Press release from the Litchfield, NH Board of Selectmen May 23, 2016: The Litchfield, NH Board of Selectmen have announced that the town has retained the counsel of the legal firm PretiFlaherty with offices located in Augusta and Portland, ME, Concord, NH, Boston, MA and Washington, DC. PretiFlaherty will provide the town with legal advice and counsel on the recent discovery of Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the groundwater that has contaminated the drinking water wells of Litchfield’s residents.

PretiFlaherty provides a broad range of legal services with specialties in environmental and municipal law. Legal services for the town will be provided from the Concord, NH offices with the support of the environmental group located in Portland, ME. PretiFlaherty is a recognized leader in the area of environmental law with over 35 years of experience representing municipalities on environmental issues such as the town of Lake Elmo, Minnesota for perfluro groundwater contamination from a local manufacturing plant; the city of Saco, ME for its municipal landfill; the town of New Castle, NH regarding the disposal of town materials at a federal superfund site and homeowners with contaminated drinking water wells who abutted an improperly closed landfill site in Rhode Island.

The Board of Selectmen by retaining PretiFlaherty, are seeking to protect the interests of the town of Litchfield and its citizens as this incident develops. It is important that the town, as the main site of the discovered contamination, has a voice in any settlement proposed by the State of New Hampshire and any individuals or corporations responsible for the pollution.

For further information on this announcement please contact Litchfield Town Administrator Troy Brown at (603) 424-4046 X 1250.