House Resolution Would Push Accountability For Saint-Gobain’s PFAS Pollution

By Ani Freedman | InDepthNH.org | January 12, 2024

Read the full article by Ani Freedman (InDepthNH.org)

"One of New Hampshire’s “Water Warriors” presented a new House Resolution to the State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee on Friday afternoon that would push for greater accountability of the manufacturing company, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, well-known for the substantial PFAS drinking water contamination it caused in Merrimack and surrounding towns.

Rep. Wendy Thomas, D-Merrimack, has been fighting for more responsibility, transparency, and action in the years following the discovery of high levels of PFAS contamination in Merrimack’s drinking water in 2016. Her House Resolution “urges for the compensation for injuries from PFAS and for the closure and cleaning of sites affected by PFAS.”

PFAS chemicals, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are known as forever chemicals due to their slow breakdown over time. They have been linked to several adverse health impacts, according to the EPA, including hormonal interference, various cancers, and developmental effects on children. The chemicals remain in the environment and the human body for years, bioaccumulating over time with increased exposure."