AS REGARDS MAP SHOWING "LOCATION" OF & CONTAMINANTS FOUND IN MONITORING WELLS (prepared 9/26/03)
With data compiled from the Suffolk County Water Authority's on-going summaries of test data from the "The Bridge" golf course, and, a map depicting locations of the golf course's monitoring wells, I have plotted where contaminants have been detected. I used colored dots to indicate the various chemicals. I plotted them around the Monitoring Wells (MW)-shown on the map as black dots-and the Lysimeters (L)-shown as black squares. As I didn't want to obscure the exact locations of the monitoring wells and lysimeters , I had to place the colored dots in proximity to those locations. I also had to place the colored dots so that you could see each color. Therefore, the colored dots are shown next to the wells and lysimeters rather than in their exact location. If you want to find test results for each well and lysimeter (given chronologically), look at the accompanying charts for nitrate and pesticides in the monitoring wells and lysimeters under "The Bridge" menu (or, under "Charts, Maps, Graphs, Diagrams, Statistics").
Regards nitrates, the ambient level of nitrates in the Noyac/Roses Grove morainal area is < 0.2 or non-detectable. The golf course developer's consultant had predicted an increase of 0-0.5 mg/l. In the accompanying chart that shows the "Nitrate" test data, you can see that this has not been accurate. It's certainly disturbingly above that.
Before the golf course was built, the Developer's consultant had prognosticated in the Environmental Impact Statement report that "No pesticides or pesticide metabolites are expected to impact groundwater at the application rate listed in the reasonable worst case pest infestation scenario..." Despite the claim and the expectation that no chemicals would impact the groundwater, three chemicals: paclobutrazol, triadimenol, and propiconazole (isomer a) have been documented to have impacted groundwater quality and others have been detected in lysimeters (including fenarimol). Therefore, it can be said that the consultant's predictive computer modeling of the groundwater did not prevent the impacts to groundwater quality.
A letter that the SFGTF's consultant hydrogeologist, Peter Dermody, of Enviroscience Consultants, sent to Southampton Town Supervisor Patrick Heaney, dated September 17, 2003, states in part (in regards the location of these wells):
"…Enviroscience Consultants was recently provided with a map…of the well locations with respect to fairways, tee boxes, and greens at the course…We have found that it is highly alarming from a public health standpoint that almost all the wells and lysimeters are installed in or near the fairway areas. These wells are located, generally, upgradient to the greens and, therefore, are clearly placed to minimize the detections of contaminants. Since the greens are known to receive significantly higher applications of pesticides and fertilizers as compared to the fairways, it is very likely that there are much higher concentrations of contaminants in the area downgradient to the greens. There are wells located dowgradient of a green only at one location (MW-2, 2D). However, this is in a portion of the site that is known to contain a perched water table. Therefore, these wells appear to be monitoring the wrong aquifer and have a reasonable likelihood of producing misleading data.
We are very concerned with the well locations since they would provide a false sense of security for the adjacent residents. However, even the fairway wells have shown the presence of contamination in the soil and groundwater and represent a public health concern.
To determine the maximum concentrations of contamination generated by golf course activities, it will be necessary to install wells into the shallowest aquifer in the are downgradient and within 50 feet of the greens. This will provide a true determination of the potential health concerns to the residents in the area of the golf course…"
 South Fork Groundwater Task Force
PO BOX 2360 Sag Harbor, NY 11963
Phone/Fax: 631 - 725 - 6200
Site By: Hamptons Online
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