Citing ongoing concern about PFAS contamination in Tiverton, town councilors directed the town solicitor last week to draft a moratorium that would put development in areas not served by public water on hold for the foreseeable future.

Councilor Craig Committo said at the council's September 28 meeting that officials need to find a way to address development in affected areas as the issue continues to evolve.

“I don’t think we need to have all these developers coming in ... when we haven't even tested these properties,” he said.

Committo said he doesn't believe anyone knows the full health risk of PFAS chemicals and the extent to which they have infiltrated groundwater in several parts of town, particularly around Crandall Road. He used the proposed 12-unit development on Bulgarmarsh Road, referred to as Crandall Commons, as an example.
At a planning board meeting last month, board members cited PFAS concerns as they delayed a decision on whether to approve the project's master plan. The proposed development lies in the middle of a zone considered by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management as high risk for PFAS contamination, with multiple homes in the area already testing for elevated levels.

Solicitor Michael Marcello said the town needs an expert opinion on whether or not to seek a moratorium, and said one could be difficult to impose if officials don’t have evidence that PFAS could be a problem.

“We just can’t say we believe it is going to happen; we need to get somebody to testify for us. We need to get facts, not an opinion, facts,” Marcello said.

Council president John Edwards said many areas have not been tested yet and that the town should attempt a 120-day moratorium on areas not serviced by public water; Committo said he is okay with a 4-month moratorium.

When Marcello asked what would happen when the moratorium is in place, Committo said officials would look for answers on where PFAS came from and where it is.

The council directed Marcello to draft a potential moratorium, and Marcello said he would provide several versions, including a town-wide moratorium for areas not served by public water, and a more targeted moratorium based on DEM maps showing where contamination is most prevalent.