Agenda - 3-21-16 Reg. Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Chair ruled the motion had been adopted unanimously. Chair Dalrymple read and presented a Proclamation for Girl Scout Week. Scouts from Troops 737, 819, and 1401 were present and served Commissioners Girl Scout cookies prior to the meeting. Commissioner Sloan moved to approve the Proclamation for Girl Scout Week, a copy of which is attached to these Minutes and by this reference made a part hereof. Upon a vote, the results were as follows: Aye: Dalrymple, Frazier, Knecht, Oldham, Reives, Sloan, and Smith Nay: None The Chair ruled the motion had been adopted unanimously. The Board heard an update from Interim Health Director Health Cain on water testing in the Colon/Osgood communities. Mr. Cain stated that to date Environmental Health has received 100 letters from interested property owners to have their private well and/or surface water feature tested. Some letters are still being verified to ensure that testable water features exist on their property. A total of 53 samples from 47 property owners have been taken to date with 6 samples remaining to be taken. Properties with private wells have been given first priority. In speaking with property owners who submitted a letter but did not have a water surface feature on their property, their primary interests/concerns were (1) sampling a well on their property which was no longer operational, and (2) sampling their city water. Of the 53 water sources sampled to date, Environmental Health has sampled 23 private wells. Sample results from the State Public Health Laboratory have been received on 23 private wells as of this date. Of the 23 private well sample results, 14 results conveyed an elevated Hexavalent Chromium level (great than 0.07); and 21 results conveyed an elevated Vanadium level (great than .03). On February 11th Mr. Cain received a call from the Office of Environmental and Epidemiological Branch (DEEB) informing him the State would no longer recommend the do -not -drink and/or cook with the private well water sampled if the results were above the allowable limits. He was informed to provide the results to property owners and in the letter notify them to call the OEEB to discuss health risk. Since February 11th, Mr. Cain's office has mailed a letter, along with the results to each property owner, to contact the OEEB so the property owner could discuss with subject -matter experts the results of the baseline sampling results provided by his office. At this time Mr. Tom Reeder, Assistant Secretary for the environment at the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) stated the well water found to contain hexavalent chromium and vanadium is safe to drink. Mr. Reeder stated the water in this area is the same as everyone else's across the state. He further stated bottled water may have more hexavalent chromium than the wells in question in the Colon/Osgood communities. Mr. Reeder stated that every major city in North Carolina has been tested and found to contain levels that do not contain health issues. He concluded by stating the levels meet Federal water guidelines. The Board heard from Dr. Randall Williams, North Carolina Deputy Secretary of Health Services who stated the state had begun to reconsider the allowable limits at the end of 2015, noting that federal regulations were much less strict. There are no federal regulations on vanadium and only regulations on chromium in general. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to review hexavalent chromium and vanadium in December (2016) and determine allowable limits of chemicals in drinking water at that time He further stated tests on mice suggest there is no reason to suspect levels of hexavalent chromium could cause negative health effects. His office will be sending letters to the residents in the Colon Road area that they are removing the do -not -drink notice. He stated residents were advised in November (2015) not to drink the water as a precaution.