DEP to Hold Public Hearing on PFAS Water Contamination Investigation in Benner Township

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing on Tuesday to provide information and receive comment about its investigation of chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in Benner Township water supplies and proposed interim response.

The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Benner Township Municipal Building,1224 Buffalo Run Road.

DEP’s Bureau of Environmental Cleanup and Brownfields began investigating a groundwater plume in 2020, in accordance with the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, after samples from random testing of a water well at State of the Art Inc. on High Tech Road across from University Park Airport in 2019 had PFAS at a concentration of 114 parts per trillion, which is above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Health Advisory Limit of 70 ppt.

Subsequent testing found PFAS levels above the limit in private water supply wells at two other businesses and 11 residences, according to DEP data.

As part of its response the department is providing bottled drinking water and proposed filtration systems for affected residents.

“DEP has initiated a prompt interim response which consists of providing bottled drinking water and has proposed installation of whole-house filtration systems on private residential water supplies where perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctonic acid (PFOA) exceed the applicable Health Advisory Level,” according to a department news release.

The investigation area is primarily bounded by Buffalo Run Road, Bernal Road, Big Hollow Road and Rock Road.

PFAS, which include PFOS and PFOA, are man-made chemicals used to make cookware, carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for food, and other materials that are resistant to water, grease or stains, according to the DEP. They do not readily break down and persist in the environment and the human body.

While the human health effects from exposure to low environmental levels of PFAS are unknown, studies suggest certain levels may cause reproductive effects, developmental delays in children, increased risk for some cancers, increased cholesterol levels and reduced ability of the immune system to fight infection, according to the EPA.

The deadline to register to provide testimony at the hearing was Monday afternoon, but no registration is required to simply attend.

Written comments will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26, and should be sent to Cheryl Sinclair, Environmental Group Manager, by email at csinclair@pa.gov, or by mail or hand-delivery to the DEP Northcentral Regional Office, 208 W. 3^rd Street, Suite 101, Williamsport, PA 17701.

The Administrative Record, fact sheet about the investigation, map and additional information about PFAS is available on DEP’s website at www.dep.pa.gov/BennerHSCA.