PFOAs 20 Times State Standard Leaked Into Merrimack Groundwater

MERRIMACK, N.H. - Last week New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services told the developer of a 240-apartment building that groundwater contamination at a level that is 20 times the state standard. According to the Union Leader, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was detected at concentrations of 1,400 nanograms per liter at the parcel which sits next to Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics.

According to the Dept. of Enviornmental Services, New Hampshire Ambient Groundwater Quality Standards allow for PFOA at a concentration of 70 ng/L.

“Groundwater quality data collected during this study indicates that groundwater in the construction area is impacted by polyfluoroalkyl substances,” Karlee Kenison, administrator with the Hazardous Waste Remediation Bureau within DES, wrote in an email to John J. Flatley on Monday.

Kenison goes on to state that based on the groundwater elevation data and construction profiles, DES has concerns that there is the potential for subsurface utility backfill to result in groundwater flow patterns that are sensitive to ecological receptors in the nearby Dumpling Brook.

DES is suggesting that the Flatley Company redesign its utility layout to avoid impacting the brook, and it is discouraging the developer from installing water supply wells and use of site groundwater for potable water at the future housing property, states the email.

To read the full story, visit the Union Leader.