Residents voiced a sense of urgency to state and National Guard officials last week as they discussed solutions to nearly eight years of PFAS contamination.
PFAS, an acronym for polyfluoroalkyl substances, move through watersheds without breaking down and are linked to an array of health problems, including cancer.
In the fall of 2016, Camp Grayling — a National Guard training facility — became one of the first PFAS contaminated sites identified in Michigan.
The National Guard used an aqueous film-forming foam for training exercises and local firefighting in the 1970s and 1980s. The foam contained the PFAS compound, but the danger was unknown to officials at the time.
Guard officials said it isn't used anymore, but decades later the chemicals are showing up in well water on properties near Camp Grayling and the Army Airfield, at levels above state and federal standards.
Municipal water main extension update
Grayling Township said the most obvious and effective way to curb contamination in drinking water is to switch homes from contaminated wells to the municipal water supply.
Rather than private wells, the municipal water comes from the area around Kirtland Community College, which cannot be contaminated by the camp due to its northern position in the watershed.
Earlier this year, Township Supervisor Lacey Stephan III told IPR News he was gathering signatures for a $25.6 million grant from the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to fund the first leg of the water main project.
At the May 15 meeting, he said he has enough signatures to secure the funding and move the project forward. But he is still knocking on doors to educate residents in the impacted areas.
“Somebody who's as old as me with gray hair, it's probably too late for me,” Stephan said while addressing a crowd of residents. “But is there a new baby coming into our community, is the next person going to be starting a family that moves into [one of these] houses? This is never going away, it's in the aquifer forever.”
While switching to municipal water means residents will pay a $30-$50 monthly water bill, the township says it’s worth it for PFAS-free water.
The first leg of construction could begin this year and would address contaminated wells in Sherwood Forest and Clough Estates.
According to data from EGLE, 74 wells in those neighborhoods tested to have PFAS contamination above state standards. 161 wells are below state standards but could continue to climb if unaddressed. 82 did not show signs of PFAS at the time of testing.
More contaminated neighborhoods, including those further west around Lake Margrethe, could switch to municipal water after the first two areas are addressed. Construction for the municipal water main project could begin later this year.
While the Army National Guard is the responsible party for the contamination, it has not secured funding to help pay for the municipal water main extension yet.
Guard officials said dollars were requested for the first four impacted areas but more testing is needed before the money can be used.
Demian Wincele oversees the Guard’s cleanup efforts.
“We're out collecting drinking water samples from residences where we need more data,” Wincele said. “We're also looking to collect more rites of entry from residences where we would like to collect a sample and haven't yet.”
Stormwater filters in cantonment areas
But the Guard is paying for a remediation project on Lake Margrethe - the installment of PFAS filtration systems at two stormwater outfalls.
The starting point of the PFAS plume are National Guard facilities located on the south side of the lake. The stormwater runoff flows into the lake’s surface water, impacting homes along its shores.
Guard officials said they will filter the storm water at two main access points.
“They're kind of like Brita Filters in your fridge where the water passes through, and collects the contaminants in the water,” Wincele said. “We'll replace part of the pipe and put a concrete vault in with the treatment materials to treat the water as it flows through and discharges to the lake.”
EGLE data show at least 11 homes along Lake Margrethe with PFAS levels above state standards. Surface water tests showed signs of PFAS in various points across the lake.
Wincele says the Guard is taking public comment on the project now. Construction on the filters could begin this fall.
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