State officials say tests have revealed abnormally high levels of a potentially dangerous chemical in a number of water supplies in the town of North Bennington.
Gov. Peter Shumlin said Thursday that samples from three residential wells tested positive for the possibly carcinogenic chemical Perfluorooctanoic (PFOA).
It's unclear at this point the source of the contamination in Vermont. A similar discovery in Hoosick Falls, New York, earlier this month was blamed on nearby manufacturing plants.
Shumlin says no public water supplies are known to have been affected.
"In Vermont, the standard level of PFOA is 20 parts per trillion. Results from a wastewater treatment plant well – water that is not used for drinking – showed PFOA levels of 618 parts per trillion. A business in the area showed levels of 168 parts per trillion. Results from three residential wells showed a range of 40 parts per trillion to 2,880 parts per trillion," a release from Gov. Shumlin's office says.
The state has distributed drinking water to affected households, and will hold a meeting Friday at 4 p.m. at the North Bennington Fire Station Station to update residents on the situation.
This post was edited at 8:26 p.m. on 2/25/2016 to correct the location for tomorrow's public meeting
