September 2013 Meeting

Twenty-five attendees from the USGS, NH DES, NH DHHS, U.S. EPA, local towns, the medical community, the Dartmouth SRP program and the Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth gathered at Dartmouth to set new priorities for the group and hear presentations on the latest agency and academic research and activities.

February 2011 Meeting

Stakeholders from New Hampshire’s departments of Environmental Services and Health and Human Services, the National Groundwater Association, the US Geological Survey, Plymouth State University and the Holderness Conservation Commission gathered for a day-long meeting to share information about the latest research, regulations and community needs concerning arsenic as an environmental contaminant. The Consortium, which was originally formed in 2001, developed a list of top priorities for moving forward. The meeting in February built on the success of last February’s Red River Theatre event in which stakeholders assembled to screen and celebrate the premier of the short movie In Small Doses: Arsenic that was a collaboration between the Dartmouth Superfund Program and stakeholders.

Conversation at the Consortium meeting focused on arsenic in private well water, an environmental public health issue of significant concern in New Hampshire, and arsenic in rice, an area of research in the Dartmouth program and a public health issue for young children and those who eat rice regularly as part of their daily diet.

The group agreed to continue to meet regularly and explored the idea of virtual “podcast” sessions in addition to face-to-face meetings, and made plans to work together to provide increased outreach and education on these issues. At the close of the meeting Bruce Stanton, the Director of the Dartmouth Superfund Research Program, thanked all participants and noted “the energy and enthusiasm displayed during the meeting was gratifying to all, and we are excited about enhancing our interactions to share the most up-to-date information on arsenic as it relates to environmental public health.”

2011 Meeting Presentations

Research Translation Core, Dartmouth Superfund Research Program

Arsenic and Innate Immunity,  Bruce Stanton, Dartmouth Superfund Research Program

Arsenic Treatment in NH Small Water Systems, Cindy Klevens, NH DES

The Role of the NH Health Officer in the Community, Louise Merchant Hannan, NH DHHS

NHDES Private Well Strategy Private Well Working Group, Paul Susca, NH DES

A Survey of Firms Providing Arsenic Treatment for Well Owners in New Hampshire, Nancy Serrell, Director, Dartmouth Office of Outreach