DEEP Update – Farmington River

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) shared the following update on the status of sampling related to the release of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) at Signature Flight’s hangar on June 8, 2019 and the resulting discharge to the Farmington River by way of the sanitary sewer system.

Signature Flight / Farmington River Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) Release

July 12, 2019

Prepared by CT DEEP, Remediation Division

1. Private Well Sampling: With DEEP oversight, the environmental consultant retained by Signature Flight is currently evaluating private drinking wells potentially at risk from the AFFF release to the sanitary sewer and river.  Initially, private wells located within 500 feet of the sewer line and the Farmington River downstream of the Windsor MDC waste water treatment plant will be identified for follow-up.  Sampling will be conducted by the consultant where warranted, based on factors including well depth and construction, and following DEEP’s review and approval.  The consultant will report to DEEP the week of July 15, 2019 on their progress with the evaluation, as there are many properties in Windsor and East Granby to consider. Research is needed to determine which properties have wells rather than connections to public water, and to collect the necessary information about those wells.  Once this evaluation is completed, DEEP will know how many wells are recommended for sampling, and those property owners will be contacted to schedule sample collection.  Property owners will not have to pay for the testing.

2. Fish Sampling: The environmental consultant sampled fish from two locations on the Farmington River during the week of July 8, 2019. DEEP and DPH reviewed the fish sampling plan before DEEP granted approval to implement the plan.  One location was from the area immediately downstream of the wastewater treatment plant outfall; the other was a control site upstream of the Rainbow Dam.  Additional surface water samples were collected from the same two locations as the fish.  It will take at least a month for the laboratory to report data on the fish tissue results.  A second round of fish sampling will take place in or around September of this year.  A fish consumption advisory will remain in effect for the lower portion of the Farmington River until both rounds of sampling are completed and the data are evaluated.

3. Additional Farmington River Ecological Assessment: The environmental consultant is preparing a work plan to further assess ecological impacts to the Farmington River, which will include sediment sampling. That work plan is expected to be submitted for DEEP review and approval at the end of July, 2019.

4. MDC Waste Water Treatment Plant Sampling: The environmental consultant collected samples of wastewater and sludge from the MDC wastewater treatment plant earlier this month.  It will take several weeks for the laboratory to produce analytical test results.

5. Soil Testing along Sewer Route: The environmental consultant will be assessing potential impacts to surface soil and sediment in catch basins along the section of Rainbow Road in Windsor where foam was extruded from manholes onto the road surface.  A plan for this testing is expected to be submitted to DEEP at the end of July, 2019.

6. Soil Remediation at Signature Flight Hangar: Initial soil sampling on the grounds of the Signature Flight property to determine the area impacted by the AFFF release was completed during the week of July 1, 2019.  The laboratory data from those samples will be used to identify the extent of soil cleanup needed on that property.

DEEP will share the results of fish tissue analysis with the Towns of Windsor and East Granby.  Results of drinking water samples will be provided to the property owners and shared with health officials from the Towns.  Questions regarding the sampling outlined in this update can be directed to Shannon Pociu, DEEP Remediation Division, at 860-424-3546 or via email at Shannon.Pociu@ct.gov.