Last week, I testified in support of L.D. 1162, An Act to Ensure Safe Drinking Water for All Maine Families, because I believe that all Mainers have the right to safe drinking water.

I have lived in Manchester for more than 20 years, I’ve raised children here, and we love our town, but our wonderful community has a dark side. It’s a hot spot for arsenic. In fact, a recent study found that 62 percent of the wells in Manchester have unsafe levels of arsenic in them — more than 500 percent above the Maine average.

In Maine, arsenic has been linked to lower IQ scores among our children and a higher incidence of cancer overall. So, what’s it like living in an arsenic hot spot?

Twelve years ago, my son’s second-grade teacher noticed he was having trouble focusing and was displaying other red-flag behavioral problems. We took him to the doctor for a chemical screening and to our horror learned that he had high levels of several chemicals, including arsenic, in his body. Thankfully, with the help of our doctor, he recovered and has grown into a healthy young man, now finishing his second year at the Naval Academy.

I’m proud of my son, but I also feel lucky that we found out what was wrong with him in time and that we were able to get him treated so he could become the fine young man he was meant to be.

Many families in our town have unsafe levels of arsenic in their wells, and thousands of Maine families are likewise at risk. Without L.D. 1162, not all kids will be as lucky as my son, and that’s heart breaking.

I support L.D. 1162 because I want to make sure Maine children have access to clean, safe drinking water.

Veronica Currier-Boucher

Manchester

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