Hardwick Board Hires Popham for Landfill Monitoring

Board of Health · Meeting of February 5, 2026

HARDWICK — The Hardwick Board of Health heard that PFAS and 1,4-dioxane contamination near the town's closed landfill exceeds drinking water standards in multiple wells, with no state requirement yet to map the plume's spread toward Ware's water supply. Licensed site professional Scott Parker, hired in November 2025, told the board "there are numerous wells that exceed the drinking water standard for PFAS and 1,4-dioxane." Mike Hugo, who works with a coalition that meets regularly with the DEP, pledged to raise the issue with agency leadership and urged the board to loop in municipal attorney David Jenkins. The board separately voted unanimously to hire consultant Mark Popham for Lower Road landfill monitoring, about $1,200 cheaper than competing bids, and continued its tobacco retailer hearing, including new "nicotine-free generation" sales restrictions, to March 12 at 6:45 p.m.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Hardwick's community access TV: Board of Health meeting, February 5, 2026
• The complete report: 841 words

Source: the Board of Health meeting of February 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.