DOVER, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire city has not decided who will pay for an estimated $15 million to $20 million water treatment plant to clean up an aquifer, according to the mayor-elect.
Positive tests for dangerous chemicals led to the closure of two wells in Dover’s Pudding Hill Aquifer, Foster’s Daily Democrat reported on Wednesday. The chemicals migrated from the nearby Madbury Metals site, a former recycling yard, the paper reported. They include perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as PFAS; 1,4-dioxane; and MtBE.
City Manager J. Michael Joyal said none of the contaminants made it to the public water drinking supply.
Schnitzer Industries, the parent company of Madbury Metals, has paid for the design and engineering cost of the facility.
When asked if Schnitzer should pay for the entire cost of the plan, Mayor-elect Robert Carrier said he didn’t think so.
“I think they’ll be a partner, hopefully, we can get some grants, hopefully, we can get some federal money, bits and pieces like that,” he said.
The Dover City Council voted unanimously this month to pay engineers an additional $603,000 to design a system for removing the contaminants. Schnitzer agreed to pay those costs.
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