By ANI FREEDMAN, InDepthNH.org
MERRIMACK – On Wednesday, the EPA made a historic announcement of new legally enforceable drinking water standards targeting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals.
Shortly after the announcement, a coalition of New Hampshire state Representatives and advocates met at the Merrimack Town Hall to discuss what these new regulations mean for people that have long felt the impacts of PFAS chemicals.
“This is long overdue,” said Laurene Allen, co-founder of Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water and organizer of the meeting.
“Health-based standards are what need to guide safety,” Allen said. “Everyone in this town who has been passionately and actively involved in this issue understands that health is pivotal to all.”
The standard announced by the EPA sets limits for five individual PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (also known as “GenX Chemicals”). The rule also sets a limit for mixtures of any two or more of four PFAS: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and “GenX chemicals.
For PFOA and PFOS in particular, the EPA set the Maximum Contaminant Levels at 4.0 parts per trillion, but in its press release stated they have a “non-enforceable health-based goal” of zero, based on research that reflects “there is no level of exposure to these contaminants without risk of health impacts, including certain cancers.” The standards for the rest of the chemicals is set at 10 parts per trillion.
“The final rule will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses,” the EPA press release said.
PFAS are known as forever chemicals due to their resilience in the environment and the human body. Over time, the more someone is exposed to PFAS, the greater the chemicals bioaccumulate in their system as they resist breaking down. These chemicals have been linked to numerous adverse health outcomes, according to the CDC, including kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, and suppressed immune response to vaccines, among many others.
David Cash, EPA Regional Administrator of New England and co-chair of the PFAS Council at the EPA, emphasized at the meeting how momentous this legislation will be for PFAS harm reduction.
“This is a huge step,” Cash said. “This new rule is achievable and it is implementable.”
While Cash acknowledged a crucial step in addressing PFAS pollution, he also stated that this is only one facet of the EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap to restrict PFAS, remediate contamination, hold polluters accountable, and research the chemicals further.
“PFAS is prevalent in the environment,” Cash said. “I think we’re just going to keep finding it more and more, and in greater concentrations.”
In a statement released from U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, said the state is slated to receive $9,457,000 of the $9 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law designated to help communities with drinking water impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants.
The pollution of drinking water in and around Merrimack has become one of the most prolific examples of hazardous PFAS exposure in New Hampshire. Following the discovery of extensive PFAS pollution, originating from the manufacturing facility Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, New Hampshire became one of the first states to create drinking water standards for four PFAS chemicals in 2018.
One of Merrimack’s citizens spoke up during public comment at the meeting about the lasting impact these chemicals have left on him and his family.
“I don’t want anybody to think this is a victimless crime,” said Chuck Mower, a Merrimack resident. Mower said he believes his wife’s illness is from PFAS they ingested in their drinking water.
“When we win, we don’t win with a bang,” Mower said. “We win with a whimper.”
While Mower is grateful for the work advocates like Allen and state representatives have done to protect clean water, he remains concerned, even after the announcement of the EPA’s new regulatory standards.
“What you’ve done is tremendous, but it is by no means the end of the story,” Mower said.
Rep. Nancy Murphy, D-Merrimack, echoed Mower’s statements as one of the state representatives who has been at the forefront of the PFAS fight, known as one of Merrimack’s “Water Warriors.”
“DES designated the Merrimack area as the site of the largest environmental industrial disaster in New Hampshire’s history,” Murphy said. Murphy was excited at the news from the EPA, but still believes there are substantial steps that need to be taken to address the threat of PFAS.
“Until PFAS are regulated as a class and the voices of citizens are heard above the influence of lobbyists for manufacturers and polluters, we are not safe,” Murphy said.
Another one of Merrimack’s “Water Warriors,” Rep. Wendy Thomas, D-Merrimack, has been a direct victim of her town’s PFAS pollution as well, receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in 2022 linked to PFAS exposure. She was thrilled to hear the news from the EPA, after having hand-delivered a House Resolution to President Biden in March about Saint-Gobain’s pollution.
“It may be too late for some of us that are already sick, but this is not about us. This is about the future,” Thomas said. “This decision by the Biden Administration will save lives.”
Thomas reiterated Murphy’s statements that more work needs to be done even after this victory in national regulation of PFAS chemicals.
“We’ve been waiting for this, but this is not the end. There is still tremendous work to be done,” Thomas said. “We’re going to hold polluters accountable.”
In her public statement, Shaheen had the following to say about the newly announced drinking water standards:
“No American should worry that the water coming from their tap is contaminated, and I applaud President Biden and Administrator Regan for taking a significant step forward today to better ensure our drinking water is safe for all, including Granite State families,” said Shaheen.
“PFAS contamination has long been a top concern for me, and I’m proud that New Hampshire has been a leader in uncovering and responding to this widespread public health and environmental challenge. As a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I fought to secure record funding to help small and disadvantaged communities clean up their water, as well as the nearly half of New Hampshire residents who get their water supply from private wells. Today’s announcement is an important step toward better protecting the health of Granite Staters.”
Shaheen has had a particular focus on PFAS pollution in her legislative work in New Hampshire and during negotiations for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Shaheen recently introduced legislation?to clarify that assistance from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law may be provided for well owners whether or not they are connected to public water systems, which would apply to many citizens of Merrimack, for instance, who have their own private wells.
As part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to address clean water access, funds are specifically being allocated for lower income communities. Through the Justice40 initiative, which “aims to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities,” funds will be utilized from an additional $12 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support general drinking water investments, including PFAS treatment.
The EPA estimates that “between about 6% and 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to this rule may have to take action to reduce PFAS to meet these new standards.” By those numbers, majority of the country is likely not exposed to PFAS-contaminated water, according to Senior Administration officials.
Under these standards, public water systems have five years to meet the EPA’s requirements. All systems have three years to complete their initial monitoring for these chemicals, after which they must inform the public of the level of PFAS measured in their drinking water. If PFAS is found at levels that exceed the new EPA standards, public water systems will be required to implement solutions to reduce PFAS in their drinking water within five years.
“Clean water should not be restricted by zip code,” local advocate Laurene Allen said at the end of the meeting.