Shaheen and Ayotte Applaud EPA Order Regarding Haven Well

Press Release

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) today applauded an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) order that requires the Air Force to act immediately to begin restoration of the Haven Well in Portsmouth and to prevent the further spread of contamination.

"We welcome today's order requiring the Air Force to immediately begin restoration of the Haven Well and to mitigate the potential for further contamination. We hope the Air Force will take this opportunity to dedicate the necessary resources and finish not only the investigation surrounding the well's contamination, but also the priorities outlined by the EPA in this order," they said in a joint statement.

Additionally, in a letter sent today to Air Force Secretary Deborah James, Ayotte and Shaheen renewed their request for the Air Force to take affirmative steps to identify and notify service members and civilians who may have been exposed to chemicals while stationed at Pease.

"We believe that the Air Force has a responsibility to take care of those who serve our country and that surely includes informing them when they may have been exposed to dangerous chemicals. We urge the Air Force to identify and notify these individuals by year's end," they said.

Last month, Ayotte and Shaheen worked together to include language in the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act Report that presses the Air Force to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to perflourochemicals (PFCs) that were found last year in the Haven Well. The provision requires the Air Force to report to Congress on its progress by September 30. If the notification is not complete by then, the language directs the Air Force to provide a plan to complete notification by the end of the year.

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