Public Meeting Set For Homes Affected by PFOA Contamination

MERRIMACK, NH - Residents of Bedford and Merrimack will get a chance to find out more information on the waterline extension projects to homes affected by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination from the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics factory in Merrimack. According to the New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services, the Merrimack public meeting will be held Wednesday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Merrimack High School cafeteria, 38 McElwain Street in Merrimack.

The Bedford public meeting will be held Tuesday, May 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Peter Woodbury Elementary School, 180 County Road in Bedford.

In a release, NHDES said 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 and are shown on the map here.

"It is important that property owners attend the meeting to meet with Horizons Engineering Corporation to complete necessary paperwork," the release said. "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."

Affected Bedford property owners will be contacted and invited to the meeting by either Pennichuck Corporation or CT Male (Saint-Gobain's engineering firm), according to the release. Affected properties are listed in Exhibit D of the consent decree and are shown on the map here.

In March, The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services reached an agreement with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics to ensure safe drinking water is provided to more than 300 properties in three communities.

The agreement, according to Jim Martin from the NH DES, was reached on March 20, 2018, for properties in Bedford, Litchfield, and Merrimack. The properties join more than 450 other properties the company is already providing water to.

The NHDES the work would include municipal water line connections to 121 properties and an additional four point-of-entry treatment systems in Bedford; 41 additional properties in Merrimack; 27 additional properties in Litchfield and curb stops installed to 109 currently underdeveloped properties in Bedford, Litchfield, Manchester and Merrimack.

Courtesy Photo / Jeffrey Hastings Photography