The Lower Liberty Hill Site is located in Gilford, New Hampshire, approximately three miles from a former MGP site on Messer Street in Laconia, New Hampshire. The former MGP site was owned and operated by numerous companies, including a predecessor company to KeySpan (now National Grid). The MGP site ceased operations in the early 1950’s after an explosion which destroyed essential parts of the facility. The Laconia MGP site was known to KeySpan at the time it acquired EnergyNorth Gas Inc. in 2000, and was the subject of environmental investigations and remediation required by the State of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES).   The former MGP in Laconia was decommissioned around 1953, and at that time waste materials were disposed of at a gravel pit located along Liberty Hill Road.

During meetings with the property owners in 2005, KeySpan representatives were told of “neighborhood talk” about the placement of material from the former MGP site (and possibly other sources) into the gravel pit. The residents agreed to NHDES testing of their drinking water wells, and the results of the testing did not indicate the presence of constituents associated with former MGP operations in the water. The NHDES was kept informed of the information KeySpan was gathering from its contacts with the residents. Based on this information, NHDES agreed that KeySpan undertake an investigation to determine the scope and delineation of the MGP-associated materials in the Liberty Hill area.

A Site Investigation was conducted in 2005 and 2006 and a Public Meeting presenting the results was held in Gilford in July 2006.  During the investigation, samples of groundwater, soil, sediment, surface water, soil gas and indoor air were collected.   Drinking water wells were tested at the properties in the vicinity of the site. No contaminants were detected in any drinking water wells.  Coal tar in soil and groundwater was identified on four properties on Liberty Hill Road (69, 77, 83 and 87 Liberty Hill Road).  No coal tar or contaminated groundwater was found north of Liberty Hill Road. No significant current exposure pathways to coal tar were identified.  However, the Site Investigation Report and DES public announcement stated that some soil and groundwater remediation would be required.  Subsequently, DES requested that KeySpan conduct further investigations to determine whether site contaminants could impact Jewett Brook or the golf course on the other side of the Book. That investigation was conducted in 2006 and 2007 and showed very limited impacts to the brook and virtually no impacts on the golf course side of the Brook.

In 2006, KeySpan acquired four properties in order to facilitate remediation activities.  The purchases were completed in 2006.  The properties remain vacant and two of the four structures have been demolished.