PORTSMOUTH — New Hampshire’s congressional delegation sent a letter to top federal officials calling for the Seacoast community to be included in a national health study on people exposed to dangerous chemicals in their drinking water at the former Pease Air Force Base.
The city of Portsmouth closed its Haven well at Pease International Tradeport in May 2014 after the Air Force found high levels of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, in the well.
The EPA in May 2016 set permanent health advisories for PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, to protect people from the chemicals, which are suspected to be carcinogens, could cause low birth weights, harm a child’s development and increase cholesterol.
Perfluorinated chemicals is a term scientists use to refer to the group of toxic chemicals that includes PFOA and PFOS and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), according to the EPA. PFCs or perfluorocarbons is a group of chemicals closely related to PFASs that share common features with PFAS, according to the EPA.
The congressional delegation sent the letter on Thursday a week after Patrick Breysse, director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, told members of Pease’s Community Assistance Panel that Pease might not be included in the first-ever national health study. The announcement outraged many CAP members, who have been working with community groups, Air Force officials and state and federal regulators to address the contaminated water which directly impacted themselves, their children and other family members.
Air Force officials believe the Haven well was contaminated by firefighting foam used at the former base.
An amendment drafted by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter established the first-ever PFAS health study, and it was recently signed into law by President Trump as part of the annual defense authorization bill.
The delegation wrote the letter to Breyesse and Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan. Given the work done by the Seacoast community groups “we believe that the Pease International Tradeport would serve as an excellent installation to include in the health study and urge your agencies implement this study without delay,” the delegation wrote.
Shaheen and U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, along with Shea-Porter and U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, also pointed in their letter to the “critical need to understand and address any potential adverse health effects PFAS water contamination may have on our communities.”
“As Congress moves forward with legislation to fund investigation and remediation activities for PFAS-contaminated military sites, we look forward to working with you to ensure that the Pease International Tradeport is included in any further actions to implement the nationwide health study and exposure assessment,” the delegation wrote.
Pease CAP member and Portsmouth resident Andrea Amico said she did not know the delegation was writing the letter until they sent a copy out Thursday afternoon.
“I’m incredibly grateful for their ongoing support to our community and to their commitment to continue to advocate for us to be part of a health study,” said Amico, whose two children and husband were exposed to the chemicals. “I would be incredibly disappointed if Pease was not included in the health study.”
She pointed to the work done by the Pease community, including the Testing for Pease community group, which she co-founded. “I view our community as a leader on this issue and we laid a significant amount of the groundwork in the process,” Amico said.
Since then, PFAS contamination has become a national issue.
“We’re not unique anymore; we’re constantly learning about new communities exposed in the same way as us,” Amico said.