New Hampshire lawmakers are seeking to tighten restrictions on polluters who allow “forever chemicals” to contaminate soil and drinking water wells in the state.
Legislation approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday would set new limits on soil contamination from four perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, ranging from 12 to 18 parts per trillion. The chemicals, which were once used in everything from frying pans to firefighting foam, have been linked to cancer and other serious elements.
The bipartisan bill would also require remediation if the soil contamination exceeds those limits and would force polluters to compensate New Hampshire property owners whose private drinking water wells are contaminated. It also directs the state Department of Environmental Services to submit annual reports detailing PFAS contamination and remediation efforts.
The measure received a unanimous 17-0 vote by the House Environment and Agriculture Committee during a work session last month.
The legislation must be approved by the state Senate before landing on Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk for consideration.
The toxic compounds are called “forever chemicals” because they accumulate in the human body and can take thousands of years to degrade.
Research has found potential links between PFAS and illnesses such as kidney cancer and high cholesterol, as well as complications in pregnancies.
Dozens of states are weighing proposals to eliminate PFAS in food packaging, firefighting foam and other products, in addition to setting limits on the contaminants in soil and drinking water.
New Hampshire was one of the first states to set limits on PFAS chemicals in public drinking water supplies, ranging from 12 to 15 parts per trillion. The limits went into effect in 2019.
But the House on Wednesday also scuttled a proposal that would have expanded the list of PFAS chemicals covered under those restrictions, concurring with a committee recommendation that the bill be referred to a study. Currently, only four PFAS compounds are regulated.
A fiscal note attached to the bill estimated it would cost between $3.6 million and $12.4 million to comply with the proposed contaminant levels in the bill.
Lawmakers also rejected a proposal that would have banned the sale or importation and sale of any items that “intentionally” contain PFAS compounds.
The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee recently voted 19-0 to refer the bill to study, and the House on Wednesday voted to accept the committee’s report.
“Given that there is an incredible amount of items that are made with PFAS the committee decided this bill needed a lot more work and a committee study would be the best route to go,” state Rep. Dawn Johnson, R-Laconia, wrote in a report from the committee.
