News
2019-10-02 - Regional Drinking Water Source Assessment & Workshops: Registration Now OPEN
Rockingham Planning Commission is seeking to help municipalities take proactive steps to protect local drinking water sources. Our workshop series will focus on vulnerabilities and protection for drinking water sources in the region and review local protection options.
October 23, 2019 - 6:30 PM
11 Main Street | Hampstead, NH
October 28, 2019 - 6:30 PM
10 Bunker Hill Avenue | Stratham, NH
October 29, 2019 - 6:30 PM
Regional Economic Development Center
57 Main Street | Raymond, NH
Workshops are FREE, however, registration is requested.Register at: publicinput.com/RPCWaterWorkshop
Who should attend?
Select Boards, Planning Boards, Conservation Commissions, Water Commissioners, Public Water System Operators, Health Officers, Watershed Associations, and anyone who is interested in protecting drinking water!
For questions, please contact:
Jennifer Rowden,RPC Senior Planner
jrowden@therpc.org | 603-658-0521
Drinking Water Resources Maps and Assessment Reports to be posted shortly at: www.therpc.org/drinkingwater
This project is funded by NH Department of Environmental Services Local Source Water Protection Grant.
2019-10-01 - NH Flood Hazards Handbook - Just Released!
Learn how to improve community resilience to future floods
The New Hampshire Silver Jackets Team announces the release of the NH Flood Hazards Handbook, a new guide designed to help community officials prepare for, respond to, and recover from floods. The handbook includes guidance, best practices, and information about available federal and state resources organized into situation-specific sections: Before the Flood, During the Flood, and After the Flood. Also included is a customizable Flood Response and Recovery Checklist that can be used by municipal officials to identify and manage priority activities when a flood event does happen.
Municipal officials are encouraged to download a copy of the handbook from the NH Silver Jackets Team website at https://silverjackets.nfrmp.us/State-Teams/New-Hampshire.cfm and learn how it can help them improve their community’s resilience to future floods.
The NH Silver Jackets is a state-led team formed in 2015 which brings together state and federal agencies to focus on flood risk management issues that affect NH communities. The team includes representatives from over 15 agencies and programs.
New Hampshire Floodplain Management Program website:www.nh.gov/osi/planning/programs/fmp
2019-09-05 - Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day for residents of the Towns of: Exeter, Stratham, Newfields, East Kingston, Epping, Seabrook, and South Hampton
Saturday, Oct 19 8am-1pm
Exeter Public Works Garage
$10 suggested donation per vehicle to help offset disposal costs
For complete info, click this link for flyer: https://www.therpc.org/download_file/2214/289
2019-07-01 - Long-Term Drinking Water Supply Plan for Southeastern NH
The RPC in coordination with The Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) has begun work on the base mapping, resource development, and demonstration projects needed to develop a Long-Term Drinking Water Supply Plan for Southeastern New Hampshire. This proposal is intended to be Phase 1 of a two-phase planning process that will provide:
- A set of regional maps showing the locations of drinking water supplies and provide contextual details to better communicate potential threats to drinking water sources and opportunities for their protection.
- Pilot projects to demonstrate one of the water resource protection tools to be used as a case study for the Long-Term Drinking Water Supply Plan for Southeastern New Hampshire. Stay tuned for more updates!
2019-01-25 - Rising Cost of Recycling Presentation
At the January 9, 2019, Rockingham Planning Commission meeting, our special guest Mike Dufor, Executive Director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, provided an informative presentation on the Rising Costs of Recycling. Chances are your community is feeling the pressure of the changing recycling markets and is being forced to make tough decisions about your recycling programs. This presentation provides a clear explanation of why the recycling markets have changed and what we might do at the local and regional level to adapt to those changes. RPC hopes this presentation is just the start of a larger regional conversation and the region can work together to find innovative solutions to this problem.
If you missed this meeting and presentation you can see it on the RPC website here. Feel free to share this link with your local social media networks and neighbors. If your community has local cable access share this link to download the video for use by local cable channels.
Special thanks to the Town of Raymond and Raymond Commissioner Christina McCarthy for providing the video capability.
2018-09-15 - Celebrate Great Bay and Hampton Estuaries during National Estuaries Week, September 15-22!
RPC is celebrating by sharing a refreshing tale and photos of the beauty and bounty that NH’s estuaries hold by David O’Hearn, Exeter-Squamscott River Local Advisory Committee member and long-time user of the river and Great Bay.
09-15-18
David O’Hearn,
Exeter – Squamscott River Local Advisory Committee
The last season's baiting of the lobster traps was done today. Next week the traps go to dry dock. The catch was poor with only five keepers coming home but that usually happens when we get the hard running tides of last week. My last two traps were so full of bottom debris I struggled getting them over the gunnel.
The tide was right for clamming and picking oysters though. Got a peck of clams and a limit of oysters. The oysters were just lying on the ground after the tide went out. It was unreal. Lots of big oysters and I targeted those. The amount of spat (young oysters) sticking to every rock and every shell in the bed was very encouraging.
I miscalculated how far I brought my boat ashore. Had a little time on my hands until the tide returned.
It was a good day to be a Bayman. I hit the trifecta.
2018-09-07 - ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY SET FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
The annual household hazardous waste collection for residents of Exeter, Stratham, Newfields, East Kingston, Epping, Seabrook and South Hampton will be held on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Exeter Public Works Garage on Ne
The annual household hazardous waste collection for residents of Exeter, Stratham, Newfields, East Kingston, Epping, Seabrook and South Hampton will be held on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Exeter Public Works Garage on Newfields Road (NH 85).
This is a great opportunity for residents of these communities to conveniently and safely dispose of their unwanted hazardous household materials which, if discarded improperly, could threaten drinking water supplies. Each household can dispose the equivalent of 10 gallons of waste. There is no charge, although a donation of $5 per household is requested to help offset collection costs.
An event flyer and more information is available on the RPC's Household Hazardous Waste page.
What’s Accepted
The following waste will be accepted: antifreeze, asbestos, brake fluid, carburetor cleaner, cell phones, creosote, drain cleaners, engine degreaser, fluorescent light bulbs, fungicides, furniture polish, gasoline, herbicides, insect sprays, kerosene, mercury, metal polish, muriatic acid, oil-based paint, paint thinner, pesticides, photo chemicals, pool chemicals, rechargeable batteries, rodent poisons, rust remover, solvents, wax polish, and wood preservatives.
Car batteries and waste engine oil will be accepted for recycling. Lead sinkers, now banned for use in New Hampshire waters, will also be accepted.
What’s Not Accepted
Materials that will not be accepted include ammunition, esters, ethers, explosive materials, gas cylinders, infectious and biological wastes, prescription medicines/syringes and radioactive materials, as well as materials whose content cannot be determined. Electronic equipment will not be accepted, but information on where electronics can be dropped off will be available.
Materials commonly—although incorrectly—thought to be hazardous also will not be accepted. For example, alkaline batteries made after 1996 can be safely thrown away in the regular household trash, so they won’t be accepted here. And latex paint will not be accepted because it is not considered hazardous or toxic once it solidifies. To safely dispose of latex paint in the regular trash, first open the can lid and allow the paint to dry thoroughly (or mix it with cat litter until it thickens).
No waste of any kind from commercial businesses or from residents of other communities will be accepted.
This hazardous waste collection is jointly funded by the towns of Exeter, Stratham, Newfields, East Kingston, Epping, Seabrook and South Hampton and organized by the Rockingham Planning Commission. More information is available from the following individuals:
- Rockingham Planning: Tim Roache, Executive Director, 778-0885
- Town of Exeter:Russell Dean, Town Manager, 778-0591
- Town of Stratham:Paul Deschaine, Town Administrator, 772-4741
- Town of Newfields:Christopher Hutchins, Board of Selectmen, 772-5070
- Town of East Kingston:Cheryl Hurteau, Town Office Manager, 642-8406
- Town of Epping:Gregory Dodge, Town Administrator, 679-5441
- Town of Seabrook:John Starkey, Public Works Manager, 474-9771
- Town of South Hampton:Angela Racine, Town Administrator, 394-7696
2018-06-20 - High Water Mark Initiative Launch Events – Rye, Hampton and Seabrook New Hampshire
High Water Mark signs have been installed to benchmark the 100-year coastal storm flood level and future projected sea levels at five locations. Launch events scheduled 6/27,6/28 and 6/29
Exeter, NH – The Rockingham Planning Commission, in collaboration with the towns of Rye, Hampton and Seabrook, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) NH State Parks, and the NH Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program announce High Water Mark Initiative Launch Events in coastal New Hampshire. High Water Mark signs have been installed to benchmark the 100-year coastal storm flood level and future projected sea levels at five locations. Many parts of NH’s coast experience seasonal flooding today and even larger areas may be impacted more frequently as sea level rises.
Raising awareness about flooding is of interest to many municipal stakeholders. We invite elected officials and local decision makers charged with addressing such flooding to join us for these launch events!
Launch events will be held at the sign sites on the following dates and times:
Hampton – Thursday June 28, 2018, 11:00am at the Hampton Transfer Station front gate off Hardardt’s Way
Seabrook - Thursday June 28, 2018, 12:30pm at the town boat launch on River Street
Seabrook - Thursday June 28, 2018, 1:30pm at Brown’s Lobster Pound on Route 286
Rye - Friday June 29, 2018, 12:00pm at Wallis Road near the corner of Route 1A
CONTACT: Julie LaBranche, Senior Planner (603) 658-0522, Email: jlabranche@rpc-nh.org
Additional project information is available on the High Water Mark Initiative page.
What can you do to spread the word about flooding? Take a photo with a High Water Mark sign and post it to social media using the hashtag #highwatermarknh
This project was funded, in part, by NOAA's Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act in conjunction with the NH Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program
2018-06-15 - EPA Hosting Drinking Water and PFAS Community Engagement Event in Exeter, 6/25-6/26
On Monday, June 25, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will kick off the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) community engagements in Exeter, New Hampshire with a two-day public event. This event allows EPA to hear directly from New England residents, communities, state, local, and tribal partners to take action on PFAS.
The New England Community Engagement event will consist of two sessions – a public listening session and PFAS working session – to hear from the public; provide tools to assist states, tribes, and local communities in addressing challenges with PFAS in the environment; and understand ways EPA can best support the work that's being done at the state, local and tribal level.
Information on the event:
EPA will host a Listening Session on June 25 from 4:30 pm-10:00 pm.
EPA will hold a Working Session on June 26 from 8:00 am-3:00 pm.
The event will be held at Exeter High School, 1 Blue Hawk Drive, Exeter, NH 03833
Both days will be open to the public and the press.
The public is invited to speak during the June 25 listening session. Those interested in speaking can sign up for a three-minute speaking slot at this link:www.epa.gov/pfas/forms/pfas-community-engagement-exeter-nh
If you are unable to attend the event or would like to submit additional information or comments, written statements can be submitted to the public docket at www.regulations.gov/ enter docket number: OW-2018-0270.
The full agenda will be made available in the upcoming days. Please check the EPA PFAS Community Engagement website: www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-community-engagement-exeter-nh for further information leading up to the event.2018-05-22 - RPC Welcomes Meredith Houghton, Planning Technician
Meredith Houghton joined RPC this May as a temporary Planning Technician for the transportation and water resources programs. As such, she will be primarily supporting the implementation of both the Road Surface Management System (RSMS) and Regional Stream Crossing Assessment (RSCA) projects, which contribute to the New Hampshire Statewide Asset Data Exchange System (SADES).
This summer, RPC’s RSMS program will be focused on the towns of Epping and Fremont. The RSMS program provides state agencies and the participating municipalities with information on the road system’s condition and estimates for future maintenance costs. The main objective of this effort is to identify distressed pavement manifestations, such as cracking or rutting, so that municipalities can better prioritize maintenance projects to maximize their return on investment and road quality. Meredith will be assisting the field team with road assessments and data collection, which will provide information pertinent to the planning and budget preparation for the participating towns’ long-term maintenance programs.
In addition to the RSMS program, Meredith will also be supporting the RSCA project, building on five years of prior data collection efforts by RPC within the region. The program is a statewide initiative that is a collaboration of multiple partners, including the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and Transportation (NHDOT), Fish and Game Department and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). The RSCA program aims to evaluate stream crossings to address flood risks and identify problem culverts which may present a hazard to public safety and/or may hinder passage to wildlife. As part of the field team, Meredith will be collecting georeferenced data to locate and assess existing crossings. This data will allow for the prioritization of stream crossing replacement projects within a town, watershed or region. This season, RPC will be performing these assessments primarily within the western areas of the RPC region.
Meredith brings prior experience in environmental remediation and compliance/permitting to RPC, and is currently pursuing her graduate degree in Urban and Environmental Planning at Tufts University. Her most recent professional work has focused on stormwater compliance projects, as well as an invasive aquatic species management contract within a drinking water reservoir in Massachusetts. As an aspiring Environmental Planner, Meredith is excited to build on her knowledge of water resource management and broaden her perspective in transportation planning at RPC.Additional information on the RSMS and RSCA programs is available on the SADES and NHDES webpages.
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