GROTON, Conn. — The U.S. Navy has confirmed that chemical levels in private drinking wells near a submarine base in Connecticut are acceptable.
The Navy said in a news release Thursday that sampling showed chemical levels in the wells near the Naval Submarine Base don't exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's standard of 70 parts per trillion.
The Day reports that officials tested for potentially dangerous industrial compounds called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
They’re known collectively as PFAS and often referred to as “forever chemicals.”
Authorities say the most common Navy use of the chemicals has been in a firefighting foam.
The chemicals have been linked to various health risks, including developmental issues and decreased liver, thyroid and immune system function.
Officials say they will also test the base.
A task force is reviewing levels of the chemicals across Connecticut.
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Navy Times editor’s note: They’re talking about Naval Submarine Base New London, a portion of which was verified in 1988 to suffer from chemical contamination. In 1995, the Navy, EPA and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection entered into an agreement designed to clean up the site. A record of decision as an EPA Superfund site was filed two years later. To learn more, NAVFAC has a good website or you can use the EPA library.
