ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE

The letter published in the seacoast newspapers highlights an issue that is of grave importance to our constituents which is not confined to the Seacoast. As you may know, constituents of the seacoast were exposed to very high levels of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in their drinking water which included adults while working at Pease and children who attended daycares. The Haven well, which supplied 13% of the City of Portsmouth’s water, was closed in 2014 when high levels were detected in the water supply. After community advocates implored that New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS) conduct blood testing on those exposed, blood samples were taken from 1,578 affected residents starting in 2015. Aggregated blood test results were released to the Pease population through a series of presentations and releases which showed that levels of PFCs in blood for those 12 and under and for adults far exceeded the national averages. The Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and CDC were brought in to provide assistance with studying the meaning of these results 12 months ago. For 12 months, constituents exposed have been waiting for a feasibility study from the ATSDR to study the health effects so that the studies to assess health effects can move forward. Several delays have been encountered and the people are frustrated. Portsmouth is one of the towns included in the Pediatric Cancer Cluster identified in the seacoast area by NHDHHS and CDC in 2016.

This issue is not confined to the Seacoast of New Hampshire. Our constituents in the Merrimack area are also waiting on NHDHHS to let them know what health effects they can expect from exposure to PFCs relating to the Saint Gobain release. Blood testing was conducted on 143 residents randomly selected for inclusion starting in August of 2016. NHDHHS issued aggregate level (population averages) blood testing results on January 31, 2017 for the southern NH population. To date, no residents know their own blood test results.

In both cases, residents are being denied their own test results (in southern NH) and what the information means for the health of their children and families.

We are also working to prevent more situations like what has happened in Portsmouth and Merrimack in Brentwood, Rochester, Greenland, Rye, North Hampton and Hampton where levels of PFCs have been detected in private and public water supplies as a result of unfettered migration from environmental issues like the Coakley Landfill Superfund Site, the Rockingham County Complex where firemen trained or Lydall Manufacturing.

There is also an economic injustice aspect of this that we should be aware of that is not fully recognized. Residents living near these issues will, if not already recognize, devaluing of their property. In addition, Pease Development businesses are reporting that they are experiencing inability to convince new hires to join specifying that the Pease drinking water is a deciding factor in their decision not to accept offers of employment.

Inaction or delay by state regulators and federal agencies has a real public health and financial cost for our constituents. Like cancer, avoiding it will not make it go away.

Mindi Messmer, District 24 Rockingham