The state departments of Environmental Conservation and Health do not know how long well water in some households in the Jenkinsville area of north Queensbury has been tainted with 1,4-Dioxane, the departments said in a joint email to FoothillsBusinessDaily.com.
State health officials have maintained that the “elevated” levels of the chemical, though over the state maximums for drinking water, do not pose a health risk at those levels in the short term. They said the landfill has been monitored since before 2020, but particular chemicals--1,4-Dioxane, PFOA and PFOS--were added to the list to be tested in 2020.
On how long well water has been exposed, they wrote: “This is unknown at this time. Further evaluation is dependent upon DEC's completed investigation.”
The state has been testing well water on an as needed basis starting in September last year after higher levels of the various chemicals were found in testing wells near the Queensbury landfill. The landfill has been closed and capped since the 1990s.
The state says that the PFOA/PFOS has been found in levels “well below” the state maximums in private wells during their testing.
The five homes that have been found with elevated levels of 1,4-Dioxane have been encouraged to drink bottled water out of an abundance of caution, and DEC has been providing it for free.
In the emails, Erin Silk, with the DOH, says this has been explained to homeowners.
There are four landfills in the Jenkinsville area. Part of the investigation will be to determine exactly which is leaking substances.
The DEC sent a letter to 42 homes in the area at the end of September last year explaining that they wanted to test and why. Five homes have been found with the elevated levels. Other homeowners say they are waiting for testing.
The town will consider whether they want to continue to use DEC investigators at this point or hire their own, one town official said.