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In Case You Missed It, local leaders discussed the urgent need for President Biden’s new American Jobs Plan in New Hampshire. Chris Sununu -- who has failed to protect communities from PFAS and has vehemently opposed commuter rail in New Hampshire -- opposes the President’s infrastructure and jobs plan -- although he called for federal investment in infrastructure during the Trump Administration. A new report from NHPR shows that Chris Sununu’s administration is failing to follow the law or its own guidelines and notify Granite Staters of potential PFAS contamination near the Saint-Gobain plastics factory in Merrimack and, just last month, Sununu called the proposed Boston to Manchester train a “train to nowhere.” Read excerpts from the press conference below and watch the press conference here. State Representative Laura Telerski, Nashua: “Just this week, New Hampshire’s infrastructure received a C- grade on its Infrastructure Report Card under Governor Sununu. The American Jobs Plan will make a historic investment in the state's infrastructure that we need now, and here are a few ways how. The American Jobs Plan will modernize public transit with an $85 billion investment nationally to upgrade our transportation infrastructure. In New Hampshire, this will help ensure that we can implement the commuter rail to Boston that has widespread public support and will have positive economic and environmental benefits for our state. The train will help attract more young residents and make our State a place where they will want to live and raise a family. And, the American Jobs Plan also includes a $111 billion investment to ensure that clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities. This is critical as we continue to struggle to combat PFAS contamination here in New Hampshire.” Senator Cindy Rosenwald, Nashua: “Now that President Biden has proposed in his first 100 days what President Trump failed to deliver for four years -- a comprehensive infrastructure plan -- Chris Sununu no longer supports federal investment in infrastructure. The needs of New Hampshire haven’t changed. We still have more than 300 red-listed bridges. We still have roads in need of repair in communities around the state. We still need to better protect and upgrade our water supplies. We still need commuter rail to bring young workers and new businesses to New Hampshire. The only thing that has changed is the President’s party [...] 25% of Nashua’s workers are commuters, and this plan will make a world of difference for them. But two years ago, Chris Sununu refused to sign SB 241, which contained the last feasibility study for linking NH with Boston by rail and spent no state tax dollars to do so. [...] Respectfully, connecting the largest city in New England to the largest cities in Northern New England is just common sense and it’s mind boggling Governor Sununu holds such an out of touch position on rail -- and I’m sure the thousands of Granite Staters who commute every day would agree." Former State Representative Mindi Messmer, Rye: “Thanks to the Biden Harris administration and our incredible Democratic Congressional delegation, the American Jobs Plan includes a $111 billion investment to ensure clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities. Clean drinking water will now be prioritized in the Granite State -- with federal funding [...] Recently, I was alarmed to uncover the fact that under the Sununu administration, the Department of Environmental Services has failed to follow the law which requires them to notify 1,000s of Granite Staters of potential PFAS contamination near the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics factory in Merrimack [...] To top it off, Governor Sununu vetoed a bill which would provide medical care for people who were exposed to toxins caused by negligence of companies like Saint Gobain. Governor Sununu owes Granite Staters an explanation immediately for why his administration sided with industry not the people – and has failed to follow the law and protect NH citizens from dangerous PFAS chemicals or provide them with the medical care they need to catch exposure related illness earlier when a cure is more likely.”
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