Results of Regional PFOA Soil Study: How Far Did PFOA Emissions Travel?

Tim Schroeder, David Bond, & Janet Foley (Bennington College)

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C T w O !(D !( !( W !(R!( T !( N e !( L R was confined to neighborhoods !( S Lake Paran !( IN !( E E T !( N TOWN LINE RD R A!( !( !( O !( D N W T W T H !( !(U !( M !( O !( CC ! G !( !( !(!( U( T U !( !(!(!( L S O !(LO T !( H U HALL S L G T S !( !( !( !( H !( O from ChemFab extended T R S E !( D O E !( !( !( !( G G !( WEST ST H SA !( !( !( 7 !( !( R ¤£ C !( P !( S !( R O !( !( O E !( S !( !(!( !( immediately around ChemFab. G P ME (! !( !( E C !( H !( !( D C ANI D 7 !( !( !( C !( R MAP LEGEND T R ¤£ S !( T !(EA N !( S L L !(L !( T R !( Y !( T VE !( !( CK !( !(E S O !( O P R !(

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A R k N !( R e !( ¤£7 Well: B-15 O ChemFab emissions are partially R e E Well: B-8-1 Well: B-17 r S I E (!N G !( !( !( PFOA: 36ppt A G C E !( PFOA: 18ppt E !( @ PFOA: 51ppt Bennington, and Shaftsbury.Corrective Action Area 2 (! T SETTL T E R I L ! S !(RD n (!( !( !( O T @ !( L 20 - 100 ppt N a @ A @ O r O !((! R !( a M D C @@ k

!( R P (! (! Well: B-1-1 o !( !( F Well: B-1-2 PFOA: 21ppt!( !( ro !( Property Sampled B ! !( !( PFOA: 140ppt e ( 100 - 1000 ppt A (! !((! c P RD a !(!( Village Boundary (VCGI) ER AS (! n !(!( !( IV (!A !( !( !( r !( R (!(!S D ! u Wastewater Treatment Plant W!A ( !( !( (! !( responsible for PFOA F !( !( (!(Y !( (! (! !(!( (! >1000 ppt (! (! MIC (! (!T !( H (!!( !( !( !( (!A(!EL ok !(!( S !( !( (! (! S (! o (! (!(! (!(!Property Sampled (! !( (! !(!( DR (! !( r H (!L ! !! B !( ILL ( !((( n SID A (! (!!( !(!( !(RICE LN !( o E ! U N Y ! !( ( t ST !((! ( !( (! HOUGHTON LN !( at !( Sampling Boundary D O (!(!(!(!!( !( !( r ( ( R ! t ( (!Property Sampled R !((! !( !(!( !( (! ((!67A !( (! ! W S !( W ·Æ(! (!(!!((! (!( O !( @ O (! a (! ! R !( L ( !( L Landfill Monitoring ll !!( !( I o (! D ( omsac River !( (! (! !((!(! (! (! !( W (! ! T ((!( (! (! !(!( B (! (! T (! !((! !( groundwater contamination in (! (! (! (! (!E(!(!(! (! (! !((!S !((! (! !( (! S D (! Emissions from ChemFab are !( Town Boundary ! U R ( !( !( (! (! R k D (! !( !(¤£7 !((! !( (! roo E (!(! (! ! B !(B (! MU ( (! D Factory s RPHY RD !( D E (!!( e (! l R (! (! l (!R !( ! !( (! !( o R (! ( (! S (! (!! U O ( (! B (!(! (! !( O ¤£7 !( B R (! !(!( !( A !( R Landfill H !( !( (! D D !( L 7 R Corrective Action Area I (blue ¤£ O ! T !( ( 67A !( !( !( !( E ·Æ !( S the largest source of PFOA !( A ! (! !( H ( 279 279 279 E Wastewater Treatment Plant ·Æ ·Æ ·Æ !(!( Y e 279 OR !( ll (! (! ·Æ CH 279 !( H k P ARD 279 ·Æ ollo o A o H !( RD ·Æ !( w Br D (! 67A YL R 279 IS !( !( ! N ·Æ (! (!( ·Æ !( H

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S K !( T ·Æ (! !( !((!!( S LEY E D A S (! R !( D M !( !( R R D $ R !( D M D D R Woodford E !( R !( D A June 26, 2018 !( !( !(E WaterLine E !( T P Kocher Drive Landfill !( (! N (! I B !( !( Bennington !( !( A E !( !( !( O !( E !( H W H !( !( VA M R (! !( IL RD (! S 5 I !( !( !( R 8 !( !( C explain groundwater O !( !( !(!( !( C D !( A !( !( K !( H it R H S T y !( Corrective Action Area I (in !( S Notes: HIELDS T A DR S V t R !( !( 2 r B Sources: Roads (VTRANS), eBasemap (VCGI), Geocoding Service (VCGI), Sampling Results (VTDEC/Weston &

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H 110 J in Area II. T !( VCGI How far did PFOA emissions from ChemFab travel? In our region, most data on this question has relied on groundwater samples. Taken from residential wells, groundwater samples have been found to contain significant amounts of PFOA from the New York State border all the way up to the Green Mountains (where the lack of residential wells has made continued sampling difficult). What if we focused on PFOA levels in soil instead? PFOA, which is nearly indestructible, binds to organic matter in soil. So, as the PFOA emissions fell back to earth, might those emissions have left a durable trace upon our region’s soils? PFOA levels on Bald Mountain Bald Mountain rises above Bennington just to the east of town and is home to the popular White Rocks hiking destination. The map below shows an overhead view of Bald Mountain. It shows elevated PFOA levels in the soil on Bald Mountain, where PFOA seems to have accumulated on the slope facing ChemFab. PFOA was also found beyond Bald Mountain.

This is a profile view of the overhead map, looking east from ChemFab. This profile includes PFOA levels in soil and water on Bald Mountain and beyond. PFOA has been deposited almost 2,000 feet above ChemFab and the landfill, and over 10 miles downwind from ChemFab, suggesting extensive airborne deposition of PFOA. PFOA levels in Surface Waters in Bennington Region

This map shows PFOA concentrations in springs, streams, and wetland seeps from undisturbed areas in the Green Mountains.

PFOA was found in surface waters downwind of known PFOA emitters in North Bennington, VT and Hoosick Falls NY, but not in areas to the north that lie out of the dominant wind pattern.

Both plants, the ChemFab facility in North Bennington and the Saint-Gobain facility in Hoosick Falls, NY, are owned by Saint- Gobain. PFOA levels in Soils in Southeastern Vermont These maps show PFOA concentrations in soil in southeastern Vermont. The map on the left shows average PFOA concentration in the soil. The map on the right shows that PFOA value normalized for total organic carbon (TOC) content of soil. (“Normalized for TOC” is the metric currently used by Saint- Gobain to describe soil levels.) Both maps provide an average from sample clusters. These maps demonstrate a trend of higher PFOA soil concentrations downwind of manufacturers that emitted PFOA (Saint-Gobain in Hoosick Falls and ChemFab in North Bennington). Summary of Findings

A definable plume of elevated PFOA levels exists in the soils of our region. Extending over 10 miles eastward from Bennington, VT (and 15 miles from Hoosick Falls, NY), this plume appears to cover approximately 120 square miles.

Lying in the dominant eastward wind direction from the ChemFab Facility in North Bennington, VT (and Saint- Gobain Facility in Hoosick Falls, NY), this plume suggests extensive airborne deposition of PFOA from those plants.

All data and maps produced by “Understanding PFOA” project at Bennington College. Maps will be updated as new data becomes available. Contact Tim Schroeder ([email protected]) for more information. Methodology Soil values, shown in parts per billion, are average PFOA concentration (dry weight) in the top 14 inches of soil. Soil samples were collected using accepted field techniques by Prof. Tim Schroeder and Prof. David Bond, with Bennington College students assisting. PFAS analysis was conducted by two commercial laboratories, Eurofins Lancaster (soil) and Eurofins Eaton Analytical (water). All samples, taken with permission, were collected from isolated sites with minimal human disturbance within the Green Mountains and Taconic Mountains.

All data and maps produced by “Understanding PFOA” project at Bennington College. Maps will be updated as new data becomes available. Contact Tim Schroeder ([email protected]) for more information.