New Hampshire's Business News for May 20

A look at today's top business headlines, including: EPA announces PFOA advisory level, Northern Pass decision deadline extended to 2017, Elliot CEO to step down, NH Supreme Court ruling makes all employees potentially liable for workplace harassment

EPA announces lifetime PFOA and PFOS advisory level  The EPA has announced a lifetime health advisory level for two chemicals that have contaminated water in southern New Hampshire and at the former Pease Air Force Base. – NH PUBLIC RADIO

Deadline on Northern Pass decision extended to Sept. 30, 2017  The state Site Evaluation Subcommittee that will determine whether Eversource can build the 192-mile Northern Pass transmission line from Pittsburg to Deerfield voted Thursday to extend the deadline to make its final decision from Dec. 17 to Sept. 30, 2017. – INDEPTHNH.ORG

Elliot CEO leaving in July  Elliot Health System CEO Jim Woodward is leaving his post in mid-July, the move coming at a time when officials are weighing Elliot Hospital’s future. – NH UNION LEADER

NH Senate backs changes to prior authorization law involving drug care  Measure would allow payment to providers without previous OK from insurers. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW

In tight labor market, NH strives to get more employed Entry-level jobs in retail and fast food restaurants aren't known for paying $10 an hour, but that's what's happening in Seabrook as businesses there and throughout the Granite State deal with a tight labor market. – LAWRENCE EAGLE-TRIBUNE

NH Supreme Court ruling makes all employees potentially liable for workplace harassment  In EEOC v. Fred Fuller Oil Co., the NH Supreme Court ruled, for the first time, that individual employees can be held personally liable for aiding and abetting workplace discrimination or engaging in retaliatory conduct under New Hampshire’s Law Against Discrimination. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW

North Country to get its first public electric car fast-chargers, in Lancaster The first public high-power charging station for electric cars in the North Country, and the first one in New Hampshire that doesn’t have Tesla written on it, will soon be unveiled at a popular Lancaster campground. – CONCORD MONITOR

New T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods store opens in Londonderry  A new combined T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods store opened Thursday in the Market Basket Plaza at 5 Garden Lane, the latest in a series of relocations to a rapidly growing area that will soon serve as the gateway to the planned Woodmont Commons development. – NH UNION LEADER

USA Training Center unveils ballpark, possible stadium plans in Brentwood  Preliminary plans for a baseball park with the potential for a stadium and a 100-room hotel on Route 125 in Brentwood were unveiled Thursday night. – NH UNION LEADER

Economic leaders’ interests go far beyond Vermont Yankee The nuclear plant’s closure has spurred tri-state meetings, including one in Brattleboro on Thursday. But planners and development officials said they’re focusing on issues such as an aging population and a lack of housing – not the loss of Yankee. – VTDIGGER

Major expansion planned at Dartmouth engineering school  A $25 million gift – the single largest in the 149-year history of the school – will be used to significantly expand Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW

UNH-developed app wins $25k Entrepreneurs Fund grant  By the fall, students, faculty and staff at New Hampshire colleges will have instant access on their smartphones to localized information to help survivors of sexual assault. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW

WREN appoints new executive director  The Bethlehem-based Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network’s Board of Directors has appointed Liz Penney as the organization’s new executive director. – THE BERLIN DAILY SUN

Needing more coverage, Hassan to consider bill giving Border Patrol police powers in Coos  A bill that would give the U.S. Border Patrol in Coos County the same arrest powers as police is headed to Gov. Hassan’s desk. – NH PUBLIC RADIO

Mayhew sues over crematory accusations  Peter Mayhew, owner of the Mayhew Funeral Home Inc. in Meredith, has asked the Belknap County Superior Court to silence his next-door neighbor, Douglas Frederick, owner of the American Police Motorcycle Museum, who has repeatedly told public officials and news outlets that emissions from the crematory at the funeral home carry human ashes on to his property. – THE LACONIA DAILY SUN

CMC executive latest to sue over Mortgage Specialist sign's claims  Alex Walker, an attorney and executive with Catholic Medical Center, has added his name to the list of local luminaries suing mortgage broker Michael Gill for defamation. – NH UNION LEADER

Attorney general joins investigation of former state rep  Since Kyle Tasker's arrest in early March, his prosecution has been the sole jurisdiction of the Rockingham County Attorney's Office. But amid a firestorm of speculation that investigators might have a list of names of people who allegedly bought drugs from Tasker, the state's top law enforcement agency is now involved. – WMUR-TV

Weld confirms he'll run for VP as a Libertarian  Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld said he agreed to be former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson’s running mate at a meeting in Las Vegas last Sunday. – THE BOSTON GLOBE