LANSING, Mich. — The state of Michigan has detected two new PFAS sites in Kent and Muskegon counties.
The Kent County site is located at 5312 11 Mile Road in Rockford, which is comprised of 100 acres of vacant land, according to the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team.
We’re told a Baseline Environmental Assessment took samples from a 139-feet-deep well on the site, along with two shallow temporary wells at a nearby site. No PFAS was detected in the deeper well but the two shallow wells exhibited PFOA and PFOS that exceeded the recommended amount. Specifically, they contained 23 parts per trillion (ppt) of PFOA and 100 ppt of PFOS, compared to 8 ppt and 16 ppt, respectively.
The state adds the groundwater in the Rockford site probably flows westward into the Rogue River. In the meantime, municipal drinking water is available west of the area. Residential well sampling is expected to occur to determine if PFAS is making its way into drinking water from shallow ground.
Meanwhile, PFAS was detected at 5025 Evanston Avenue in Egelston Township, according to the state. We’re told the land used to contain a chemical production plant and multiple sludge lagoons.
The state says three samples were taken from this site in March 2021 before the water was sent to the Groundwater Treatment Plant with the highest result displaying 23 ppt of PFOS, compared to the recommended 16 ppt. The treated water empties into the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center.
While the state says groundwater at this site leads into Black Creek, PFAS’s impact has yet to be determined.
We’re told homes nearby are receiving municipal water and residential wells do not require sampling.
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