The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday in the FEMA room at the Human Services Complex at 355 South Madison Blvd.

Person County Health Director Janet Clayton released information last week about the investigation of private drinking water wells, which are contaminated with chlorinated solvents and gasoline around or near the Halifax and Virgilina road intersection.

“This meeting is being held to discuss the response to the discovery of the contaminated wells and what future actions will entail,” Clayton wrote in a release announcing the meeting. “This will also be an opportunity for the public to ask questions of the multiple agencies who are involved with the investigation.”

Clayton said Friday that, in addition to representatives from the Person County Health Department, representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Underground Storage Tank and Waste Management divisions would also be on hand for the discussion.

Clayton told The Courier-Times last week that the health department is leading the investigation into the wells and that water samples have been taken and health risk information has been distributed.

The State Laboratory of Public Health is conducting the sampling analysis.

Person County Manager Steve Carpenter said last week that six households in the area in question have been vacated due to the seriousness of the well contamination at those residences where special filtration systems were being installed. Other residents in the neighborhood with more moderately contaminated wells were advised by officials not to bathe or cook with their well water.

As of Friday afternoon, Clayton said the source of the contamination “is still unknown at this point.

“There were two gas stations with underground storage tanks at the intersection many years ago, however, the tanks were removed over 20 years ago,” Clayton said. “Many wells have been tested, and we are waiting on the remainder of the results. Environmental testing will begin soon to determine the source of the contamination.”

For more information on the meeting, call the Person County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division at 336-597-1790.