ExxonMobil settles with state, will repay more than $2 million

The ExxonMobil Corporation has agreed to repay more than $2 million to the state of New Hampshire after it was discovered the company had been wrongly compensated for environmental cleanup work conducted at a number of sites, including gas stations located in Portsmouth, Dover and Newington. 

The original payments were made to ExxonMobil from a state fund dedicated to reimbursing the costs of environmental cleanup work when it is not covered by private insurance policies. The state’s Oil Fund Disbursement Board demanded repayment when it learned ExxonMobil had already received payments from private insurers for cleanup work done at stations that leaked contamination.                                                                                                            

Although ExxonMobil initially refused to reimburse the state, the company recently agreed to repay $2,041,968. “State law requires repayment to the fund if private insurance money pays for environmental cleanup costs,” Attorney General Kelly Ayotte stated in a news release dated April 30. “This settlement money will be used to pay for those cleanups, which are essential to protecting public health and our precious environment.”

According to Senior Assistant Attorney General Maureen Smith, 41 Exxon stations required cleanup after many of their underground storage tanks leaked. The stations are located throughout the state, but are concentrated in heavily populated communities like Portsmouth, Dover, Newington, Concord and Manchester. One concern was groundwater contamination caused by leakage of MtBE, a fuel additive banned in New Hampshire as of Jan. 1.

NAACP launches STOP Campaign

The Seacoast chapter of the NAACP has announced its participation in a nationwide initiative to end the prevalence of racist and sexist language, images and concepts in the media. It will join chapters from across the country in the STOP Campaign—an initiative of the NAACP Youth and College Division—which seeks to end the use of demeaning African American images in the media, particularly with respect to the portrayal of women.

“It’s 2007 and it’s time to stop calling women the H-word,” said Fred Ross, president of the Seacoast chapter. Part of the purpose of the STOP campaign is “to eradicate from the American lexicon the N-word. It is inciteful, combative and doesn’t do anyone any good,” Ross said. “We will be working vigorously to educate people on the non-necessity of using these words.”

The campaign’s official goals over the next year include bolstering fundraising; forming an advisory committee with music, film and television industry executives; creating local STOP Coalitions; and increasing the number of African Americans in leadership roles at record companies, television networks and radio stations.

The Seacoast NAACP holds membership meetings on the first Monday of the month at 1 New Hampshire Ave., Pease International Tradeport. Meetings are open to the public.

“The organization is open to anyone of goodwill,” Ross said.

For more information, contact Fred Ross at 603-749-6362, or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , or visit www.seacoastnaacp.com. 

New Hampshire’s air quality makes the grade

The American Lung Association of New Hampshire announced that the state’s air quality has improved over last year. The American Lung Association’s national State of the Air: 2007 Report measures both ozone and particulate pollutions, otherwise known as smog and soot, then grades each state.

Strafford County lacked the proper monitoring equipment to assess air quality, but Rockingham County went from an F to a B in 2006.

Air quality for Rockingham County is measured at a weather station on Peirce Island in Portsmouth. The station pulls air samples, then measures the ozone and soot particulate levels in the air. 

According to Beth D’Ovidio of the American Lung Association of New Hampshire, which will become Breathe New Hampshire as of July 1, the improvement in air quality can be attributed to several factors. More moderate temperatures meant less consumption of heating fuel in the winter and less electricity for air conditioners in the summer. Also, new federal legislation has led to policy changes that resulted in better air quality.

“We have a very proactive state agency that works with the federal agencies to increase air quality,” D’Ovidio said.

Individuals can have an even greater impact on improving air quality, D’Ovidio said. She suggested walking, biking or carpooling to work when possible; filling up gas tanks after dark; using hand-powered or electric lawn care equipment instead of gas-powered; and turning off car engines instead of allowing them to idle.

Seabrook gets new town manager

The Seabrook Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to hire Scott Dunn as the new town manager. Dunn was the top choice out of 20 applicants vying to replace former Town Manager Frederick Welch, who recently resigned, according to Selectmen Chair Richard A. McCann. Dunn, who has been involved in town government since 1987, was chosen “because we felt he was the best candidate,” McCann said.

Most recently, Dunn has been working as a quality assurance officer for a logistics company that ships food to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He previously served as town manager of Ogunquit, Maine, where he currently resides. He has also served as town administrator of Alton, N.H., and Stowe, Vermont, and as head of parks and recreation for Plymouth, N.H. and Southbridge, Mass.

Dunn will work to address a variety of issues during his two-year contract, which began on April 30. “Water, unions and, as always, the budget,” Dunn said. According to McCann, Dunn will work with the N.H. Department of Environmental Services to rid Seabrook’s water of arsenic, manganese and other harmful contaminants. He will also address growth issues, with a special focus on a new strip mall at the intersection of Routes 1 and 107, proposed by Developers Diversified Realty (DDR).

Dunn said he looks forward to settling into his new role. “I saw it as an opportunity to do a lot of good things for the town of Seabrook. I like being near the ocean and the town hall is a grand structure, which makes me proud to be here,” he said.

Stratham teacher wins Christa McAuliffe award

When Christa McAuliffe rocketed toward space in 1986, never to return again, she left behind a legacy of excellence in teaching that New Hampshire will not soon forget. That legacy is being upheld by Stratham Memorial School science teacher Bruce Larson, who was recently awarded the Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical for 2007.

Administered by the N.H. Charitable Foundation, the sabbatical program provides an opportunity for one New Hampshire teacher each year to take a paid leave from his or her regular teaching job, during which he or she explores new ways to enhance classroom teaching. The recipient travels to public schools throughout the state to share their work and assist other teachers. Former Gov. John Sununu Sr. established the program in 1986, with help from the N.H. Legislature.

The sabbatical runs from August 2007 to June 2008. During that time Larson will develop a project he calls Enriching Resources for Elementary Science. The primary goal will be to empower elementary school teachers, who often lack science backgrounds, to excel as mentors for their students. He will do this by exposing the teachers to unique resources and by modeling the use of those resources. Larson believes that teachers can stimulate their students’ interest by providing demonstrations and activities that explore the wonders of science, according to Hilary DeAngelis, assistant director of the student aid department at the Charitable Foundation.

“He is a really dynamic guy that has these projects that make science easy and fun, and he is able to show other people how to improve their methods,” DeAngelis said.