Editing Merrimack River (section)

===Current concerns===

The Merrimack River remains one of the most endangered rivers in the United States, as named by the American Rivers nonprofit in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests |date=February 16, 2019 |title=Merrimack: River at Risk |url=https://forestsociety.org/project/merrimack-river-risk |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Forest Society |language=en}}</ref> Current concerns include [[stormwater runoff]], urban stormwater, high levels of bacteria, combined sewage runoff, [[phosphorus]] creating harmful [[algal bloom]]s, reduced oxygen levels, illicit sewage discharges, and [[litter]]. Combined sewer overflows (CSO) are the largest contributors to waste discharge into the Merrimack River. Currently, there are six [[sanitary sewer]] systems from which untreated sewage flows directly into the Merrimack River due to infrastructure issues within the sewage system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=REG 01 |date=August 15, 2016 |title=Environmental Challenges for the Merrimack River |url=https://www.epa.gov/merrimackriver/environmental-challenges-merrimack-river |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}</ref> Recent research has identified [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] contamination as a significant threat to fish and aquatic life in the Merrimack River.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Richardson |first1=Justin B. |last2=Mischenko |first2=Ivan C. |last3=Butler |first3=Mark J. |date=June 2022 |title=Mercury in Temperate Forest Soils and Suspended Sediments in the Connecticut River, Merrimack River, and Thames River Watersheds, USA |journal=Pollutants |language=en |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=252–268 |doi=10.3390/pollutants2020017 |issn=2673-4672 |doi-access=free }}</ref> This research analyzes how biological mercury hotspots and watershed transport of mercury might contribute to the exposure of aquatic life to chemical pollution within the Merrimack River. Additionally, the use of [[road salt]] in the winter has remained a major pollutant since the 1970s, and chloride contamination in the Merrimack River continues to impact aquatic life.

United States politicians from New Hampshire and Massachusetts are calling for the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) to reassess a permit allowing [[landfill]] water to be dumped into the Merrimack River. <!--Turnkey landfill is not in the Merrimack River watershed: The water from the Turnkey landfill in the [[Cocheco River]] watershed of New Hampshire contains per- and [[polyfluoroalkyl substances]] (PFAS), chemicals that are capable of accumulating and remaining in environmental and food sources for extremely long periods of time. PFAS have been linked to [[cancer]], [[thyroid disease]], [[infertility]], and other health issues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OA |date=October 14, 2021 |title=Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS |url=https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}</ref> The water being discharged from the Turnkey landfill has high levels of these chemicals, some of which exceed the EPA’s lifetime health advisory by over 1,000 times. ...end comment-->Politicians are also seeking increased federal funding to update water infrastructure for the Merrimack River, as the river's current sewer infrastructure has resulted in the dumping of over 100,000 gallons of untreated water into the river.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Representatives Pappas and Trahan Tour Communities Along the Merrimack River to Highlight Critical Need for Federal Investments |url=http://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/representatives-pappas-and-trahan-tour-communities-along-merrimack-river |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Congressman Chris Pappas |language=en}}</ref>