MassDEP detects PFAS above imminent‑hazard levels in Fulling Mill area; Board maps more than 550 tested properties

MassDEP sampling in the Fulling Mill/Falling Veil Road area returned variable but sometimes very high PFAS concentrations, the Nantucket Board of Health was told on Feb. 19.

Andrew Shapiro, the town’s environmental contamination administrator, said one untreated sample tested at 347 parts per trillion for PFAS‑6 — a concentration he called “a really high concentration, a concerning concentration” that exceeds MassDEP’s imminent hazard threshold. MassDEP sampled seven properties at five addresses in the Fulling Mill area; another property tested at 162 parts per trillion in an untreated sample and 80 parts per trillion after treatment, which is below the imminent‑hazard threshold but still above the state drinking‑water standard.

Shapiro said MassDEP plans to provide a POET (point‑of‑entry treatment) system to the property with the highest detection, and that treatment systems vary in their PFAS removal effectiveness. The Board’s dataset now includes results for more than 550 island properties; Shapiro emphasized that PFAS can vary substantially over short distances and that the new mapping template helps visualize high and low detections nearby.

Board members asked about notification protocols and public outreach. Shapiro said the department had sent letters to property owners within 500 feet of the initial imminent‑hazard detection and would reconsider outreach if new abutters fell within that radius as sampling continues. Members also asked whether the town could compile de‑identified blood‑level data or test deer meat; staff said such efforts are possible but would likely require a formal study, privacy safeguards (IRB), and coordination with state agencies.

Next steps: MassDEP may resample the area given the high variability; the Health Department will continue to map results, distribute fact sheets to detected households, and coordinate with MassDEP on mitigation for imminent‑hazard properties.