by Claire Sullivan, New Hampshire Bulletin
October 15, 2024

This story has been updated.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics will demolish its Merrimack plant tied to widespread PFAS contamination in the area, representatives of the company told the Bulletin Tuesday.

The French manufacturer ceased operations at the facility in May, months after it announced it would close as part of a company restructuring. Now, the company says it will spend the better part of 2025 tearing the plant down.

“Over the course of the past 12 months, the company has been working to diligently and responsibly wind down operations at the facility in Merrimack in line with our extensive decommissioning plan,” Saint-Gobain North America spokesperson Suzanne Loranc said in a statement. “We are now beginning preparations for the demolition of above-grade structures and expect the demolition process to be completed towards the end of 2025.”

The company will continue its remediation efforts in the region, Loranc said. As part of an agreement with the state, Saint-Gobain has offered bottled water and more permanent drinking water solutions, such as water line connections and treatment systems, to more than 1,000 properties that tested above state standards for PFAS spanning several communities near the plant.

Saint-Gobain bought the facility from Chemfab in 2002, which also used PFOA and other PFAS, according to the Department of Environmental Services. Loranc said the company has coordinated with state and local authorities to close down the site.

Merrimack residents have paid millions to get PFAS out of their public drinking water. Residents also say the chemicals – which have been linked to numerous health problems, including some cancers – have made them sick. PFAS contamination – and holding polluters accountable – has been a topic of legislative efforts in recent years.

Rep. Nancy Murphy, a Merrimack Democrat who has worked on PFAS issues in the State House, said it’s “good news” that the plant will be demolished, but she has concerns about where the demolition waste will go.

“I often say that we’re switching seats on the Titanic,” Murphy said. “You know, we move things around, and it’s this endless cycle of contamination. And, you know, we’ve often said as well that the only solution is to stop the source.”

Michael Wimsatt, director of DES’ waste management division, said he had known the company was considering demolition but that DES first heard of the decision Tuesday morning. 

Before demolition, there are requirements around asbestos abatement and other hazardous building material evaluations, he said. “We’ll be monitoring that and making sure they’re doing all the things they need to do to properly demolish and dispose of the debris,” Wimsatt said. Loranc said demolition materials “will be shipped offsite for disposal or recycling in accordance with applicable regulations” and that the company has engaged contractors for the decommissioning and demolition work. 

The flat roof with a system of pipes and plumbing for stormwater underneath is “something we’ll need to be concerned about,” Wimsatt said. “… The data we have suggests that when there are storm events, we do see an increase in concentrations of PFAS in the stormwater runoff, so it may well be that the roof materials will need to be specially handled to make sure that they’re properly disposed of and don’t pose a risk.” Most of that stormwater eventually discharges into the Merrimack River, he said. 

As for where the debris will go, Wimsatt said: “I would anticipate that a lot of the demolition debris will be classified as solid waste and would need to go to a solid waste facility that’s permitted to accept both solid waste and construction demolition debris.” Wimsatt also said the company has worked to remove and process equipment, tanks, piping, and more that may be contaminated with PFAS. 

Saint-Gobain is working on a remedial action plan for the site, which DES recently told the company it was not satisfied with and gave them additional time to come back with a revised plan, Wimsatt said.

“They are required to address soil and groundwater contamination on the site as part of our rules,” he said, “and they’ll be required to have an approved – and implement an approved – remedial action plan for the site.”

Rep. Rosemarie Rung, a Merrimack Democrat, said she wants to see DES take an “active leadership role” in monitoring the demolition to ensure “PFAS is contained at the source and anything containing PFAS is decontaminated and the PFAS appropriately treated.” She worries the debris could be another vector for PFAS contamination in landfills.

“I think it’s a relief for Merrimack that they are no longer operating in our town,” Rung said. “I’m glad about that, but I don’t want them leaving to cause further harm, either to our community or to other communities who may be exposed to their demolition debris.”

Laurene Allen, co-founder of Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water, said she would like to see the site added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List.

“It’s in their best interest to knock down that facility, and it is not a remediation action plan,” Allen said of the company. “The site remains a heavily contaminated site in need of clean up by federal standards.” 

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