NH Superfund Sites Living Long, Dirty Lives

August 9, 2010 - When many of us think of New Hampshire, we think of fresh-water lakes, clean mountain rivers and refreshing ocean waters.

But the state is also home to 20 Superfund sites that have caused water contamination problems from Berlin to Newington.

The Mottolo Superfund site in Raymond may be the only one currently causing residential well contamination, but all of the sites are still constantly monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency and/or the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, some more than 25 years after being added to the list of the nation's worst hazardous waste sites.

A site is named to the National Priority List if it reaches a certain score indicating high levels and large amounts of contamination hazardous to public health and the environment. There are 115 sites in New England and about 1,300 nationwide, according to Larry Brill, EPA chief of Superfund sites for the New England region.

It can take as long as 20 years to determine the best remedy for a site, and many are never deemed truly "clean."

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