Manchester, New Hampshire, encompassing the 03102 zip code, currently carries a critical environmental hazard designation due to concentrated industrial pollution. The local area is surrounded by six active Superfund locations within a ten-mile radius. The primary facility of concern, the Queen City Ave/Elm St CVOC Area, is located 2.8 miles away and is actively managed under the Environmental Protection Agency. Along with nearby sites like the VA Medical Center Ash Dump and the Queen City Ave/Willow St CVOC Area, this region requires continuous environmental monitoring.

The EPA identifies the primary pollutants at these locations as unspecified hazardous substances, though site designations heavily indicate chlorinated volatile organic compounds. These persistent chemicals can readily leach into groundwater aquifers or vaporize upward through the soil. Long-term resident exposure to such substances can severely impact the central nervous system, impair liver and kidney function, and significantly elevate cancer risks. The Queen City Ave/Elm St CVOC Area remains in an active remediation phase. The EPA is currently executing remedial investigations, tracking groundwater contamination plumes, and deploying vapor extraction technologies to properly contain the hazard.

Because these pollutants travel easily through subsurface environments, residents must implement strict household safety measures immediately. Individuals relying on private residential wells should test their water supply bi-annually for volatile organic compounds. Households should install certified point-of-use reverse osmosis filtration systems to secure their drinking water. Furthermore, residents should evaluate their homes for soil vapor intrusion and install sub-slab depressurization systems if basement gas accumulation is detected to prevent hazardous inhalation.