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Select Board authorizes staff to pursue PFAS grant amendment to add additional sites; DES, Verdantus to be involved
Summary
After a DES-funded point-of-entry treatment grant left unspent contingency funds, the Select Board authorized staff to work with Verdantus and New Hampshire DES to amend the grant to cover an additional contaminated site and reimburse some previously installed systems.
The Kingston Select Board on April 7 authorized staff to work with Verdantus (consultant) and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) to seek an amendment to the town’s existing point-of-entry treatment (POET) grant for PFAS-contaminated wells.
Town staff and consultants told the board that the grant — funded with ARPA dollars administered by DES — has unused contingency funds and could, with an amendment, cover a permanent treatment system at a newly identified site across the street from the previously funded cluster of homes. The proposal would also reimburse two existing systems (one at the town’s fire station and one at a private residence) that meet grant eligibility and for which the town can provide invoices.
Glenn Koppelman, chair, explained timing constraints tied to the grant: DES used ARPA funds that must be obligated by December and largely wrapped up by late 2026. “They had a couple of pots of money, and they chose to use the ARPA for us … the ARPA funds had to be obligated by the December, and they need to be used by the December, 2026,” he said.
Board members and staff discussed the tradeoffs of amending now versus leaving funds available for other towns; DES advised that the town could propose a single amendment that covers the additional site and reimbursements while still leaving a reasonable reserve. The board voted unanimously to authorize staff to work with Verdantus and DES to draft and submit an amendment that would: add the newly identified property for a reimbursable POET installation, include eligible previously installed systems if invoices are produced, and preserve funding buffer for contingencies.
Board members stressed the town should not install systems preemptively if the grant would not reimburse retroactive construction. DES staff told the town that installation work is generally not eligible for retroactive reimbursement; amendments and reimbursement would follow DES procedures.
The board also asked staff to confirm maintenance and liability provisions for systems placed under the grant and to ensure documentation is on file for any reimbursements. The motion to authorize staff passed unanimously.
