ADAM: WELCOME BACK.
LAST WEEK, THE SENATE SIGNED OFF
ON A BILL THAT TAKES AIM AT
RESOLVING SOME OF THE ISSUES
AROUND DRINKING WATER
CONTAMINATED BY
PERFLUOROCHEMICALS.
CURRENTLY, N HAMPSHIRE DHS --
DE FOLLOWS THE DEA' ADVISORY.
JOINING US IS REPRESENTATIVE
MINDI MESSMER OF RYE.
IT APPEA THIS THEY'LL WILL
BECOME LAW.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THIS
MANDATED PROCESS TO COME UP WITH
A NEW PROCESS THIS SUMMER --
PROGRESS THIS SUMMER?
REP. MESSMER: THE BILL ALLOWS
FOR A RULEMAKING PROGRESS --
PROCESS WHICH ALLOWS THE PUBLIC
INPUT INTO THE PROCESS.
WE CAN BRING IN PEOPLE CONCERNED
ABOUT THE ISSUE TO TELL THE
STATE WHAT THEY THINK IS
IMPORTANT.
THE RULEMAKING PROCESS SPECIFIES
THEY WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT EARLY
CHILDHOOD AFFECTS FOR EXPOSURE
TO CHEMICALS AND LOOK AT OTHER
STATES TO SEE HOW THEY CAME TO
THEIR STANDARDS, WHICH AS YOU
MENTIONED, ARE LOWER THEN NEW
HAMPSHIRE'S CURRENT ADVISORY.
ADAM WE SPOKE TO HOMEOWNERS IN
LOCATIONS WHERE THEY HAVE MAYBE
40 PARTS PER TRILLION, 50 PARTS
PER TRILLION, AND FOR NOW THEY
ARE OK.
THEY ARE CONCERNED AND HOPEFUL
THAT THIS STANDARD WILL BE
TIGHTENED UP OR GO LOWER.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THAT
ACTUALLY HAPPENING?
REP. MESSMER: JUST INTO LAST
MAY, IT WAS OK TO DRINK 600
PARTS PER MILLION -- 600 PARTS
PER TRILLION TOTAL.
THE EPA DECIDED 70 WAS A BETTER
NUMBER.
SO I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF
DISCOMFORT IN TERMS OF WHETHER
OR NOT 70 IS A SAFE NUMBER.
IF WE LOOK TO OTHER STATES,
PENNSYLVANIA JUST SAID THAT THEY
WANT BETWEEN ONE TO SIX PARTS
TRILLION IN TOTAL.
I THINK THAT IS WHERE THE PUBLIC
IS WORRIED.
WORRIED ABOUT PROTECTING
CHILDREN FOR FUTUR GENERATIONS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE THE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE 40 TO 50.
I THINK THERE IS A BIT OF
DISCOMFORT WITH SEEING WHAT
HAPPENED LAST YEAR FROM 600 TO
70, AND NOW WITH 40, WONDERING
IF THAT WILL BE THE SAFE NUMBER.
ADAM: BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATIONS HAVE IN CRITICAL,
SAYING IT IS DRIVEN BY EMOTION
AND NOT SCIENCE AND THAT THIS IS
AN OVERREACTION.
REP. MESSMER: I WISH THEY WOULD
HAVE COME IN TODAY.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO TALK
TO THEM DIRECTLY ABOUT IT.
WE SUBMITT COMMENTS IN
RESPON TO THEIR CRITICISMS,
ACTUALLY.
WHEN YOU COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF
HEALTH ISSUES ON YOUR CHILDREN
VERSUS MONEY, THAT DOES NOT PLAY
WELL WITH MOST PARENTS.
YOU ARE A PARENT, AND I AM AS
WELL.
WE WANT TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO
PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.
IF THERE IS A LITTLE DISCOMFORT,
WE WANT TO BE AS PROTECTIVE AS
WE CAN AND WE WANT TO ERR ON THE
SIDE OF MORE PROTECTIVE THAN
NOT.
ADAM: WE DID INVITE T B.I.A.
TO COME, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE
ANYONE TO JOIN US.
ONE AREA WHERE THERE IS A CANCER
CLUSTE --
WE SEE THE CANCER CLUSTER THERE
BUT NOTHING QUITE SO DRAMATIC IN
MERRIMACK OR LITCHFIELD YET AND
WHY THE DIFFERENCE?
THAT IT HAS NOT HAD ENOUGH TIME
TO SINK IN?
REP. MESSMER: ACTUALLY, THE
CANCER CLUSTER IS DEFINED AS A
FIVE TOWN AREA ON THE SEACOAST.
IT IS NOT JUST COAKLEY.
THERE ARE ISSUES WITH PEASE,
WI COAKLEY.
MY APPROACH HAS BEEN IT MAY NOT
BE THE SMOKING GUN.
WE MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO CONNECT
THE TWO DOTS.
BUT WE KNOW THEIR ARE ISSUES AND
HEALTH EFFECTS FROM INGESTING
PFCS.
I THINK WE ARE JUST STARTING TO
SEE THE EFFECTS IN MERRIMACK.
WE DO NOT HAVE A HEALTH STUDY
DONE YET AREA THEY ARE JUST --
WE DO NOT HAVE A HEALTH STUDY
DONE YET.
WE KNOW THERE ARE HIGH RATES OF
OTHER SORTS OF CANCERS.
I THINK IT TOOK THE SEACOAST TWO
YEARS TO CALM OUT WITH A
DECISION T DETERMINE -- COME
OUT AND DETERMINE THAT THERE WAS
A CANCER CLUSTER.
THE ANSWERS ARE JUST NOT BACK
YET.
ADAM: THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THESE
PERFLUOROCHEMICALS.
WE INTERVIEW PEOPLE IN MERRIMACK
AND LITCHFIELD AND THEY KIND OF
BRUSHED IT OFF, SAYING THEY HAVE
BEEN JERKING THAT WATER THEIR
WHOLE LIFE AND THEY ARE HEALTHY.
REP. MESSMER: -- THEY HAD BEEN
DRINKING THAT WATER THEIR WHOLE
LIFE AND THEY ARE HEALTHY.
REP. MESSMER: IT IS ALWAYS HARD
TO CONNECT CANCER AND CHRONIC
HEALTH EFFECTS TO EXPOSURES.
I ALWAYS THINK IT IS BETTER TO
ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.
DO WE WANT TO JUST SEE WHAT
HAPPENS TO OUR CHILDREN AFTER WE
EXPOSE THEM TO WATER LIKE THIS,
OR DO WE WANT TO BE MORE
PROACTIVE AND SAY LET'S ERR ON
THE SIDE OF CAUTION AND PREVENT
CHILDREN FROM INGESTING THIS
WATER.
ADAM: SO YOU SAY THE TRUE HEALTH
CRISIS HAS YET TO UNFOLD.
REP. MESSMER: ABSOLUTELY.
THERE ARE UP TO 400 D.O.D. BASES
BEING LOOKED AT.
125 CURRENTLY HAVE PFC
CONTAMINATION.
SOME OF THE TOP SCIENTISTS
BELIEVE THIS WILL BE THE
DEFINING ISSUE OF OUR TIME, THAT
GETTING ON TOP OF THIS IS
IMPORTANT.
IT IS NOT YOU BE GOOD US --
UBIQUITOUS, THOUGH.
IT IS NOT ENTIRELY ACROSS THE
STATE.
BUT THERE ARE AREAS THAT ARE
CONCERNING.
AREAS IN ROCHESTER AND AMHERST,
WHICH IS NOW GETTING WATER
PROVIDED THROUGH GREENLAND.
THERE IS PEASE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT
WE ARE JUST STARTING TO REALIZE.
ADAM: DO YOU THINK IS THE
STANDARD CHANGES WE HAD TO SEE
MORE PUBLIC WATER HOOKUPS TO
AREAS THAT HAVE WELLS?
SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO PICK UP THE
TAB.
REP. MESSMER: I DO THINK THAT,
BUT NOT JUST FOR PFCS.
IN STRATHAM, THERE IS AN ISSUE
REGARDING TO ARSENIC LEVELS IN
THE WATER, AND THEY ARE ASKING
FOR HELP FROM OTHER TOWNS.
THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR OUR STATE
IN GENERAL.
IF YOU LOOK AT AREAS WHERE WE
WILL START DEVELOPING AND NEED
THE WATER, PEOPLE WILL START
REALIZING WE NEED TO PROTECT
THAT WATER AND MAKE SURE WE PLAN
AHEAD TO COOPERATE BETWEEN THE
TOWNS WHERE THEY ARE SEEING NEED
FOR WATER, SO THAT EVERYONE HAS
SAFE WATER TO DRINK.
ADAM: DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER IN
MIND FOR PARTS PER TRILLION?
REP. MESSMER NEW JERSEY -- THEY
ALWAYS DO THE TOP OF THE SHELF,
THE GOLD STANDARD WORK PAY THEY
HAVE BEEN CALLED THE GOLD
STANDARD BY INDUSTRY
PUBLICATIONS, EVEN.
I LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE
AND INK THAT IS A GOOD MODEL.
THEY DID 14 FOR PFOA.
PENNSYLVANIA IS LOOKING FOR
LOWER NUMBERS.
VERMONT WAS A CONSERVATIVE IN
BETWEEN.
ADAM: REPRESENTATIVE MINDI
MESSMER, THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US.
WE WILL BE BACK WITH NEWS AND
NOTES, INCLUDING GOVERNOR CHRIS
SUNUNU EXPRESS AND CONTRITION
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