Welcome. This website will be used to update interested parties on NHDES’ current investigation into the presence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in New Hampshire. You can access our previous webpage for archived information: https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pfoa.htm .
NHDES Statement on Draft ATSDR PFAS Report
News from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: June 21, 2018
CONTACT: Jim Martin, (603) 271-3710
des.nh.gov
twitter.com/NHDES
NHDES Statement on Draft ATSDR PFAS Report
Concord, NH – Today, Robert Scott, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) issued the following statement on the release of the Draft Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“NHDES is pleased that the ATSDR has released the Draft Toxicological Profile for PFAS for public review and comment. NHDES is eager to review the draft report as well as the public comments provided to ATSDR, and to use this information to help inform any actions that NHDES should take based on this new information.”
The ATSDR report notice can be accessed in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/06/21/2018-13385/availability-of-draft-toxicological-profile-perfluoroalkyls and the notice provides directions on how to submit public comments on the report.
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Merrimack and Bedford Meeting Materials and Documents
NHDES and representatives for Saint-Gobain held public meetings on May 9, in Merrimack, and May 22, in Bedford to discuss the waterline extension projects. Below are copies of the presentations and meeting materials discussed at the meetings.
Merrimack, May 9 Public Information Meeting:
Merrimack Waterline FAQs final
NHDES Well Decommissioning Letter May 9, 2018
Private well connection – MVD info letter 5-8-18
Bedford, May 22 Public Information Meeting:
Overall Map of the 4 Project Areas: BedfordConnectionStatus_20180521_Poster
Presentation: Bedford Public Water System Expansion Presentation – Meeting on May 22 2018- final
Bedford Back River Road Project Area:
Bedford Back River Road Contacts
Bedford Back River Road Waterline FAQs
Bedford Back River Road Well Decommissioning Handout
NHDES May 18, 2018 Well Decommissioning Letter
Bedford South River Road Project Area:
South River Road Waterline FAQs
South River Road Well Decommissioning Handout
NHDES May 18, 2018 Well Decommissioning Letter
Bedford Point of Entry Treatment (POET) Systems:
Merrimack Back River Road Project Area:
Merrimack Back River Road Contacts
Merrimack Back River Road Well Decommissioning Handout
NHDES May 18, 2018 Well Decommissioning Letter
Amherst Water Supply Well Decommissioning Update
Textiles Coated International (TCI) provided NHDES with a Work Plan for decommissioning water supply wells at properties that are connected to the public water system. A copy of the work plan and NHDES’ approval letter can be found on the NHDES OneStop site:
- Click on OneStop site (https://www.des.nh.gov/onestop/index.htm)
- Click on 2nd bullet (One Stop Data)
- In the first fill-in field: Any DES Interest Id – enter the site number: 201605022
- Click “Enter”
- Click on the “Hazardous waste project” link
- Click on the filing cabinet symbol (Site Documents)
- Look for the well decommissioning plan and click “show”
The Work Plan and approval letter outline a schedule for decommissioning, starting in May 2018 and ending over the summer 2018. A summary report is due to NHDES by September 1, 2018.
NHDES understands that in the past few weeks, TCI initiated well decommissioning at some properties in accordance with the approved work plan. TCI has informed NHDES that they have postponed the remaining decommissioning work while TCI considers the potential for additional water quality testing at some of these locations before the wells are abandoned. At this time, NHDES understands that this is a temporary delay in the schedule. Please note that NHDES did not request that TCI stop the decommissioning work. TCI indicated that they will provide NHDES with a schedule update during the week of May 28, 2018.
Public Information Meetings in Bedford and Merrimack – Updates on Waterline Extension Projects
News from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 23, 2018
CONTACT: Jim Martin, (603) 271-3710
Public Information Meetings
Updates on Bedford and Merrimack Waterline Extension Projects
Impacted Property Owners Encouraged to Attend
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) announced today that public meetings have been scheduled in Bedford and Merrimack to provide updates on the waterline extension projects in those towns.
Affected Merrimack property owners will be contacted and invited to the meeting by Horizons Engineering. Affected properties are listed in Exhibit D of the consent decree (https://www4.des.state.nh.us/nh-pfas-investigation/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/final-cd-20180320.pdf) and are shown on the map at (https://www4.des.state.nh.us/nh-pfas-investigation/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Merrimack_PosterSize_20180321.pdf) . It is important that property owners attend the meeting to meet with Horizons Engineering Corporation to complete necessary paperwork. If affected property owners are unable to attend the meeting, they can call Horizons at (802) 457-3151 to schedule a time for a property visit – a necessary step in designing the waterline connections to each property. The meeting Information is below:
Merrimack Public Meeting:
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
6:30 pm
Merrimack High School Cafeteria
38 McElwain Street, Merrimack, NH 03054
Affected Bedford property owners will be contacted and invited to the meeting by either Pennichuck Corporation or CT Male (Saint-Gobain’s engineering firm). Affected properties are listed in Exhibit D of the consent decree (https://www4.des.state.nh.us/nh-pfas-investigation/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/final-cd-20180320.pdf) and are shown on the map at (https://www4.des.state.nh.us/nh-pfas-investigation/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Bedford_PosterSize_20180321.pdf). It is important that property owners attend the meeting to complete necessary paperwork. The meeting Information is below:
Bedford Public Meeting:
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
6:30 pm
Peter Woodbury Elementary School
180 County Road, Bedford, NH 03110
For more information, please contact James Martin, NHDES Public Information Officer, at (603) 271-3710. Additional information on NHDES’ ongoing investigation into perfluorinated chemicals in New Hampshire drinking water, please visit https://www4.des.state.nh.us/nh-pfas-investigation/
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Update on Amherst Waterline Extension Project
Construction on the public water connections in Amherst continues, picking up after a winter break and working around the March snowstorms. Work is on pace to meet a May 15th completion date, pending good weather and availability of property owners to accommodate the interior plumbing work.
- On Skyline Drive, the crew is expected to install the water main and tie into the previously installed curb stops over the next two weeks. Pennichuck anticipates scheduling plumbers to install water meters and make the new water service connections during the week of April 16th.
- In the Boston Post Road, Hickory Drive, and Douglas Drive area, the contractor will return to install services next week. About half of the remaining services will be installed using directional drilling. Property owners should be expecting calls from Pennichuck and/or the contractor during the week of April 2nd or April 9th to schedule service installations.
- On Route 101A, meters are scheduled to be installed at properties during the week of April 2nd.
NHDES is reviewing a well decommissioning work plan provided by TCI. It is anticipated that the well decommissioning will occur after the water connection project is complete. A schedule will be provided when more information becomes available.
NHDES and Saint-Gobain Consent Decree
The final consent decree between NHDES and Saint-Gobain can be found here: final-cd-20180320
Information presented on the consent decree at a public meeting held in Litchfield, NH on March 21, 2018:
Southern NH PFOA Investigation Public Meeting, Litchfield, NH March 21, 2018
Merrimack Waterline Connections Map
Litchfield Waterline Connections Map
NHDES and Saint-Gobain Reach Agreement on Consent Decree
News from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: March 20, 2018
CONTACT: Jim Martin, 603 271-3710
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Reach Agreement on Consent Decree
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), represented by the Office of the Attorney General, and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics (SGPPL) announced today they have reached an agreement to permanently provide safe drinking water to 302 properties in portions of the towns of Bedford, Litchfield, and Merrimack, New Hampshire in addition to the over 450 properties already being addressed.
“We are extremely pleased that NHDES and Saint-Gobain were able to reach agreement on connecting all of the disputed properties to an alternate water source,” said Robert R. Scott, NHDES Commissioner. “I understand the frustration felt by the residents of Bedford, Litchfield and Merrimack with the amount of time it has taken to come to this point, but we believe that it was vital to negotiate a comprehensive agreement. The positive outcome of these negotiations will serve the residents of this area well over the long-term.”
NHDES and SGPPL have been working cooperatively and without a formal agreement for more than two years in response to the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in groundwater in the area. During this time, more than 1,500 samples have been collected from groundwater, surface water, and water supply wells in the impacted towns. In addition, SGPPL voluntarily provided bottled water to residents living in the towns, provided point-of-use treatment systems for more than 50 properties, and connected more than 450 properties to municipal water lines.
“Since first learning about the presence of PFOA in Merrimack, Saint-Gobain and NHDES have focused on finding solutions as quickly as possible. This collaboration has enabled us to accomplish a lot of work in a relatively short amount of time given the size and complexity of this issue,” said Tom Kinisky, CEO of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. “We’ve been a part of this community for many years and our top priority was always to take a leadership position in our response. With this Consent Decree now signed, we remain committed to working with community partners to finalize the work left to be done.”
In addition to the work that SGPPL and NHDES have already completed, the Consent Decree will provide for:
- Municipal water line connections to 121 properties in Bedford and point-of-entry treatment (POET) systems for four additional properties in Bedford where it is not feasible to extend municipal water lines.
- Municipal water line connections to 41 additional properties in Merrimack.
- Municipal water line extensions to 27 additional properties in Litchfield.
- Curb stops installed to 109 currently underdeveloped properties in Bedford, Litchfield, Manchester, and Merrimack so that municipal water may be provided to such properties in the future if those properties are developed.
- Site investigation activities including, but not limited to, groundwater, drinking water, surface water, soil and air testing.
- Source remediation if necessary.
Every effort will be made to connect properties with an existing waterline extension design before the end of 2018, weather, contracting availability and other similar factors permitting. Water line extensions to properties where design plans need to be completed will be done as soon as possible, but no later than November of 2019.
Pursuant to the Consent Decree, the State did not waive any private right of action by any individuals or parties.
A meeting will be held for all affected communities (Bedford, Litchfield and Merrimack) at Campbell High School at 1 Highlander Court, Litchfield, NH 03052, on Wednesday, March 21, at 6:30 pm to discuss the specifics of the agreement and the steps that will follow.
For Live video coverage of the meeting click on the following link: http://trms.bedfordtv.com/CablecastPublicSite/watch/3?channel=1
or follow the instructions below.
Streaming Live Access Through the BCTV Webpage:
Go to the BCTV webpage: www.bedfordtv.com
On the home page under the Channel 16 icon click on “Watch Live”
For those cannot attend the meeting office hours with NHDES personnel to discuss the settlement will be held at the following times and locations:
Thursday 22 March:
8:00 am – 10:00 am Bedford Town Office Building, 24 Amherst Road
10:30 am – 2:30 pm Merrimack Town Hall, 6 Baboosic Lake Road
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Bedford Town Office Building
These times are not for fixed presentations. Affected citizens are welcome to attend whatever times they can make and their questions will be answered in order. Additional meetings will be scheduled as needed.
For additional information on this agreement, please contact:
For New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services:
Jim Martin
603-271-3710
James.martin@des.nh.gov
For Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics:
Dina Silver Pokedoff
610-893-5518
dina.pokedoff@saint-gobain.com
www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com
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Negotiations Update Meeting in Litchfield, March 21
Public Information Meeting
NHDES to Discuss Status of Negotiations with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Related to the Presence of PFOA in Drinking Water Wells
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) in coordination with the Towns of Bedford, Merrimack and Litchfield invite the residents of those towns to a Public Information Meeting to be held in Litchfield to discuss the status of negotiations between NHDES and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics related to the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in drinking water wells. There is potential for discussion of a major announcement at the meeting.
Meeting Information:
Litchfield:
Wednesday, March 21, 2018 6:30 p.m.
Campbell High School auditorium
1 Highlander Court, Litchfield, NH 03052
For more please contact Jim Martin, NHDES Public Information Officer at 603 271-3710.
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Update on Negotiations with Saint-Gobain
NHDES, through the Office of the Attorney General, and St. Gobain have made considerable progress in their negotiations. As of the internal deadline of February 28th, the parties had reached an agreement in principle on some important terms of a proposed consent decree. While nothing is signed yet, the parties will continue to work over the next few weeks to finalize the consent decree and achieve our shared goal – providing potable water to residents. We understand the desire to get this resolved and hope to soon reach and communicate a resolution.
Litchfield Waterline Extension Project Update
As part of the ongoing Southern New Hampshire investigation into the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, work to connect 360 homes in Litchfield, New Hampshire to the Pennichuck public water system has been completed. NHDES requested Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Inc. fund the waterline connections to address groundwater contamination, providing clean drinking water to affected properties.
Some statistics for the project:
- Water service was provided to 360 properties.
- 8 undeveloped properties received curb stops such that a future developer may connect to the water line.
- 40 properties were offered connections, but refused.
- Approximately 10 miles of water main were installed, ranging in diameter from 2” to 12”.
- Over 11 miles of service lines were installed.
- Construction began in November 2016, and the last meter was installed December 2017.
Connected properties include those in the original design, and those in a group of additional 37 properties that were identified at a later date. The project did not include an additional 26 properties on Charles Bancroft Highway, south of Hillcrest Drive, that NHDES requested be connected. Saint-Gobain is disputing responsibility for groundwater contamination in this area. Saint-Gobain and NHDES are working on a resolution for this area.
Affected property owners were given the option to decommission their wells or retain them for non-consumptive use following connection to public water. Work to decommission wells is anticipated to begin in the coming months.
Property owners that received a point-of-use (POU) treatment system and have been connected to public water have the option of keeping the system at their own expense, or having it removed. Property owners that would like to have their systems removed should contact Culligan at 1-802-598-4400.