Governor has asked EPA to sent up long-term monitoring, testing for families

originally posted on May 5, 2016

CONCORD, N.H. —

A group of worried mothers met with Gov. Maggie Hassan and state health officials Thursday, seeking reassurance the government is doing everything it can to help their families, who were exposed to contaminated water at Pease Air National Guard Base.

The women are worried about the future of their families after their loved ones were exposed at day care or work, and perflurochemicals turned up in their blood.

Andrea Amico’s husband and children were affected.

“They have all had their blood tested for PFCs, and they have elevated levels in their body,” she said.

Alaina Davis said her family was also contaminated.

“The biggest thing is the unknown because everyone keeps telling us there is limited science,” she said.

Michelle Dalton’s son, who attended day care at Pease, also has elevated levels of PFCs.

“It makes me nervous and concerned,” she said.

It’s the reason these three women asked for a meeting with Hassan and state officials.

PFCs can stay in the body for a long time, and these moms want the support of the state government as they face the unknown,

Hassan has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to set up long-term monitoring and testing for families exposed to contaminants.

“The EPA we are hoping will be issuing some guidelines soon, but that’s one of the things that we are concerned about,” Hassan said. “They’ve been delaying some of their issuing of guidelines.”

In the meantime, these families said they will wait and hope their families don’t suffer negative effects of chemical exposure.

“Especially looking at my children, they were exposed to contaminants at a really early time in their life, when their body was critically developing so now it makes me wonder if that has reprogrammed them in a different way,” Amico said.

A well at the base was shut down after testing showed high levels of contaminants in the water.