SALISBURY, Md. — On Thursday, Perdue AgriBusiness gave an update on its well water testing and treatment efforts near its Zion Church Road facility, where forever chemicals known as PFAS have been found.
Perdue has faced lawsuits over the chemical discovery, with plaintiffs looking for damages and remediation of the contamination they say was caused by Perdue.
In the meantime, according to the company, well water testing is now complete for 97 percent of properties that requested tests. They say results are being mailed to property owners who consented to the testing after the results are verified.
Perdue claims that PFAS treatment systems have been installed at more than 83 percent of properties where elevated levels were identified. Perdue AgriBusiness said installation is ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of spring 2025. Perdue also says they are paying the full cost of the systems for residents within the designated testing zone.
Back in January, outside experts identified what is known as aqueous film-forming foam, used in fire suppression systems, as a potential source of PFAS at the site. The foam, which Perdue says is widely used across multiple industries, was used during an incident in November 2019. At the time, there were no safety standards or testing requirements for AFFF.
Perdue says it is continuing to work with the Maryland Department of the Environment on additional testing and monitoring.Â