Soil from sports fields at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and the Oak Bluffs School were found to have traces of PFAS chemicals, but below state threshold levels.
Soil from sports fields at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and the Oak Bluffs School were found to have traces of PFAS chemicals, but at levels below the Massachusetts and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s threshold for direct human contact and protection for the groundwater.
The school district enlisted a firm to take four soil samples at the two schools in Oak Bluffs and test for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl (PFAS) substances last year.
Steven LaRosa, a senior technical leader whose company Weston and Sampon Engineers reviewed the soil analytical data, told the Oak Bluffs select board about the findings Tuesday, stating that neither field had samples that were above the state and federal guidelines.
“What they see out there is that these estimated and reported levels are well below those concentrations,” he said. “So that’s great news.”
Six PFAS compounds were found at the high school. Eight compounds were found at the Oak Bluffs school.
PFAS are a slew of manmade chemicals found in everything from firefighting foams to nonstick pans, waterproof clothing to upholstered furniture. Their presence in water and soil have raised alarms throughout the state and the chemicals have been connected to problems with the thyroid, liver, kidney and immune system.
On the Island, the chemicals have come up at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport in wells near the West Tisbury fire station. But nowhere else has it been more a hot button issue than at the center of the battle for a turf playing field at the high school. Several opponents worried that putting in a turf field could introduce more PFAS into the watershed.
Weston and Sampson noted that the existing concentrations found at the Oak Bluffs school were higher than at the high school, and both were higher or about the same found in 2021 turf tests.
The soil analysis was commissioned by the school district, which is currently suing the Oak Bluffs planning board over the denial of its plans for the turf field last year.
Note: Updated to correct Weston and Sampson Engineers role in the process.
Comments
Over the past decade almost,
Zeke voughtOver the past decade almost, a fight over chemicals “potentially” being introduced to our water and soil, after this study there shouldn’t be any more opposition to a turf field. Current levels outnumber the turf. In plain English, turf will NOT present ANY more danger than what we already use. The oppositions argument is mute, build the field.
"Several opponents worried
Joe M OB"Several opponents worried that putting in a turf field could introduce more PFAS into the watershed." And now that same testing this article is quoting states those levels at a fraction of the ("trace amounts") PFAS levels at the OB school and MVRHS yet NO mention of that... Come on Gazette, do better reporting. If you're gonna tell a story, tell the whole story.
“Trace amounts”
John Zarba Vineyard Haven“Trace amounts”
OB Select Board seems happy to pay legal fees no surprise there, believe me I’ve lived it. Voters should NOT tolerate this egregious waste of their money to defend the Planning Board’s contrived decision.
The denial of HS field project will now result in MORE of the hazardous material being in the soil than they claim to be avoiding by denying the field project as proposed by the HS.
Read the Weston by and Sampson report see for yourselves there’s more PFAS in the grass at HS than in the proposed project. And there is even more in the soil of the OB field project which has been under the care of the Field Fund for several years now.
Facts matter.
Wait, so now you’re saying it
Shawn Macphail MvWait, so now you’re saying it’s OK to have PFAS in the ground and live with it? i’m pretty sure the count of PFAS at the Oak Bluffs school is many times higher than what the Oak Bluffs planning board was actually allowing or limits they set forth for the propose turf project…
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