ARSENIC CONSORTIUM February 16, 2011

1. ARSENIC CONSORTIUM • February 16, 2011 • The following abridged list of priorities came from a day-long meeting of stakeholders and Dartmouth SRP investigators who specialize in research, regulation, community outreach and capacity building surrounding the issues of arsenic in well water and arsenic in food, particularly rice. The group agreed that in order to successfully achieve any of the actions listed below, a Mission Statement for the Consortium must be crafted, and a targeted, consistent Risk Communication Message must be developed. • Top Priorities: • Build a website (part of the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund site) to provide centralized information on arsenic in well water that would include information on: • Maps showing locations of high arsenic areas, wells with high arsenic, etc. • How to interpret your water testing results for arsenic • Remediation information (types of systems, contacts for finding remediation companies) • Explanation of the differences between a Point of Use System (POU) and a Whole House System (POE). • Selecting the appropriate Remediation System • Short video “vignette testimonials” of well owners who have remediation systems or who have had their well tested, explaining the process they went through • Health risk information • Hold a Regional Arsenic Meeting for arsenic researchers, health organizations, state and federal government representatives, health officers, private well owners, to discuss the issues relating to arsenic in water and food. • Partner with targeted organizations to promote well water testing and risk message • - American Academy of Pediatrics (and state equivalent) • - Pediatric Health Specialty Units • - NH Public Health Association • - NH Association of Realtors • - Mortgage Bankers Association • Provide incentives to encourage private well testing

2. Provide information for NH Health Officers Annual Report Including: • health related information on arsenic • state lab statistics on towns • HEAL • Send out copies of the movie In Small Doses: Arsenic to: • NH Health Officers • NHPTV • Realtors • Drinking Water Boards • Include a cover letter with the video which includes the mission statement, risk message, and suggestions for best ways to show video (at town meetings, on local cable stations, etc.) • Questions to Consider: • Environmental Justice issue—how provide for folks who can’t afford to get their wells tested or treated? • How utilize existing knowledge more effectively? • Participant list: • Joe Ayotte, USGS, Keith Robinson, USGS, Louise Hannan, NH DHHS, David Wunsch, National Groundwater Association, Cindy Klevens, NH DES, Paul Susca, NH DES, David Gordon, NH DES, Larry Spencer, Plymouth State University and Holderness Conservation Commission, Courtney Horvath, Mary Lou Guerinot, Tracy Punshon, Bruce Stanton, Kathryn Cottingham, Tom Hampton, Margaret Karagas, Vicki Sayarath, Celia Chen, Nancy Serrell, Xun Shi and Laurie Rardin from the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program Visit the NH Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program website (http://www.nh.gov/epht/ ) for State and National environmental health data. The site is designed to improve public health by providing science-based information on the trends and distributions of environmentally-related diseases. Visit our website at: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~toxmetal This project is supported by NIH Grant number P42ES007373 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Environment Health Sciences, or the National Institutes of Health.