated levels of PFOA. The wire coating industry, semi-conductor industry, and locations where fire-fighting foam was used repeatedly were identified as places that should be tested.
The test results released today mean that water supplies sampled at four out of the eleven sites outlined in the statewide plan and tested by the EPA have now tested clean for PFOA. Testing of water supplies around Pittsford Fire Academy (Pittsford) and Phoenix Wire (South Hero) also returned results where PFOA was not detected.
