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NH decriminalizes fentanyl and xylazine test strips
With Gov. Chris Sununu’s signature last week, New Hampshire has removed fentanyl and xylazine testing equipment from the definition of “drug paraphernalia” in state law. Several efforts this past legislative session sought to decriminalize what harm reduction advocates call life-saving tools in an increasingly adulterated and contaminated drug market. House Bill 287, which Sununu signed […]
Reducing energy consumption, costs in more than 700 state-owned buildings
The State of New Hampshire owns and operates more than 700 buildings. That number doesn’t include space it leases, like its retail liquor stores, offices, and pump stations and wastewater treatment plants. In fiscal year 2022, the state government spent more than $18.4 million on its own energy costs. Building on an effort that’s been […]
1 inch of water, $25K in damage: Time to consider flood insurance, NH officials say
DJ Bettencourt most frequently hears from consumers that flood insurance is “expensive.” And while that may be unequivocally true for some households, the deputy commissioner at the New Hampshire Department of Insurance is trying to reframe that thinking, and urgently so. The average annual cost of flood insurance in the state is a little over $1,000, […]
NH prioritizing ‘disadvantaged’ public schools in energy efficiency grant funding
The state’s Department of Energy is giving economically disadvantaged public schools a better chance at accomplishing energy efficiency projects, as part of an effort to align itself with a federal directive from President Joe Biden. A competitive matching grant program designed to advance projects in public and chartered public schools in small communities, the School […]
Want real-time air quality data for New Hampshire? You can find it here.
Several air quality warnings have been issued across the state so far this summer as a result of the unprecedented Canadian wildfires. The fires began in June and now number around 1,000. Their smoke – a mixture of air pollutants produced when wood and other organic materials burn – has made its way on several […]
NH is first state to partner with ‘PFAS Annihilator’ to destroy firefighting foams
In 2019, the state of New Hampshire banned firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals, as mounting evidence linked the widely used fire suppressant to higher cancer rates among firefighters and contamination of drinking water. And yet, fire departments around the state are still storing these now-prohibited foams on site. That’s because, up until now, there wasn’t […]
Dundee Community Forest: 1,250 acres conserved in Mount Washington Valley
Believed to be the largest unprotected swath remaining in the Mount Washington Valley, 1,250 acres in the towns of Jackson and Bartlett are now conserved in perpetuity. This week, Trust for Public Land, Upper Saco Valley Land Trust, and the state of New Hampshire announced the creation of the Dundee Community Forest, a newly conserved […]
Executive Council tables PUC contract with outside consultant
The Executive Council unanimously tabled a contract between the Public Utilities Commission and a Washington, D.C.-based economic consulting firm over price concerns. The PUC says the contract is necessary to “adequately analyze its workload of dockets.” PUC Chairman Daniel Goldner told councilors on Wednesday that not moving forward with the contract could put the commission […]
How one NH company saves 10 million pounds of textiles from heading to landfills
Inside a Hooksett warehouse on a humid Tuesday, Joe Whitten explains that it can take up to three generations for a non-biodegradable T-shirt to decompose in a landfill. That means any clothing made of polyester, rayon, spandex, or nylon. Last year, Apparel Impact, Whitten’s for-profit company, diverted 10 million pounds of textiles from landfills in […]
Fire tower project may limit Mount Cardigan access through end of August, state says
July 20 update: On days when the helicopter is flying, all trails will be closed. Hikers seeking to enjoy the trails and summit at Mount Cardigan this summer should be aware of periodically limited access due to an ongoing fire tower replacement project, the state says. From July 17 through Aug. 31, there will be […]
What the Monadnock Region flood mayhem signals about the future of rain in NH
Dave Olmstead listened to the deluge of water carrying rocks and logs at high speed during the early morning hours of July 10. He didn’t get much sleep that night, after part of the Forest Lake Dam on his property in Winchester collapsed. The water had been creeping up all day, and despite efforts to […]
As NH sets out to gauge energy efficiency awareness, some say education isn’t enough
The latest triennial energy efficiency plan filed by New Hampshire’s utility companies could save consumers $675 million, prevent 2 million tons of greenhouse gases from going into the atmosphere, and support 1,718 full-time jobs. But how much does the average Granite State consumer know about any of that, if at all? The state’s Department of […]