PFAS contamination at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base has resulted in five health advisories that warn Oscoda residents of toxic “forever chemicals” in drinking water, venison, small game, fish, and foam. PFAS activists are planning to rally at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in Oscoda in front of the Methodist United Church for additional clean-up measures.
The Air Force currently has two “stop-gap” measures in place to limit further contamination, from PFAS chemicals, but it has yet to announce a long-term clean-up plan.
The citizen group Need Our Water – or NOW – is rallying to demand four additional clean-up actions that would target contamination hotspots.
Cathy Wusterbarth is the co-founder of NOW. She said the existing actions on the base were a result of community advocacy and congressional support – which the group now hopes to repeat.
“That's how we've learned things work because if we have a request or a need, we make sure that our legislators are aware of what those are and then they can use that information to talk with the Department of Defense about prioritizing projects," Wusterbarth said. "The DOD is going kicking and screaming the entire way. We’re just trying to be effective.”
The rally will take place before the quarterly Restoration Advisory Board meeting, in which Air Force officials will give updates about Wurtsmith remediation.
For more information about the specific demands, see the NOW letter to legislators here:
