State reaches agreement with Saint-Gobain on providing water to 1,000 impacted properties – New Hampshire Bulletin

The Lawyer Common’s Workplace has reached an settlement with Saint-Gobain Efficiency Plastics requiring the corporate to completely present clear water to round 1,000 properties which were impacted by PFAS contamination.

The settlement, introduced by the state on Monday, will cowl properties within the cities surrounding the Saint-Gobain facility, together with in Bedford, Hudson, Litchfield, Londonderry, and Merrimack. Ingesting water in these cities has examined above the state requirements for PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, a kind of PFAS chemical. The chemical substances have been linked to most cancers and different well being issues.

Underneath a previous settlement with the state, Saint-Gobain had supplied bottled water to sure properties the place the personal nicely water contained ranges of PFAS contaminants over the state requirements. The settlement introduced Monday is supposed to supply a extra everlasting resolution for impacted residents, requiring the corporate to both join them to the general public water system or present them with a water remedy system at residence.

“It’s a milestone settlement as a result of we’re actually speaking about greater than doubling the houses that shall be supplied with a long-term clear ingesting water resolution,” stated Jim Martin, a spokesperson for the Division of Environmental Providers. “However we additionally contemplate it a milestone as a result of there’s nonetheless much more work that must be achieved.”

There are round 1,500 personal wells the place the air pollution ranges are nonetheless unknown inside what’s referred to as the consent decree space, an space that Saint-Gobain has agreed to take accountability for. And round an extra 1,100 wells exterior of the consent decree space are contaminated with PFAS that won’t be coated by this settlement.

“There’s nonetheless a priority concerning the individuals who reside exterior the consent decree, in addition to many who reside inside that Saint-Gobain hasn’t sampled,” stated Mindi Messmer, an environmental scientist who serves on the state fee charged with investigating the environmental and public well being impacts related to PFAS. She referred to as the settlement a primary step however voiced frustration with Saint-Gobain, which has not agreed to pattern all wells throughout the consent decree space. Messmer urged residents of the 5 cities coated by this settlement to name the Division of Environmental Providers and have their nicely examined.

The New Hampshire Division of Environmental Providers will maintain a gathering on Wednesday, Might 4, at 6:30 p.m. to current details about the settlement and reply questions. You’ll be able to register to attend the assembly on-line.