U.S. Senator Jean Shaheen with Greenland town officials, NH House and Senate representatives and Regional EPA Administrator in Greenland on June 25, announcing $72 million in grants for NH private well owners to mitigate PFAS contamination. She also announced $10 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to mitigate PFAS with $5 billion going to small and disadvantaged communities.
New Hampshire is receiving $72 million in grants for the first of five years of funding to remediate per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) according to U.S. Senator Jean Shaheen. She also secured $10 billion to specifically address PFAS and other emerging contaminants from private drinking water wells, $5 billion of which is targeted to small and disadvantaged communities. Senator Shaheen was a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law creating the funding opportunities.
During the June 24 roundtable in Greenland Senator Shaheen heard from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 Administrator David Cash, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the Seacoast Commission on Long-Term Goals & Requirements for Drinking Water, and the Town of Greenland about their ongoing work to address PFAS contamination and how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping Granite State families who rely on private wells for their drinking water.
State Representatives Dennis Malloy of Greenland, Jaci Grote of Rye, Mike Edgar of Hampton and State Senator Deb Altschiller attended the roundtable and are members of the Seacoast Commission for Drinking Water.
Senator Shaheen said “I was glad to host a roundtable in Greenland to learn more about how federal investments I secured are helping protect the health of families across our state by addressing contamination from private drinking water wells.
Everyone, including the nearly half of all Granite Staters who rely on private wells, deserves access to safe drinking water without having to worry that they’re being exposed to toxic PFAS chemicals,”
In November 2023, Greenland hosted a meeting for Greenland, Rye and Portsmouth residents with private wells who wanted to test for emerging contaminants and other elements. They received free well testing kits provided by the NH Department of Environmental Services. Nearly 170 test kits were distributed.