Petersburgh
Information for Communities Impacted by Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs)
DEC staff person sampling Little Hoosic River
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was detected in the Town of Petersburgh's public drinking water supply and private drinking water wells within the town above the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt). The contamination was traced to the Taconic Plastics facility, which used PFOA in its manufacturing process.
Initial Response
To address the PFOA in the public water supply under the direction of the Rensselaer County Department of Health (RCDH), in consultation with NYS Department of Health (DOH), Taconic Plastics initially provided bottled water to residents served by the public water supply. RCDH also began sampling private wells in the area and Taconic Plastics extended the bottle water supply to impacted residents. Taconic Plastics was then directed to provide treatment for the public water supply as well.
In December 2016, RCDH and DOH, in consultation with DEC, completed engineering review and approval for the installation of a granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration system for the public water supply. This GAC system has been installed and became operational in January 2017, and DOH, in consultation with DEC and RCDH:
- has sampled the GAC filter and several points in the distribution system to ensure that the GAC performs as designed;
- has provided oversight of the distribution system flushing process to remove residual PFCs from the town's water mains;
- residents were provided with instructions on how to flush their household water once the water main flushing was completed; and
- on May 2, 2017, based on samples collected from the water distribution system, NYSDOH cleared the GAC treatment system as being fully operational.
In response to the RCDH-identified PFOA impacts in a number of private wells near the Taconic Plastics facility early in 2016, RCDH also initiated the installation of point-of-entry-treatment (POET) systems for the impacted wells, a service Taconic Plastics subsequently assumed from RCDH. Starting in the summer of 2016, DEC has provided sampling of private wells and POET installation in areas of Petersburgh where Taconic Plastics has refused to assume responsibility.
What's Being Done
Based on these findings, DEC and DOH listed the Taconic Plastics facility as a class 2 inactive hazardous waste disposal (State Superfund) site and then negotiated a consent order (PDF) requiring Taconic Plastics to:
- pay for additional POET systems for private wells in the Town of Petersburgh;
- install and pay for the operation and maintenance of a granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment system for the town's water treatment facility;
- continue to pay for bottled water for town residents until successful installation of the GAC treatment system on the town facility and/or private well POET systems;
- implement a remedial program for the Taconic Plastics site, starting with on-site and off-site investigations to determine the full nature and extent of contamination;
- negotiate with the town and Rensselaer County to reimburse their incurred and future response costs; and
- reimburse the state for costs incurred in its response and investigation.
In addition, DEC conducted surface water sampling of the Little Hoosic River and several tributaries, groundwater and leachate sampling at the Petersburgh/Berlin landfill, and surface soil sampling at private properties in Petersburgh to help identify impacts of PFOA. As a result of the landfill sampling, DEC has commenced an investigation of the landfill as a potential State Superfund site to determine if this site is a source of PFOA contamination that poses a significant threat to public health or the environment.
Remedial Program
Taconic Plastics Superfund Site
- Taconic Plastics Remedial Investigation Progress Update - Presentation (PDF, 2.1 MB) , January 2023
- Taconic Plastics Remedial Investigation Update - Fact Sheet (PDF, 4 Page, 1.7 MB), January 2023
- Supplemental Remedial Investigation Work Plan for Building 1 (PDF, 13 Page, 265 KB), August 2021
- Remedial Investigation Phase 2a Workplan (PDF, 38 Page, 7 MB), October 2020
- Taconic Plastics Interim Remedial Investigation Project Review (PDF, Page 41, 2.25MB), November 2020
- Taconic Plastics Interim Report
- Text (PDF, 9 Page, 273 KB), November 2019
- Tables (PDF, 99 Page, 2.64 MB)
- Figure 1 (PDF, 5 Page, 13.4 MB)
- Figure 2 (PDF, 5, Page, 11.9 MB)
- Figure 3 (PDF, 5, Page, 15.5 MB)
- Appendices (* Due to the large file size, the appendices cannot be published electronically. The full report is available at the site repository.)
- Taconic Plastics Superfund Site: DEC has entered into a consent order (PDF) with Taconic Plastics for implementation of a remedial program for the Taconic Plastics Superfund site.
Petersburgh Landfill
- Petersburgh Landfill: DEC has commenced a site characterization study to determine if the Petersburgh landfill should become a State Superfund site.
- Addendum to the Petersburgh Landfill Site Characterization Report (PDF, 139 Page, 18.2 MB) March 2019
* Due to the large file size, the appendices cannot be published electronically. The full report is available at the site repository. - Petersburgh Landfill Site Characterization Report (PDF, 82 Page, 3.8 MB), May 2017
- Petersburgh Landfill - Site Characterization to Begin - Fact Sheet (PDF, 4 Page, 451 KB), November 2016
- Berlin/Petersburg Landfill - Construction Certification Report (PDF, 263 Page, 9.9 MB), April 1997
- Berlin/Petersburg Landfill - Final Closure Plan (PDF, 278 Page, 10 MB), July 1991
- Addendum to the Petersburgh Landfill Site Characterization Report (PDF, 139 Page, 18.2 MB) March 2019
Environmental Sampling
DEC has conducted environmental sampling of soils, groundwater, surface water, and sediment in Petersburgh in order to determine if these environmental media have been impacted by PFCs.
- 2017 Taconic Plastics Fume Eliminator Stack Test (PDF, 5.30 MB)
- Little Hoosic River PFOA Results - February 22, 2016 Petersburgh (PDF, 612 KB) - Surface water samples were collected on February 22, 2016 to assess concentrations in the Little Hoosic River, near Petersburgh.
- Landfill PFOA Water Sample Results - June 2, 2016 Petersburgh, NY (PDF, 1.2 MB) - Monitoring well and surface water samples were collected on June 2, 2016 to assess concentrations at the Petersburgh/Berlin landfill.
- Petersburgh Soil Sample Results (PDF, 9.9 KB) - Surface and garden soil samples were collected from various locations on June 2 to June 3, 2016, near Petersburgh.
- Petersburgh Surface Water Sample Results (PDF, 8.9 KB) - Surface water samples were collected from various locations from June 2 to September 20, 2016, near Petersburgh.
- Petersburgh Landfill Downgradient Stream and Sediment Sample Results (PDF, 13.9 KB) - Surface water and sediment samples were collected from a stream downgradient from the Petersburgh/Berlin landfill on July 21, 2016.
- Baseflow Stream Sampling PFOA Results, August 25 and September 8, 2016 (PDF, 682 KB) - Surface water samples were collected during low-flow conditions on August 25 and September 8, 2016, in the Hoosic River and various tributaries, near Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh.
- Surface Water PFOA Results, September 21, 2016 (PDF, 578 KB) - Additional surface water samples were collected on September 21, 2016 near Hoosick Falls.
- Surface Water & Sediment PFOA Results, September 21, 2016 (PDF, 591 KB) - Sediment samples were also collected from various locations near Hoosick Falls on September 21, 2016.
- Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh Baseflow Stream and Sediment Sampling(PDF, 10.8 KB) - Summary results for PFOA and PFOS concentrations for all low-flow surface water and sediment samples collected in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh.
How to Get Your Drinking Water Tested
DEC staff sampling private well
If you are within the Town of Petersburg and wish to have your well sampled:
- Contact the DEC Call Center (24/7) at 1-888-459-8667.
Bottled Water
Taconic Plastics has been supplying bottled water to residents who use the municipal water supply until the new municipal treatment system was cleared for use by the DOH. The system was cleared by DOH on May 2, 2017 and the distribution of bottled water by Taconic to those who use the municipal water supply was stopped on May 13, 2017.
Taconic will continue providing bottled water for residences and businesses in the town using private drinking water wells where there is a request for sampling until such wells have been sampled, and, if a POET system is requested, it has been installed and cleared.
Point of Entry Treatment System (POETS)
As of the end of April, 2017, 133 POET systems have been installed in Petersburgh. Taconic Plastics has installed 85 POET systems within the Area of Interest (AOI), as defined under the consent order, and DEC has installed and maintains 48 systems in the Town of Petersburgh for treatment of residential and commercial water supplies.
- POET System Homeowner's Guide (PDF, 476 KB)
- Petersburgh POET System Site Management Plan for DEC Installed Treatment Systems (PDF, 8 MB)
Contact Information
- For DEC-installed POET system maintenance and repair call: 1-888-459-8667 (24/7)
- For Taconic Plastics-installed POET system maintenance and repair call: 1-800-626-3306
- For other additional information call the State's Water Quality Hotline at: 1-800-801-8092
- Rensselaer County Department of Health: 518-270-2655
- For health related topics, including biomonitoring, go to the DOH website.
Additional Information
- USEPA - Drinking Water Health Advisory for PFOA and PFOS
- Town of Petersburgh - PFOA Water Information
Fish Advisory
DEC and DOH have determined that fish caught in Thayers Pond (Village of Hoosick Falls) show elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate acid (PFOS) in collected samples. DOH recommends that anglers practice "catch and release" only from Thayers Pond until further notice.
Press Releases
- DEC and DOH Announce Preliminary Results of Research into Perfluorinated Compounds in Fish in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh - July 24, 2017
- DEC Releases Taconic Plastics Stack Emission Results in Petersburgh - February 21, 2017
- New York State's Water Quality Rapid Response Team Continues Actions to Address Water Contamination Statewide - January 31, 2017
- DEC Secures Initial Legal Agreement to Hold Taconic Plastics Responsible for PFOA Contamination in Petersburgh Area - November 10, 2016
- DEC Declares Taconic Plastics Site in Petersburgh a State Superfund Site - May 19, 2016
- DEC and DOH announce installs for public water systems - March 8, 2016
- DOH Confirms PFOA in Petersburgh - February 20, 2016
