WHY SOME SAY MORE STILL NEEDS TO
BE DONE.
>> WE HAVE A CONTAMINATION ISSUE
.
IT IS NOT UNIQUE TO NEW
HAMPSHIRE, BUT IT IS UNIQUE TO
YOU.
ADAM: PFOA, A BY-PRODUCT OF
MAKING WEATHERPROOF OR NON-STICK
MATERIALS, BECAME A HOUSEHOLD
TERM ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW
HAMPSHIRE THIS YEAR.
SAINT GOBAIN PERFORMANCE
PLASTICS TESTED THE WATER AT ITS
MERRIMACK PLANT AFTER FINDING
HIGH LEVELS OF PFOA
CONTAMINATION AROUND ITS
FACILITIES IN NEW YORK AND
VERMONT.
>> IT TOOK US SOME TIME TO
UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS
AND THE METHOD TO MAKE THE
MEASUREMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEN WE STARTED TO LOOK AT WHERE
ELSE SHOULD WE GO.
ADAM: GROUNDWATER AND WELL TESTS
IN MERRIMACK AND LITCHFIELD
REVEALED ELEVATED LEVELS OF PF
FOR MORE THAN 1.5 MILES AROUND
THE SAINT GOBAIN FACILITY.
WHEN THE STATE BEGAN HOLDING
PUBLIC MEETINGS HEALTH OFFICIALS
ADMITTED THEY DIDN'T HA
ANSWERS, LAYING OUT MANY
DIFFERENT AND SOMETIMES
CONFLICTING STUDIES, INCLUDING
ONE DRAWING A PROBABLE LINK
BETWEEN PFOA AND SERIOUS
ILLNESS.
>> HIGH CHOLESTEROL, THYROID
DISEASE, ULCERATIVE COLITIS,
TESTICULAR AND KIDNEY CANCERS,
AND PREGNANCY-INDUCED
HYPERTENSION.
AS THE STATE CONTINUED
GROUNDWATER TESTING, ITS
INVESTIGATION EXPANDED TO OTHER
COMMUNITIES AND DIFFERENT
CONTAMINATION SITES AND SOURCES.
>> WHERE IS OUR PROTECTION?
>> HOW IS IT ALLOWED THAT WE
HAVE INDUSTRY POLLUTING OUR BIG
AQUIFER?
ADAM: WHILE SOME VOICE CONCERNS,
MANY OTHERS MET THE NEWS OF PFOA
IN THEIR DRINKING WATER WITH A
COLLECTIVE SHRUG.
>> WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY KIND OF
PROBLEMS, WE HAVE NO HEALTH
PROBLEMS THAT WE COULD ATTRIBUTE
TO THE WATER.
ADAM: IN APRIL, NEWSNINE
TRAVELED TO HOOSICK FALLS, NEW
YORK, TO THE SAINT GOBAIN PLANT
WHERE THIS STORY STARTED AND
WE SPOKE TO THE LOCAL MAN WHO
SPENT MONTHS CALLING FOR WATER
TESTING AFTER HIS FATHER DIED OF
KIDNEY CANCER.
WITH THE EPA TIGHTENING DRINKING
WATER STANDARDS FOR PFOA, HE
THINKS CONSUMING THE CHEMICAL
WILL ONE DAY BE UNDERSTOOD AS
SOMEWHAT LIKE SMOKING
CIGARETTES.
>> SOMEBODY CAN SMOKE FOR 20, 30
YEARS AND NOTHING COULD HAPPEN.
SOMEBODY COULD SMOKE FOR THREE
YEARS AND GET FULL-BLOWN LUNG
CANCER.
YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
BUT SMOKING IS A CHOICE.
OUR WATER ISN'T.
ADAM PFOA WAS IN USE FOR
DECADES.
IT IS EVERYWHERE, AND ACCORDING
TO DOCTORS IT'S ALSO IN JUST
ABOUT EVERYONE, AT LEAST IN
TRACE AMOUNTS.
BUT IN MERRIMACK AND LITCHFIELD
AND IN HOMES SURROUNDING THE
SAINT GOBAIN PLANT, PEOPLE WERE
EXPOSED TO MORE THAN THE NORM.
WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THEIR
LONG-TERM HEALTH IS A MYSTERY.
>> I THINK WHAT CONCERNS ME THE
MOST IS I DRANK GALLONS A DAY
WHEN I WAS PREGNANT, AND I AM
JUST SO WORRIED ABOUT ALL THE
KIDS IN TOWN.
>> THEY ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY
PUBLISH --
ADAM: IN MERRIMACK, A GROUP IS
FORMING TO ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE
IN TOWN AGAINST WHAT THEY SEE AS
GOVERNMENT INDIFFERENCE.
THE STATE HAS STRUGGLED TO FIND
RANDOM PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR
PFOA BLOOD TESTS.
THEY SAY CAST A WIDER NET.
>> THEY SHOULD BE OFFERING THOSE
BLOOD TESTS TO EVERYONE THAT
WANTS TO HAVE ONE.
ADAM: THEY ALSO WANT A RENEWED
SENSE OF URGENCY.
>> THE UNKNOWN HAS BEEN ALMOST
REPRESENTED AS DON'T WORRY ABOUT
IT, WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
ADAM WORK BEGAN THIS FALL TO
EXTEND CLEANER PUBLIC WATER TO
NEIGHBORHOODS WITH CONTAMINATED
WELLS, THE COST COVERED BY SAINT
GOBAIN.
THE MULTINATIONAL,
MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR CORPORATE
GIANT IS ALSO PAYING TO DESIGN
SYSTEMS TO TREAT TOWN WATER IN
MERRIMACK, AND THE STATE
CONTINUES TO TEST FARTHER OUT
FROM THE PLANT INTO PARTS OF
BEDFORD.
IN TOTAL THERE ARE 20 DIFFERENT
SITES AROUND THE STATE UNDER
INVESTIGATIO
AS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, STATE
ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIALS SAY
THEY'VE VIEWED PFOA
CONTAMINATION AS A SERIOUS
PROBLEM SINCE DAY ONE AND THAT
IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
>> WE ARE ABSOLUTELY CONCERNED
THAT THIS IS A LONG-TERM
EXPOSURE, IT'S A LONG-TERM