PFOA & SURFICIAL MAPPING - CONTRASTS BETWEEN VT & NY CASES

DeSimone Geoscience Investigations (DGI) contracted to map surficial geology in Hoosick Falls & Petersburg, NY, & in Bennington, VT. Different clients resulted in different roles for surficial geology & lessons were learned for future investigations.

The auspices for both NY mapping contracts was the Hoosick Falls Central School District (HFCSD). Citizen activism prompted the eventual agreement to produce a detailed surficial map for the 2 NY areas. A proposed budget was shopped around laboriously by local resident/ activist Doug Reed. It was a chance field encounter that ultimately lead the school district superintendent, geologist Ken Facin, to fund mapping. I played an educational role & took high school earth science students into the field & guest lectured. All my data & products were immediately made public online by the HFCSD. My stratigraphic cross sections indicated possible pathways of PFOA migration & included wind. My only scientific interplay was with USGS hydrologists. Is it possible the map was underutilized? The scientific integration of the map, cross sections & report into the “formal” study is unknown.

VT mapping was part of a VT Geological Survey plan of study from the outset. My surficial mapping & bedrock mapping by Jon Kim were accomplished concurrently. We sometimes wandered the field together. This scientific interplay was invaluable. My analysis of ChemFab cores was incorporated into a jointly prepared fence diagram that facilitated understanding how PFOA entered the rock aquifer near the plant. My role included preparation of a derivative rock aquifer recharge map that assessed the role of surficial materials in this process. My stratigraphic cross sections were professionally co-prepared with the VT Survey & a better product resulted. Follow-up with Jon Kim has kept me “in the loop” as our understanding progressed.

The need for accurate, detailed 1:12,000 surficial maps as part of the PFOA investigation is inarguable. A more consistent method of incorporating surficial mapping across state lines would be useful.