While bloom notices piled up ahead of Labor Day weekend, Gov. Chris Sununu claimed at an Executive Council meeting held in Wakefield last week that cyanobacteria are “not toxic.” But scientists have found that cyanobacteria, especially blooms, frequently produce toxins.

“This is not toxic. This does not kill people,” Sununu said to Robert Scott, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Services. “Right? That’s not what this issue is. I think some dogs, I think they’ve been warned that … dogs shouldn’t eat it or something like that if they’re in the water.”

“Please make sure that people understand this is not some deadly bacterial bloom that should shut down beaches or anything like that,” Sununu told the commissioner. He said cyanobacteria was “a yucky, slimy thing” but that the department’s messaging on the issue was “terrible.”

On Sununu’s claim that cyanobacteria aren’t toxic: “That’s wrong,” said Jessica Volan Trout-Haney, an aquatic ecologist at Dartmouth who studies cyanotoxins. “… There are, you know, occasionally species that don’t produce toxins, but almost every time we measure for cyanotoxins in bloom conditions, they are present. So if there are cyanobacteria there, they’re almost always producing toxins. It’s very consistent.”

Cyanotoxins, of which there are different kinds, can cause rashes, fevers, headaches, mouth blisters, vomiting, acute liver damage, and more, according to DES, and “long-term exposure can harm the liver and central nervous system.” They can also kill pets. 

Trout-Haney said that “almost every strain or species of cyanobacteria produces cyanotoxins.” The level of those toxins varies, she said, and cyanobacteria produce more toxins when blooming. These toxins cannot be detected by the eye; there must be testing to know if they’re present.

On its Healthy Swimming Mapper, where it tracks cyanobacteria blooms and fecal bacteria, DES “advises lake users to avoid contact with the water in the vicinity of areas experiencing blooms” and keep pets and livestock out of the water. Sununu’s frustration with DES was voiced in a conversation about a bloom on Lake Winnipesaukee, as first reported by InDepthNH.org. 

“When the state is putting out these alerts, that is because there’s bloom conditions; it’s above a certain threshold that’s deemed safe,” Trout-Haney said. “And that’s based on the studies that we’ve conducted that look at cyanotoxin production with growth. So when there’s a bloom, that means there’s a lot of growth, and that means there’s more toxins, and they’re also generally producing more than one type of toxin.”

While cyanobacteria play an important role in ecosystems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “excessive growth of cyanobacteria can lead to ‘blooms’ that can cause ecological and human health concerns.”

“Some cyanobacteria are able to produce highly potent toxins, known as cyanotoxins, that can lead to a variety of health problems for both human and aquatic species,” the agency said, pointing to examples such as “abdominal, neurological, and skin issues.”

There is still much to learn about the impact of cyanobacteria on human health, said Kathryn L. Cottingham, a Dartmouth professor and researcher.

What we do know, she said: “We know that some cyanobacteria produce toxins, that some of those toxins accumulate in our livers and cause cancers, that some of those toxins are neurotoxins that can impact our brains, and that it’s really hard to know just looking at something what’s happening with the toxins.”

How to stay safe

Some activities pose more risks than others. Direct contact with the bloom and ingesting that water, such as through swimming, are the main things to avoid, Trout-Haney said.

“I take the precautionary principle,” Cottingham said. “If I see a bloom, I want to stay out of it. I want to keep my dog out of it.”

“Every year, there are pets that do die from ingesting cyanobacteria toxins,” Trout-Haney said. Pets can drink the water while swimming in a bloom or lick harmful toxins off of themselves when they come out of the water, she said.

People with compromised immune systems, children, and older people are more at risk, she said.   

Shallow areas of the water tend to be less safe, Trout-Haney said, because it’s warmer and there’s less mixing. Cyanobacteria thrive in warm, sunny, nutrient-rich environments. Often, there are blooms on the shore of the lake, but the middle of the water body is clear, she said.

“If you’re driving your boat through a bloom, that’s probably fine,” Trout-Haney said, but “it’s probably wise to minimize your time right in that bloom area, and go to an area that is less bloom heavy.”

As for other activities, “if you are spending a lot of time right next to a bloom, there’s a possibility that you’re inhaling cells. We measure cells coming out of the water and into the air pretty regularly,” she said. “But how much of an impact that actually has on your long term health? You know, that’s where … there’s a lot still unknown.”

And for anglers, “the safest thing to do is if you’re in a big bloom area … (is) move outside of that area to collect fish that you’re going to consume,” Trout-Haney said.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Most of the Republican candidates hoping to challenge the Democratic incumbent in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District say they would rise above partisan bickering if they make it to Washington, but one says arguing is part of the job.

“It’s an adversarial process, just like in court,” attorney and Manchester Alderman Joseph Kelly Levasseur said Thursday. “There’d be a lot less fighting if the Democrats just listened to our common sense and did what the Republicans asked.”

Levasseur and four others competing in Tuesday’s GOP primary faced each other in a debate at New England College, where a panelist cited a poll in which nearly 90% of Americans said they believe Republicans and Democrats are more interested in fighting each other than solving problems. Aside from Levasseur, they said they would work to regain voters’ trust by staying positive and cooperating with colleagues.

Common understanding comes through trust and open communication, said Hollie Noveletsky, a business owner, nurse and former U.S. Army reservist.

“It’s also important to find like-minded people in Congress, not the ones that are standing in front of the camera asking for five minutes of fame, but the ones who are rolling up their sleeves every day and doing the hard work,” she said.

Business executive and Army veteran Chris Bright agreed, saying uniting the country is a top priority. Career politicians have eroded the public’s trust, he said.

“I was taught at West Point that you wear your rank not for personal gain but to advance mission of people,” he said. “So it’s about putting the needs of the country first. In the Arrmy, we call that selfless service.”

Congress gets nothing done because it’s full of extremists, said businessman Walter McFarlane.

“We need some moderates to help bridge the aisle,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we abandon the ideals we hold dear, but it does mean that we reach across the aisle.”

Former executive councilor and state Sen. Russell Prescott said he has attracted broad support, including from independent voters and Libertarians, in part due to his positive attitude.

“Two years ago in a debate, I said, ‘If we could just along, we could accomplish a lot,’” he said, decrying the negative infighting he recalled from his campaign for the same seat two years ago.

Prescott was one of 10 candidates who sought the GOP nomination in 2002. The winner was Karoline Leavitt, who lost to Democrat Chris Pappas, who has held the seat since 2018 and faces no significant challenge in his upcoming primary.

Max Abramson and Andy Martin also will be on the Republican ballot.

(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)

The New Hampshire Insurance Department (NHID) reports that it has approved a workers’ compensation rate proposal that will reduce voluntary loss costs by 5.6% on average.

The new lower rates will apply to voluntary market policies effective on or after January 1, 2025.

The market has now experienced loss cost decreases for 13 consecutive years, with a cumulative reduction exceeding 65% over this period. The state’s voluntary loss costs went down 14% on average in 2024, down 7% in 2023, and for 2022, they were down 8%.

Loss costs are the portion of an employer’s insurance premium dedicated to covering claims costs. Insurers are required to use the new loss costs and are then permitted to adjust it for their own company expenses.

The rate proposal for 2025 was filed on July 31 by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the advisory agent that prepares workers’ compensation rate filings for New Hampshire and many other states.

The filing is based on premium and loss experience as of year-end 2023 from policy years 2020, 2021, and 2022 and shows improved experienced relative to the data underlying the filing effective January 1, 2024. According to NCCI, all three years showed similarly favorable experience. The state’s lost-time claim frequency has continued to decline. Indemnity and medical severity both increased slightly after steep declines during the COVID-19 pandemic but despite the slight increase in severity, loss ratios continue to decrease.

“We’re seeing real benefits for businesses and workers alike as the cost of workers’ compensation continues to drop,” said New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner DJ Bettencourt. “The workers’ compensation market in New Hampshire remains robust, offering business owners a wide array of options when selecting coverage.”

The workers’ compensation market across the country remains healthy, according to NCCI. The industry’s calendar year 2023 combined ratio was 86%, a sign of underwriting profitability, and net written premium increased by 1%.

NCCI data shows that injured worker claims frequency has continued to decline on a countrywide basis, while claim severity changes were moderate for 2023.

NCCI credits a continued focus on worker safety and technological advancements as contributing to fewer workplace injuries over time.

While payroll increased by 6% between 2022 and 2023, workers’ compensation system costs have increased at a slower pace than wages during the same period. Also, while economic inflation has been elevated over the past few years, this has not generally translated to higher workers’ compensation medical and indemnity benefit costs, according to NCCI.

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