Posted on 05.11.16
Four area companies linked to chemicals cited in Merrimack contamination
Source: http://www.sentinelsource.com, May 10, 2016
By: Matt Nanci
Four area businesses may use or have used the same type of chemicals responsible for contaminating drinking water in the Merrimack area, the N.H. Department of Environmental Services said.
New Hampshire Ball Bearings Inc. in Peterborough, Central Plating of New Hampshire Inc. in Walpole, and Bean Fiber Glass Inc. and Teleflex Medical Incorporated, both in Jaffrey, are among 44 companies on the agency’s list from throughout the state.
The agency posted the list to its website Friday, which can be found at http://1.usa.gov/1Xjc25Z.
Central Plating of New Hampshire went out of business in 2007 and Bean Fiber Glass Inc. folded in 2014, according to records from the N.H. Secretary of State.
Being investigated are perfluorochemicals (PFC), part of a family of man-made chemicals used to make products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water, such as non-stick cookware, weather-resistant gear, and stain-resistant carpeting, according to the N.H. Department of Environmental Services.
Being on the state agency’s list does not mean the companies actually used the chemicals.
The list came about after perfluorochemicals, specifically perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, were found earlier this year in drinking water from wells in Litchfield and Merrimack. The chemical likely came from the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics plant in Merrimack, the Department of Environmental Services said. Saint-Gobain is paying for bottled water for residents near the plant.
The list “is just part of our overall investigation efforts into PFOA contamination,” said James Martin, public information officer for the N.H. Department of Environmental Services. “This list just sort of represents an information collection process to see if there may be other areas of the state where there could be PFC contamination.”
It was compiled by researching permit records and hazardous waste generators, and may not be complete, according to Martin.
At high concentrations, certain perfluorochemicals have been linked to health problems in laboratory animals, including low birth weight, delayed puberty onset, elevated cholesterol levels and reduced immunologic responses to vaccination, the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection’s website says.
The state’s Department of Environmental Services recently sent letters to the businesses on the list, requesting information about their potential use of these chemicals, according to Martin.
New Hampshire Ball Bearings received its letter Monday, according to Hans Baker, a spokesman for the company.
“We’re happy to provide whatever information they’re looking for,” he said.
The company will audit the materials it uses and purchases for the presence of perfluorochemicals. Baker said it’s too early to comment on whether New Hampshire Ball Bearings uses these chemicals, but added he’s pretty confident it doesn’t.
Jaffrey resident William L. Coleman, the former president of Bean Fiber Glass, hasn’t received anything from the state agency yet, but was surprised the company was listed.
“I don’t know why we would be on it,” he said.
The business never used those compounds, according to Coleman.
A call to Teleflex Medical in Jaffrey was not returned and the former owner of Central Plating of New Hampshire could not be reached for comment.
“We just want to make sure that we have a complete understanding of where PFCs may have been used in the state, so, if necessary, we can take the proper steps to investigate if there’s some contamination issues related to that,” Martin said.
