Shaheen Hosts Roundtable with EPA Administrator Cash in Greenland to Discuss Federal PFAS Funding Secured for Private Well Owners

(Greenland, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, hosted a roundtable to discuss her work to make federal funding available to remediate per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other emerging contaminates from private drinking water wells. Shaheen heard from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 Administrator David Cash, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the Seacoast Water Commission and the Town of Greenland about their ongoing work to address PFAS contamination and how federal funding Shaheen secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping Granite State families who rely on private wells for their drinking water. Photos from today’s event can be found here.

“Everyone, including the nearly half of all Granite Staters who rely on private wells, deserves access to safe drinking water without having to worry that they’re being exposed to toxic PFAS chemicals,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was glad to host a roundtable today in Greenland to learn more about how federal investments I secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are helping protect the health of families across our state by addressing contamination from private drinking water wells.”

Senator Shaheen leads efforts in Congress to uncover the potential health effects related to PFAS contamination, respond to the chemical exposure and remediate polluted sites. As a lead negotiator of water provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Senator Shaheen worked to secure $10 billion to specifically address PFAS and other emerging contaminants, $5 billion of which is targeted to small and disadvantaged communities. Through provisions Senator Shaheen secured, New Hampshire received $72 million in grants for the first of five years of funding. Congress intended the funding for small and disadvantaged communities to be available for states to address private well contamination However, the Environmental Protection Agency interpreted the statute as only allowing for assistance to private wells if the purpose of the activity was to consider connecting private wells   to public water systems. In the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding legislation, Senator Shaheen successfully secured language to address this issue for this year’s funding. Shaheen has introduced bipartisan legislation, the Technical Fix for the State Response to Contaminants Program, for a permanent funding fix.

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