MA County Suspends Water Use at Fire Academy

April 29, 2019
The decision means the Barnstable County Fire and Rescue Training Academy will begin looking for a new facility away from its current PFAS-contaminated location.

HYANNIS, MA — Bowing to pressure from environmental and citizens groups, county officials will suspend the use of water at the PFAS-contaminated Barnstable County Fire and Rescue Training Academy property.

The decision, effective in June, likely signals the end of active fire training with water at the academy's current location and the beginning of a search for a new site for the facility, according to Barnstable County Administrator John "Jack" Yunits Jr.

The academy, located off South Flint Rock Road, has been determined to be one of the sources of PFAS contamination affecting the Hyannis water supply in recent years.

PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a class of man-made chemicals considered contaminants of emerging concern that are commonly found in firefighting foams, stain- and water-resistant products, coatings, outdoor clothing, carpets and more.

PFAS contamination also has been documented at the nearby Barnstable Municipal Airport.

The continued use of water at the academy has raised concerns that as water passes through the contaminated soil it increases the movement of chemicals already in the soil off-site through groundwater, possibly toward public drinking water supplies.

"As we work with the town (of Barnstable), (the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection), and (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) to develop strategies for the regional cleanup of these chemicals of emerging concern using emerging technologies, we will embrace the call from our citizens to suspend the use of water after this training session ends in mid-June," Yunits said in a statement issued Friday.

Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, applauded the county's decision, calling it an important step toward elimination of a public health threat to the residents of Barnstable.

PFAS contamination has triggered temporary public health advisories in Hyannis twice since 2015. The advisories warned pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants against consuming water from the Hyannis water supply.

Once the use of water is ended at the site, the cleanup should include removing the contamination "hot spots" and capping the area with an impervious cover that minimizes water, including rain, from passing through the affected area, according to Gottlieb.

The academy will honor its commitments until June 21, including a current fire training class and coming engagements with Massachusetts Maritime Academy and the Falmouth Fire Department, Yunits said.

"These are all to train firefighters and recruits for this summer and we feel it's important to public safety to train them and honor the commitment," he said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection "commends Barnstable County for its efforts to address PFAS contamination from historic activities, and for taking this additional action to ensure that ongoing activities at the Firefighting Academy do not further exacerbate these problems," Commissioner Martin Suuberg said in a statement. "We will continue to work with the County and Town of Barnstable to address the challenges posed by PFAS and to ensure that remaining contamination at the Academy is addressed in a timely manner that protects the public health and the environment."

Last week, the department issued proposed revisions to rules for site cleanups with groundwater affected by PFAS, as well as new drinking water standards that are much more stringent than current requirements. In both cases, the proposed revisions would reduce the acceptable level of PFAS from 70 parts per trillion to 20 parts per trillion.

"The recent announcement of DEP's draft regulations potentially lowering the regulatory standards for these complex perfluorinated chemicals has ignited a firestorm of uncertainty in the hearts of Hyannis residents," Yunits said. "A good government is an empathetic government."

The Greater Hyannis Civic Association has long advocated for the closure of the academy at its current site.

"We are very appreciative of the county's agreement that it will stop using water at the site, and we assume that includes the use of the septic system," association president Deborah Krau said. "We look forward to the full, complete cleanup of the site. We must always remember that any water on the site, including rain,will dissolve the PFAS and put it back into (the groundwater)."

A lack of active fire training with water at the county academy, even if only until a new site is found, will leave a void for the Cape's fire departments, which struggle to find available cost-effective training programs because of the region's geographic challenges.

Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire Chief Michael Winn also serves as secretary-treasurer of the Barnstable County Fire Chiefs Association.

In a letter to Yunits earlier this month, Winn said the value of the academy was immeasurable and enhanced the quality of life for the citizens of Barnstable County.

In 2017, the town of Barnstable reached a settlement in a water contamination lawsuit against Barnstable County. Under terms of the agreement, the county had to pay the town more than $3 million to reimburse it for capital costs — including carbon treatment systems for affected wells — associated with the cleanup.

"We have been working with Barnstable County toward ceasing operations at the Barnstable County Fire Training Academy and relocating to an appropriate location," Barnstable Town Manager Mark Ells said via email. "Our focus will now turn to the cleanup of the BCFTA. We will continue to work with Barnstable County until that objective is achieved."

County officials will hold a meeting, prompted by a citizen petition, to solicit public comment and update the community on remediation efforts at the academy from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Barnstable Town Hall.

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©2019 Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.

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