IBM has issued its final newsletter on its cleanup work in Endicott and that concerns Mayor Linda Jackson.

The company has just released an update on its groundwater remediation activities after chemical contamination was discovered at the IBM Endicott plant in 1979.

Jackson said she was surprised to learn that IBM doesn't plan to issue additional newsletters on the cleanup.

The mayor said she wants independent groundwater testing because some people have expressed doubts about the results that have been released.

An IBM mailing provided an overview of the cleanup work conducted in Endicott. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
An IBM mailing provided a summary of the cleanup work conducted in Endicott and what is planned for 2020. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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In the latest newsletter, the company said it is still committed to addressing the remaining presence of volatile organic compounds "in soil and groundwater associated with historical IBM operations."

Jackson said the decision to stop issuing newsletters "brought up a little bit of a red flag."

The mayor said she plans to ask the village board to approve groundwater testing. She said if an independent test can confirm "the contamination is being taken care of, we can work on attracting people to come make Endicott their home."

Jackson said her first concern is safety. She also said she hopes "to do something positive to erase this negativity of our area."

An IBM representative could not be reached for immediate comment.

This story was updated to include additional comments from Endicott Mayor Linda Jackson.

Contour maps in the 2020 IBM newsletter show changes in groundwater levels of the chemical trichloroethene. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Contour maps in the 2020 IBM newsletter show changes in groundwater levels of the chemical trichloroethene. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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