On The Presidential Campaign Trail, New Hampshire PFAS Activists Give—And Get—Attention
New Hampshire state Rep. Wendy Thomas, left, talks with Democratic presidential candidate Marrianne Williamson about PFAS chemicals in Merrimack. Photo by Annie Ropeik for NHPR
New Hampshire is at the forefront of a growing debate over PFAS chemical contamination in drinking water. And many of the Democrats campaigning to win the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary are taking notice.
They’re using the issue to connect with a highly engaged block of potential Granite State voters – and local PFAS activists are welcoming the attention.
They include a group of women from the town of Merrimack, who won seats in New Hampshire’s state legislature last year.
These legislators called themselves “water warriors” – ready to push for reform, after the Saint Gobain plastics factory in their town contaminated their water with harmful PFAS chemicals.
Less than a year into the water warriors’ first term, they’re back on the campaign trail – this time, inviting all the candidates for president to come talk about PFAS in New Hampshire.