HURLEY – The State Department of Environmental Conservation has a consent order against the Town of Hurley for it to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the town landfill and while the town board was to adopt it this week, the item was tabled.
DEC had identified the closed landfill as posing a significant threat due to the presence of emerging contaminants. Following recent testing of groundwater and other environmental media, DEC discovered PFAS contamination in four private drinking water supply wells downgradient of the landfill that exceeds the state’s drinking water standards.
The state agency provided those owners with water filtration systems.
Based on what the DEC said was a significant threat, the landfill was added to the state’s Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites as a Class 2 site.
DEC will require a comprehensive remedial investigation to determine the nature and extent of the contamination emanating from the site.
Upon completion of the investigation, which may include additional sampling of drinking water, groundwater, surface water, surface water, soil, and sediment, determinations will be made by DEC and state Department of Health on next steps that ensure full protection of public health and the environment including provision of alternate water supplies as warrants and a determination of appropriate cleanup actions.
Following further studies, a feasibility study will determine the nature and extent of contamination with a remedy that effectively eliminates the threat posed by contaminants at the site.
