Dear Editor,
I was fortunate to attend a presentation on the geology and hydrogeology of the Memphremagog region sponsored by Memphremagog Watershed Association on Aug. 13.
I learned so much from Vermont geologists Steven Wright and Jonathan Kim, who is also a geologist with the Vermont Geological Survey.
It was a great opportunity to learn how our region was formed by glacial advance and retreat over many millennia, how rivers and lakes were formed and how this affects our watershed today. Of the many facts provided, it was fascinating to learn how the Clyde River, Lake Willoughby and Crystal Lake all contributed their north-flowing waters to what became the Lake Memphremagog we know today.
Another point of interest to me is that Kim emphasized that the groundwater and surface water in our watershed are a system, meaning the ground and surface waters are interconnected and constantly cycle, with groundwater becoming surface water and vice versa. Whatever enters the groundwater drains to surface waters, including rivers and other tributaries of the South Bay and Lake Memphremagog.
This is an important consideration given the location of the state’s only landfill in Coventry, sited in the drainage basin of the lake. Harmful, even hazardous, “forever” PFAS chemicals have been measured in the groundwater wells and underdrains around and beneath the landfill for years.
This is evidence that PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and other contaminants escape the landfill, enter groundwater and inevitably drain into the surface waters of Lake Memphremagog, accumulating over time.
Those whose drinking water comes from the lake, including well over 175,000 Quebec neighbors, are at risk of exposure to PFAS and other harmful chemicals from a variety of sources.
This is a fact that must not be taken lightly.
Protecting our lake’s water — and all who depend on it for survival, including fish and wildlife — from chemical contamination from any source must be a priority.
The state Agency of Natural Resources — regulators of waste management in Vermont — bears responsibility to prevent discharge of PFAS and other chemicals into our environment.
Residents on both sides of our Vermont-Canadian border deserve the strictest regulation, the safest and most effective waste management technologies and practices to ensure the health and safety of the public and the environment.
Peggy Stevens
Charleston
