State and federal agencies are investigating whether a former manufacturing site could be leaking chemicals into the Flint River.
In April the EPA confirmed high levels of perfluoroalkyl substances at the site. PFAs are a family of chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other health problems in humans.
Grant Trigger is the Michigan Cleanup Manager for RACER Trust - which took control of the site in 2011 after General Motors declared bankruptcy and has been charged by the EPA with the site's remediation and sale. He said the trust confirmed the presence of PFAs earlier this year and is now testing further.
“We’ve specifically reviewed the potential of impacting drinking wells with the Genesee County Health Department and have concluded there is no impact on any local drinking water supplies.”
Trigger said one of their wells confirmed PFAs at levels of 614 parts per trillion, well over the EPA health advisory level of 70.
He said the Trust won’t immediately be selling off the site.
“We have some delays on the sale process right now because we need to understand the PFAs problem and figure out what to do about it.”
Trigger said testing is still ongoing and doesn’t expect to have the results from their latest round of water testing until sometime in November.