Town official urges residents to participate in PFOA testing as state expands scope

Town staff told the Select Board that state and health-department teams will expand testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFOA) after follow-up site visits and that local residents are encouraged to participate in the sampling.

Why it matters: Speaker 1 said PFOA is being treated as an emerging contaminant and that testing may help identify responsible parties and trigger remediation responsibilities. The official emphasized that proving contamination in more locations will strengthen the case for remedial action.

What was said: The town official said the state will conduct testing in August and that Trish Capolino (state contact) will visit for follow-up. The Bennington County Conservation District — represented in the transcript by an offer from Michael Fernandez — is offering free or reduced-cost soil and water testing for residents. "They're offering free soil and water testing," the town official said, and the board noted the testing could be useful for residents outside immediate zone areas.

Board response: Board members asked that the town help with outreach, put testing information and application links on the town website, and coordinate logistics for state sampling trailers to be sited at a central location. The board encouraged residents to get tested to document the extent of contamination.

Context and next steps: The town will publish testing information on its website and coordinate with the state and the conservation district. A state follow-up visit was noted for August 13. No remediation decision or funding was recorded in the meeting; the discussion focused on testing logistics and public information.

Attribution note: Direct quotes and program offers in this article come from the town official and from board discussion as recorded in the transcript.