Naval Submarine Base Ne Groton, Connectic PFAS Drinking Water lnvestigat The Navy is requesting permission to sample drinking water obtained from private wells within a designated area near the Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) for certain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS. PFAS are a family of thousands of different chemicals which have been widely used in industrial and consumer products since the 19505. The Navy developed a proactive policy to address past releases of PFAS at installations nationwide, as several PFAS are now of emerging public health concern. The US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a lifetime health advisory for two commonly used and studied PFAS, per?uorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and per?uorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The most common Navy activity that could have resulted in the historical release of PFOA, PFOS, and other PFAS to the environment is the use of ?re?ghting foam (speci?cally aqueous ?lm forming foam or for testing, training, ?re?ghting, and other life-saving emergency responses. PFAS compounds may be present in the soil and/or groundwater at SUBASE New London (Figure 1) as a result of historical activities using the ?re?ghting foam. Because of this historical use, there is potential for PFOA, PFOS, and other PFAS to be in the groundwater on base, and it may also be present in nearby private drinking water wells that are located in the direction that the groundwater ?ows away from the base within the designated sampling areas (Figure 2). The land elevation changes surrounding SUBASE New London signi?cantly affects the groundwater .NSTALWWREA ?ow and the determination of the properties considered for the sam l?n areas. I Figure 1- SUBASE New London 2012 124000 75 mugs?. Records indicate the majority of residents in the sampling area purchase their drinking water from Groton Utilities, PFAS are chemicals 0f concern, Wh'Ch have. no but a limited number of properties use or may be using Safe Water Act regulatory standards or routine 3 private well for their drinking water. The Navy is asking water quality testing requurements. EPAS llfetime health to sample only water from private drinking water wells advusorles are non-enforceable and non-regulatory and in the designated areas, not drinking water provided by provude technical Information to states agendas and. Groton Utilities. Because of the complex groundwater other public health of?CIals on health effects, analytical ?ow surrounding SUBASE New London, which was used to methodologies, and treatment technologies associated de?ne the private drinking water well sampling, the Navy W'th water contamlnation. is providing the entire community located nearby SUBASE The Navy established a proactive policy to ensure the New London with information on the Navy?s planned communities near our installations are not exposed to private drinking water investigation. drinking water impacted from a known or likely Navy To be protective, the Navy will provide bottled water for drinking and cooking to any resident in the designated sampling area whose private drinking water well contains PFOA and/or PFOS above the EPA lifetime health advisory levels. The Navy will provide bottled water until a long-term solution is implemented by the Navy. SUBASE New London Drinking Water Investigation Fact Sheet August 2019 o H H H H H H Rd Plea san t Va l le y H N H H H 2 Crystal Lake yw Gu ng d am p R H y alle tV sa n ea Pl Toll Gate Rd S Rd te Sta Hw X:\Navy\New_London_Sub_Base\PFAS_2019_factsheet_fullfigureV11.mxd 2 y1 I- 95 NAD 1983 STATE PLANE CONNECTICUT FEET 0 1,000 2,000 SCALE IN FEET LEGEND DESIGNATED SAMPLING AREA POTENTIAL PFAS SOURCE LOCATION DOWNGRADIENT AREA INSTALLATION AREA HOUSING AREA H GROUNDWATER FLOW DIRECTION Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community Figure 2- Designated Private Well Sampling Area SUBASE New London Drinking Water Investigation Fact Sheet release of PFOA and/or PFOS above the lifetime health advisory level. Following this policy, the Navy identi?ed potential PFAS release areas on SUBASE New London that may present an exposure to nearby residents using private wells for their drinking water. This private drinking water well investigation will allow us to identify and address any current exposure to PFOA and/or PFOS above lifetime health advisory. There is no legal requirement to conduct this drinking water testing. The Navy is performing this voluntary testing because it is important that we ensure our neighbors in the designated sampling areas are not drinking water above PFAS health advisory levels as a result of known or suspected releases of PFAS from SUBASE New London. The Navy is conducting the investigation in coordination with partners such as the EPA Region 1, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Connecticut Department of Public Health. PFAS PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used since the 19505 in many household and industrial products because of their stain? and water-repellent properties. PFAS are now present virtually everywhere in the world because of the large amounts that have been manufactured and used. Once these compounds are released they break down very slowly. The EPA has issued a lifetime health advisory for two commonly used and studied PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, and is currently studying PFAS to determine if national regulation is needed. The lifetime health advisory levels provide Americans, including the most sensitive populations, with a margin of protection from a lifetime of exposure to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. The health advisory level for lifetime exposure is 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and 70 for PFOS. When both PFOA and PFOS are found in drinking water, the combined concentrations should not exceed 70 ppt. Nag Policy Until a decision for regulating PFAS is made, the Navy has proactively developed a policy to conduct investigations at installations where there has been a known or suspected release of PFAS to the environment. The Navy?s ?rst priority with these investigations is to ensure people are not being exposed to PFOA and/or PFOS in their drinking water at concentrations exceeding the lifetime health advisory as a result of a Navy PFAS release. When a known or suspected release of PFAS is identi?ed on a Navy installation, a sampling area is established 1-mile in W- the direction the groundwater ?ows away from a release site. To ensure protectiveness, the Navy offers sampling to all residents whose drinking water is supplied by private wells not on public water) in these designated areas. Once any potential exposure from drinking water has been addressed, the Navy will then complete the full investigation to determine the extent of these compounds on our installations. ACTIONS BASED ON RESULTS The preliminary results from the off?base drinking water sampling are expected approximately 30 days after collecting the samples. We will provide noti?cation to the property owners of their personal drinking water results and follow-up actions if needed. The Navy will do its best to keep the results of individual properties con?dential to the extent permitted by law. The Navy will provide an alternate water source, likely bottled water, for drinking and cooking to any residents in the designated sampling area whose water contains PFOA and/or PFOS above the lifetime health advisory levels. The Navy will continue to provide the alternate water until a permanent solution is implemented by the Navy. HEALTH INFORMATION Exposure to PFOA and PFOS appears to be global. Studies have found both compounds in the blood samples of the general population. Studies on exposed populations indicate that PFOA and/or PFOS may have caused elevated cholesterol levels and possibly low infant birth weight. In studies conducted using laboratory animals, effects on developmental, neurological, immune, thyroid, and liver function were observed. Health effects from exposure to low levels of PFAS are not well known and studies are continuing. At this time, it is not possible to link exposures to PFOA and/or PFOS to a person?s individual health issues. Blood tests are available to measure these chemicals, but they are not routinely done because the results can be inconclusive and test results do not predict health effects. Long-term exposure effects are still being investigated by the EPA. Based on what is known and still unknown about PFOA and PFOS, EPA recommends people not drink or cook with water that contains these compounds above the lifetime health advisory. FOR MORE INFORMATION If you have specific questions, contact SUBASE New London Public Affairs Office: 860-694-5980 or chris.zendan@navy.mil