BENNINGTON, Vt. — The state of Vermont reached a tentative agreement with a plastics company to address chemical contamination in more than 150 private wells on the east side of Bennington, the state announced Tuesday.
The Agency of Natural Resources said an agreement in principal with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics will expand municipal water service to most of the affected homes there.
The Bennington Banner reported that if the deal is finalized, Saint-Gobain would provide roughly $26 million for water line extensions and for new wells, or long-term filtering for wells where water lines aren’t feasible.
The tentative plan includes up to $4.7 million in state funding from a revolving loan fund.
"This is a good day for Vermont and part of our larger effort to ensure safe drinking water for all Vermonters," Vermont Gov.
Phil Scott said in a Tuesday statement.
Saint-Gobain is considered by the state to be responsible for widespread water contamination with the chemical known as PFOA, a suspected carcinogen, around two former ChemFab Corp. factories in Bennington.
The company previously agreed to provide $20 million for water line work for about 200 properties on the west side of Bennington.
That work began in the fall of 2017 and is essentially complete.
The engineering and design for the new project is expected to be finalized next month.

Home | Environment Union Leader Correspondent MERRIMACK — Residents will be updated this week on the state’s ongoing investigation into perfluorooctanoic acid in southern New Hampshire.
Representatives with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES), as well as town officials, will be hosting a public informational meeting on Wednesday to inform the community of ongoing efforts to combat the water contamination.
“DES now has some real tools, some real teeth to work with companies like Saint-Gobain,” said town councilor Bill Boyd.
A new law that went into effect on Sept. 8 allows the department to require controls for air emissions of certain PFAS compounds that impact soil and water.
Wednesday’s meeting will provide agency officials the opportunity to review results from recent tests taken from Saint-Gobain’s smokestacks at the Merrimack plant.
DES has already stated that the local facility is still releasing small amounts of polyfluoroalkyl chemicals from the stacks, which could be contributing to local groundwater contamination.
DES will update residents on the site investigation, ongoing water remediation projects with private wells in Merrimack and nearby communities, the air emission tests and Merrimack Village District’s work to improve public wells.
A question and answer session will be held, and break-out conversations with smaller groups will also take place at the meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at James Mastricola Upper Elementary School, 26 Baboosic Lake Road.
“I absolutely am thrilled that DES is coming to Merrimack.
I think that since we started dealing with this issue some two-plus years ago, the opportunity to get up to date information related to water quality, air quality and legislation is critical,” said Boyd.

Home | Environment Union Leader Correspondent MERRIMACK — Residents will be updated this week on the state’s ongoing investigation into perfluorooctanoic acid in southern New Hampshire.
Representatives with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES), as well as town officials, will be hosting a public informational meeting on Wednesday to inform the community of ongoing efforts to combat the water contamination.
“DES now has some real tools, some real teeth to work with companies like Saint-Gobain,” said town councilor Bill Boyd.
A new law that went into effect on Sept. 8 allows the department to require controls for air emissions of certain PFAS compounds that impact soil and water.
Wednesday’s meeting will provide agency officials the opportunity to review results from recent tests taken from Saint-Gobain’s smokestacks at the Merrimack plant.
DES has already stated that the local facility is still releasing small amounts of polyfluoroalkyl chemicals from the stacks, which could be contributing to local groundwater contamination.
DES will update residents on the site investigation, ongoing water remediation projects with private wells in Merrimack and nearby communities, the air emission tests and Merrimack Village District’s work to improve public wells.
A question and answer session will be held, and break-out conversations with smaller groups will also take place at the meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at James Mastricola Upper Elementary School, 26 Baboosic Lake Road.
“I absolutely am thrilled that DES is coming to Merrimack.
I think that since we started dealing with this issue some two-plus years ago, the opportunity to get up to date information related to water quality, air quality and legislation is critical,” said Boyd.

The first of the EPA’s community engagement events dedicated to the PFAS crisis took place June 25 and 26 in Exeter, NH, where community activists had their say on the Saint-Gobain water contamination crisis that has rocked the Merrimack area.
In a statement to more than 200 attendees on June 25, Laurene Allen, leader of Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water, said, “Merrimack residents need more protective laws as along with our neighboring towns of Bedford and Litchfield, we continue to be impacted by PFAS contamination that Saint-Gobain does not need to disclose to the NH Department of Environmental Services as the chemical industry has more protection than its victims.
We, the victims, are paying for their crimes.” Allen was one of 47 New England residents who spoke, including 30 community members who were directly impacted by contamination.
Jim Martin, a spokesman for the DES, which has worked closely with the EPA on monitoring the Merrimack area after Saint-Gobain reported PFAS water contamination in 2016, said, “The event provided an excellent opportunity for the EPA to hear firsthand accounts from community leaders in New England about PFAS in their communities on a personal level and how it has impacted their own families.” The event on June 25 started at 7 p.m. and completed at 11, where community presentations and public comments were heard.
In a statement released after the engagement event concluded, DES Commissioner Robert Scott said, “We are pleased the EPA was able to hear from our local communities about their concerns regarding PFAS contamination and we look forward to working with the EPA to establish PFAS drinking water standards.” EPA administrator Scott Pruitt announced four actions the EPA will take to address the PFAS issue at the national leadership summit in Washington in May, including evaluating the need for establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFOA and PFOS, which were found in Merrimack.
Alexandra Dunn, the EPA’s New England regional administrator, said the EPA’s current levels of 70 parts per trillion for PFOAs and PFOS is a health advisory, not a regulation, which it will become with the establishment of a MCL.
Allen, who wants the EPA to develop a lower standard than the 70 parts per trillion health advisory, said, “EPA’s commitments don’t go far enough.” The Exeter event was the first to follow up the national leadership summit, where Pruitt outlined the EPA’s four point action plan.
The next three events will be held in Pennsylvania, Colorado and North Carolina.
“We received many suggestions at the event in Exeter that will be used to establish our national management plan,” Dunn said.
“Community leaders in New Hampshire gave wonderful support to the EPA as we planned the event and we hope it met their goal of being heard on this issue of grave concern.”

Residents in and around Merrimack are nearing the end of a two-year struggle with contaminated drinking water.
Hundreds of private water wells near the Saint Gobain plastics factory have been contaminated during that time with suspected carcinogens called PFCs.
The company is now paying to connect affected homes to public water supplies, a process that could stretch into next year.
It means more waiting for residents like Karen Slez, who’s been drinking bottled water since the contamination was found.
She attended a meeting Wednesday in Merrimack to talk with state officials and contractors about how her new water line will be installed.
“I would love to sell my house this year, I’m trying to get out of my house, I don’t know how easy or hard that’ll be, but I think hooking up to town water will give it a boost," she said.
Some residents are frustrated they weren’t given a larger role in negotiations.
And they want Saint Gobain to pay their new public water bills, which could total hundreds of dollars a year.
State officials say nothing prevents homeowners from suing Saint Gobain for damages directly.
Another public meeting is scheduled in Bedford on May 22nd.

Home | Environment Union Leader Correspondent MERRIMACK — Despite a petition from more than 700 residents asking Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics to pay for water filtration systems at local schools, the company says it is not prepared to take that action.
Last month, voters adopted the school district’s budget, which includes $128,000 to install central filtration systems at the schools that would treat select faucets and water fountains.
“Testing shows that PFOA levels in the school district’s water are below the state’s 70 ppt standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency for the most sensitive populations based on a lifetime of exposure,” said Pokedoff.
“I have yet to see any action by Saint-Gobain to make up for the years they were a major contributor to the polluted drinking water the citizens and children of Merrimack innocently consumed.
It will be years before we fully understand the full extent of the adverse health ramifications in Merrimack and its surrounding communities,” said Cinda Guagliumi, a Merrimack resident and member of the local school board.
In addition, she said health advisory levels vary between states and experts, and will likely continue to be refined as more data becomes available.
Pokedoff explained that Saint-Gobain recently reached a consent decree to fund the extension of municipal water service in portions of Merrimack, Manchester, Litchfield and Bedford.
Furthermore, she said the company recently agreed to fund a granular activated carbon filtration system on two public wells operated by the Merrimack Village District.
“The Merrimack public water random blood sample conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services last year (shows) at a minimum two to three times the expected serum levels for PFOA.
“These chemicals don’t belong in drinking water and our schools should have been immediately made a chemical-free zone.” Wendy Thomas of Merrimack previously installed a $1,100 water filtration system at her home.

“In my opinion I am not happy with it because we weren’t given a choice,” said Greg Richardson of Litchfield, whose home was connected to Pennichuck water last summer after contamination was discovered.
Although state officials are encouraging homeowners to have their private wells decommissioned, Darlington said no progress has been made, even though she and her husband, David, opted for their well to be decommissioned nearly a year ago.
“We know this has been a two-year journey and it is not over yet,” DES Commissioner Bob Scott said Wednesday during a public meeting highlighting the consent decree that will add municipal water connections to 300 more properties; 450 properties have already been hooked up.
Water lines, curb stops Despite the significance of the consent decree, Freise said it does not include separate negotiations between Saint-Gobain and Merrimack Village District, the public water company that serves 25,000 residents in Merrimack and has two contaminated wells now off-line.
The consent decree provides municipal water line connections to 121 additional properties in Bedford, 41 more properties in Merrimack and 27 new properties in Litchfield.
In addition, curb stops will be installed to 109 undeveloped properties in Manchester, Litchfield, Merrimack and Bedford so that municipal water may be provided if the sites are developed.
The total remedial price-tag being paid by Saint-Gobain was not disclosed on Wednesday, although Freise said Saint-Gobain has already paid about $14 million for work in Litchfield prior to having a consent decree in place.
Testing at Merrimack plant “We have already identified there is a lot of contamination on the site itself,” Freise said of Saint-Gobain’s Merrimack parcel.
A remedial action plan will be necessary at the Merrimack plant, according to Freise.
“With this consent decree now signed, we remain committed to working with community partners to finalize the work left to be done.” The municipal water line connections will take time, and it will be messy, explained Freise, asking residents to be patient and stressing that Saint-Gobain is anxious to get the work done, especially since negotiations are now over.

New Hampshire has reached what officials call a “monumental agreement” on water contamination with the Saint Gobain plastics company.
It comes more than two years after the state first learned of the contamination near Manchester, and will require the manufacturer to run clean water to all affected homes.
Now, Saint Gobain has signed a consent decree with the state, promising to do the same for about 300 other properties.
“This is an agreement that hopefully will be welcomed by a lot of the residents that have been waiting for good news to be announced,” says state Department of Environmental Services spokesman Jim Martin.
“They can finally know that they’re no longer in limbo and that they will be connected sooner rather than later.” He says the state wants many upgrades done this year, or by November 2019 at the latest.
It hasn’t been made public in full, and Pokedoff says it still must be finalized in court.
The agreement also requires further environmental monitoring, testing and potentially clean-up in the area.
All of that could stretch for years, adding up to what Martin calls the largest groundwater investigation in state history.
DES will answer residents’ questions at a public meeting Wednesday night in Litchfield, at 6:30 p.m. at Campbell High School.
For those who can’t attend, the meeting will stream online, and DES will hold office hours in Bedford and Merrimack on Thursday.

State officials say they’re close to finalizing a deal that would bring clean water to Bedford residents whose wells have been contaminated with toxic chemicals called PFCs since 2016.
The contamination likely came from air emissions at the nearby Saint Gobain Plastics Plant.
Since then, many residents have been drinking bottled water as they wait for Saint Gobain to pay to connect them to Manchester’s water system.
That deal has been delayed since last year amid negotiations over what homes should be included.
The state expects Saint Gobain to agree to include all the affected homes by the end of next month.
If not, the next step could be suing.
The meeting also covered results from blood tests, done last fall and already announced in other nearby towns.
They show residents who live closer to Saint Gobain are more likely to have elevated levels of certain PFCs in their blood.
Some studies have linked PFCs to cancer and other issues.
They were commonly used into recent decades in a range of manmade, household products.

State officials say they’re close to finalizing a deal that would bring clean water to Bedford residents whose wells have been contaminated with toxic chemicals called PFCs since 2016.
The contamination likely came from air emissions at the nearby Saint Gobain Plastics Plant.
Since then, many residents have been drinking bottled water as they wait for Saint Gobain to pay to connect them to Manchester’s water system.
That deal has been delayed since last year amid negotiations over what homes should be included.
The state expects Saint Gobain to agree to include all the affected homes by the end of next month.
If not, the next step could be suing.
The meeting also covered results from blood tests, done last fall and already announced in other nearby towns.
They show residents who live closer to Saint Gobain are more likely to have elevated levels of certain PFCs in their blood.
Some studies have linked PFCs to cancer and other issues.
They were commonly used into recent decades in a range of manmade, household products.