PFAS

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates up to 95 million people could be drinking groundwater with detectable levels of PFAS, according to a new study published in the journal Science.

Calls for urgency aren't new among Oscoda residents, but a revised timeline that pushes PFAS systems on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base back by roughly two years is catching flack.

In the 2010s, the town of Oscoda, Michigan discovered that parts of the Au Sable River, groundwater, and private wells were contaminated with a chemical known as PFAS. While the town is currently thriving with tourists in the summer, the place originally saw a loss of profits and tourism when the initial contamination was announced.

Natural foam is usually off-white and has an earthy smell, but some foam — that’s artificially white — contains toxic “forever chemicals” on the beaches of Oscoda.

Biosolids are a cheap, nutrient-rich fertilizer that have been applied on millions of acres of farmland across the country, but toxic “forever chemicals” are creeping their way into the fertilizer. A proposed federal provision aims to better protect farmers from PFAS contamination.

The National Science Foundation has given a Marquette, Michigan company a grant to research whether some types of fungi can break down or otherwise destroy PFAS.

The EPA could soon face a lawsuit for not protecting farmers from “forever chemicals.” Few states regulate PFAS in biosolids fertilizer, but farmers in the northeast are now calling for federal standards.

Some projects could break ground this year but questions over funding and public opinion remain.

Spaniola said it's been a whirlwind after the Environmental Protection Agency implemented federal drinking water standards for PFAS and then listed two of the chemicals as "hazardous substances."

The Environmental Protection Agency announced the first federal limits on PFAS in drinking water. Only two Midwestern states currently have limits on levels acceptable in drinking water.