PFAS Update 9/18/19

BMFPD Chief John Benson hosted a “PFAS and BMFPD Meeting” at Station Two in Boulder Heights on Wednesday evening 9/18/19, drawing an audience of 80, including representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) and the Boulder County Department of Health (BCPH).  Boulder County Commissioner Deb Gardner also attended.  The presentations, led by the lead CDPHE toxicologist, generated numerous questions from the audience with answers from the governmental experts.

Attached is the slide deck from the presentation.  Attendees interested in having their homes included in a limited testing for PFAO and PFAS by BCPH signed up; BMFPD personnel will be contacting those interested parties as the sampling plan is finalized and collection schedules are determined.  If you are contacted about sampling, please respond promptly to expedite the process.  Once results become available (approx.. 6 weeks after collection), summary information will be posted on the BMFPD website (www.bmfpd.org), while protecting individual residence data.

Representatives from all agencies urged homeowners with wells to have their water tested for a wide range of substances on a frequent basis.  They state that health risks from metals, nitrates, uranium, and other contaminants may be more harmful than PFAS.

 Attendees requested contact information for the government agencies:

U.S. EPA, Bob Benson:  Benson.Bob@epa.gov;  303-312-7070

CDPHE, Tyson Ingels:  tyson.ingels@state.co.us;  303-692-3002

Boulder County Public Health, Joe Malinowski:  jmalinowski@bouldercounty.org;  303-441-1197

General PFAS Infowww.colorado.gov/cdphe/pfcs

 BMFPD personnel are not expert in the field of well water contaminants.  That said, the following personnel are available to either answer your questions or refer you to appropriate parties:

Chief John Benson: chief@bouldermountainfire.org; 303-440-0235

Board President Bob Loveman:  rloveman47@gmail.com; 303-926-0204

Board Secretary Scott Schiff:  sschiff74@gmail.com; 719-250-5892

 

Robert B. Loveman

President, Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District