Read the full article by Denise Civiletti (Riverhead Local)

“Naval environmental engineers say there is no need to expand sampling area or provide an alternative water supply to properties with private drinking water wells in the area around the former Grumman facility, despite finding PFAS contamination there and in at least four private wells off-site…

The chemicals have been found on the former Grumman site and the Navy has been investigating the possibility of contamination of drinking water wells within a one-mile radius ‘down-gradient’ of the former Navy manufacturing facility. The Navy still owns three parcels of property inside the facility, which it retained due to environmental contamination issues, when the federal government transferred the site to the Town of Riverhead in 1998.

The Navy originally identified 53 parcels as potentially having private wells that could be affected by a contaminated groundwater plume originating on the former Grumman site. The Navy later determined that 34 of those 53 parcels were either vacant or served by public water. Of the remaining 19 parcels, 14 were sampled at the request of the owner.

The Navy says its testing of the 14 voluntary samples collected found none exceeded the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘Lifetime Health Advisory’ limit of 70 nanograms per liter (ng/L) — 70 parts per trillion — for PFOS/PFOA. Of the 14 samples collected, 10 of the sample results were non-detect for PFOS/PFOA, the Navy said. The four remaining sample results ranged between 4.61 to 16.83 ng/L for PFOS/PFOA…

The Navy says it will not provide alternate sources of drinking water for area residents, since no well exceeded the EPA’s Lifetime Health Advisory.

The Navy has concluded there is no need to expand the range of private drinking water wells for testing…

The New York State health commissioner in July announced plans to adopt maximum contaminant levels of 10 parts per trillion for PFOS/PFOA. If adopted they would be the lowest limits in the nation. The public comment period on the proposed regulations expires March 9.

The sampling results announced by the Navy indicate that at least some of the private wells tested exceed the proposed state maximum contaminant levels. While the Navy said four of the 19 wells tested ranged between 4.61 to 16.83 parts per trillion for PFOS/PFOA, it did not release data about specific test results.

The Navy says it will re-evaluate whether to provide alternate drinking water in light of any adopted state standards…”