The Tiverton Town Council addressed ongoing concerns surrounding PFAS contamination and what’s being done to assist impacted residents Monday night.

 

Tiverton Town Administrator Patrick Jones told councilors provided an update on both the short-term fixes and long-term solutions being worked on by the town and state.

 

Jones also referenced a federal allocation secured by Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation, and urged other cities and towns to take note of Tiverton’s  “PFAS crisis.”

 

“We want to do well testing throughout the entire town and this is an issue that we should be looking at throughout the entire state because, as we have stated numerous times, Tiverton is not going to be alone in this issue,” Jones said.

 

PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in stain-resistant materials, food packaging and nonstick cookware since the 1940s. Also known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS linger for a long time and have been linked to certain health conditions, including cancer.

 

The PFAS contamination in Tiverton first came to light back in July, when the Rhode Island Department of Management began testing the wells of residents who live near the Crandall Road fire station. The potential contamination is believed to have been caused by the firefighting foam that was historically used at the station.

 

Since then, the DEM has tested nearly 200 wells in town. Of those wells, Jones said 110 are considered contaminated.

 

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection found seven wells along Sawdy Pond, just over the state border, are also contaminated.

 

The council voted in favor of allocating $50,000 from the Casino Special Revenue Fund to continue delivering potable water to residents. That money will also be used to reimburse residents for the state’s PFAS testing.

 

See more at wpri.com.