The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has begun to look at the Jenkinsville area of north Queensbury as a possible New York State Superfund Site, a joint newsletter from the DEC and the Department of Health says today.
“DEC is planning an investigation at the Queensbury Landfill under the State Superfund Program,” the newsletter says. “The first step under the State Superfund program is a Site Characterization (SC) investigation to determine if hazardous waste is present and whether it poses a significant threat to public health or the environment.”
The study will include additional groundwater monitoring wells, collection of any visible seepage from the landfills, and collection of surface water and sediment samples. They will also review historical documents to determine types of waste placed in the landfill(s).
The results of that initial study will determine if further analysis is needed.
“We do not know the origination of the contaminants,” Supervisor John Strough said in an interview today. He stressed that the town has been working to learn just where the chemicals in the water are coming from. “The superfund site could be the four landfills altogether.”
FoothillsBusinessDaily.com first broke the story of the groundwater contamination when a group of residents in the Jenkinsville area spoke during the March 8 Town of Queensbury Board meeting asking that Queensbury do something to get clean water to the neighborhood. Houses there are not connected to town water but use individual, private wells.
At that time, five houses were being given free bottled water from the DEC because they had elevated levels of 1,4-Dioxane in their drinking water.
The DEC and DOH initially examined water in private wells after finding contaminated ground water contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane and another group of chemicals, called PFAS, near the Queensbury landfill in 2020.
The newsletter says that they have now tested 74 private wells, of 88 wells the departments thought were at risk. It has taken several months. The newsletter is the first printed by the DEC and DOH specifically about this site and is a reaction to the concerns of neighbors and local officials.
“Of the 43 homes where data has been received, no further action is needed for 28, resampling is recommended for four, and bottled water is being provided to 11,” the newsletter says.
All residents within the Area of Interest have been invited to participate in sampling by mail and hang tags left at properties for sampling. Residents have said the sampling and results takes too long.
“The current Area of Interest extends approximately ½ mile from the Queensbury Landfill to Ridge Road to the west, and to the south and southeast directions along Jenkinsville Road,” the newsletter says.
One point of contention in all of this has been compounded by the fact that four landfills exist in the area. It is unclear at this point which landfill is leaking, officials have said.
For Strough this has been particularly troubling. He said in an interview today that he was given the newsletter while on vacation and could not respond before the deadline. Errors he sees: The Queensbury landfill is lined with clay as are the others, though the newsletter does not say that. The Ciba-Geigy landfill is owned by CIBA-BASF, though the ground beneath it is owned by the town, though the newsletter says otherwise.
“We do not own the [Ciba-Geigy] landfill,” Strough said.
He said that the DEC has agreed to be more clear during a public presentation on April 19. For more on that, read here.