MERRIMACK – Laurene Allen is one of several New Hampshire residents in Washington, D.C. this week to express concerns about chemicals associated with cancer and other health problems polluting the Granite State’s water.

“We don’t just bear the pain of our losses and health struggles, but also the cost of bottled water, water filtration systems, medical bills and chronic stress, depression and anxiety,” Allen, the founder of Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water, said. “Merrimack is just one of countless communities identified in 40 states as victims of this chemical crisis.”

The crisis to which Allen refers involves human-made chemicals known as known as PFAS, or, “per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances.” The Saint Gobain Performance Plastics facility at Merrimack has been identified as one source of PFAS pollution.

Exposure to PFAS has been linked to:

Kidney cancer,

Testicular cancer,

Liver damage,

Increased cholesterol levels,

Increased risk of thyroid disease,

Increased risk of fertility problems, and

Decreased immunological response.

Wednesday, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs conducted a hearing on PFAS. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., is a member of this committee.

“I want to thank all of the New Hampshire citizens who came to Washington today to advocate for the health and safety of their communities when it comes to PFAS chemicals in their drinking water. Their work and activism is critical to ensuring that Congress takes action,” Hassan tweeted shortly after the Wednesday session.

Hassan pushed for the committee to invite Andrea Amico, a Portsmouth resident and co-founder of Testing for Pease, a community action group, to testify.

“We want to show that we are real people; we are real families who have been impacted by this widespread contamination,” Amico said. “We want our government officials to understand what our needs are and what we need from them to help us solve this nationwide problem.”

The Senate hearing comes on the heels of a summer that saw several U.S. Environmental Protection Agency community engagement events.

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