DEC investigates foam leak incident in Granville

A power outage caused an equipment malfunction that resulted in a leak of about 400 gallons of foam concentrate used to fight fires at the Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions facility on July 5, according to DEC.

The material contains chemical polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Rain and site conditions caused foam to enter a drainage area, leaving the Saint-Gobain facility and flowing into the Indian River.

“Saint-Gobain immediately contacted DEC to notify the agency of the release,” the DEC reported in a July 12 situation report. “Saint-Gobain also enlisted the assistance of Maviro, an environmental services company, and immediately initiated actions to contain and mitigate the release.”

Several steps have been taken so far in the investigation. The DEC reported Friday that the land and water surface between the plant site and the Indian River has been surveyed and inspected. Excavation work has also begun on the plant site where the foam was coming from. Sorption booms have been placed in surface water sources in the area to contain and absorb the foam. Investigations are also underway to better understand how the fire suppression system was activated.

The Washington County Department of Public Safety said in a statement Wednesday that the department and the state Department of Health are working with the facility’s owner to assess the potential impact of the oil spill on local drinking water supplies and recreational waters.

“Much of the affected area along the drainage ditch is served by the Village of Granville’s public drinking water system, which was not affected by this oil spill,” Christine Vooris, director of the Bureau of Environmental Exposure Investigation for the state Department of Health’s Center for Environmental Health, said in a statement. “Residents who get their drinking water from the public water system do not need to have their water tested, as the public water supply is monitored for contaminants prior to distribution. Granville residents who use private wells along the affected area will be identified and contacted to discuss testing to determine if the oil spill has impacted their well.”

The DOH on Wednesday recommended, out of an abundance of caution, that fishing and recreational activities be avoided in the section of the Indian River north (downstream) of the Route 149 bridge to its confluence with the Mettawee River (about 0.25 miles north of the Mettowee Street bridge). This includes the pool adjacent to the Mettowee Street bridge, Vooris said in a statement.

Mettawee Village Park and the swimming area were not affected by the oil spill, the state Department of Health reported Wednesday.

Chris McGlynn, plant manager at Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions, reported that Saint-Gobain’s maintenance and engineering team responded to fire alarms triggered by the local power outage. They determined that the fire suppression system in a warehouse building had been activated due to the false alarms and had spread out of the building and across the property into the Indian River.

“Saint-Gobain continues to work closely with the NYSDEC and the New York State Department of Health and is coordinating ongoing efforts, including additional response activities,” McGlynn reported in a company statement shortly after the spill. “Saint-Gobain is committed to keeping the City of Granville informed and continuing to work with appropriate state and local authorities, including the Granville Department of Public Works, to respond to this incident and conduct the necessary remediation activities.”