CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — State environmental officials announced plans Thursday to expand PFAS testing to an additional 120 homes in the Cascade area after detecting the so-called "forever chemicals" in dozens of private wells.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) held a public meeting to discuss ongoing sampling in the Aspenwood Drive area of interest, which was identified in December.
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Testing Results
Of 127 wells tested in the neighborhood so far, 55 showed PFAS detections above state criteria, 62 had results below criteria and 10 had no detection, according to officials.
"Two different types of PFAS have been detected in this neighborhood above those state criteria," an EGLE representative said. "The first is PFOA and we are seeing that at a maximum concentration of 26 parts per trillion compared to our state criteria of 8. And the second type of PFAS we're seeing above criteria is PFOS and we're seeing that at a maximum concentration of 17 parts per trillion compared to our state criteria of 16."
Health Impacts of PFAS Exposure
PFAS are chemicals that don't easily break down naturally. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says exposure to the two kinds found in the neighborhood, have been linked to multiple health problems.
"Those include reduced fertility, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, small decreases in infant birth weight, high cholesterol, especially total and LDL," a health department representative said.
The chemicals are also associated with thyroid disease, liver damage, decreased immune system response to vaccines and certain types of cancers.
State Offers Free Filters to Affected Residents
Neighbors whose wells exceed state standards will be offered free filters by state and local health departments. The filters will need to be replaced every six months.
"EGLE is looking into long-term solutions for homes where PFAS has been detected," officials said.
Many homes in Cascade rely on private wells, which means testing, monitoring and long-term solutions differ from areas connected to municipal water systems.
Search for Contamination Source Continues
Officials say they are still working to identify the contamination source.
"It's possible that this may get linked to one source or it's possible this contamination may come from multiple sources," EGLE representatives said.
Neighbors Demand Answers at Meeting
Cascade neighbor Tom Gottlick, whose water tested positive for PFAS, attended the meeting seeking answers.
"We need to get answers to the problem, we need to find out where it's coming from, who's responsible for it, and when their going to clean it up, and take care of this issue," Gottlick said.
Some neighbors expressed frustration with the pace of the response.
"I know you're up there giving hard news, but I feel like there's a lack of empathy and real direction, you're using a lot of relative terms, like what is a long time, what is a lot of funding, what is the actual cost of some of these things," one neighbor said during the meeting.
EGLE had previously expanded sampling from an initial group to 95 homes before announcing they plan to expand to 120 additional properties.
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