PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
In this edition: More than $1 million has been spent on PFAS work in Kalamazoo County, PFAS study in Ohio River being designed, PFAS bills in Wisconsin face industry opposition, Michigan residents skeptical of Wolverine Worldwide consent decree, DuPont is being sued again in Ohio and the National Wildlife Federation held a PFAS talk in Ann Arbor.
Kalamazoo County reimbursed $1M for PFAS work so far – Mlive
Five of the 76 contamination sites in Michigan are inside the county. Those sites include: Richland, Parchment, Plainwell, Kalamazoo Township and Portage. That $1 million figure only encompasses costs for Richland, Parchment and Plainwell.
Ohio River Regulators Planning Riverwide PFAS Study – WKU Public Radio
Scientists are designing a new study to test for PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals”, along the entire length of the Ohio River. The scientists work with a multi-state commission charged with overseeing water quality on the Ohio River known as the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO).
ORSANCO plans to conduct two rounds of testing across 20 locations to measure the ambient levels when the river is both high and low, from the headwaters to its confluence with the Mississippi River.
PFAS bills face opposition from industry groups, short timeline before session adjournment – Wisconsin State Journal
Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, and Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, who co-authored the bills, said the legislation was a bipartisan effort, but expressed concern that some industry groups, including the American Chemistry Council and Wisconsin Paper Council, have opposed the proposals. In addition, the legislation could be challenged by two new GOP-written bills that aim to create PFAS management zones.
Rockford residents skeptical of Michigan PFAS deal with Wolverine World Wide – Bridge
The past two years have been laced with anxiety for Rockford and Belmont-area residents, many of whom question the future of their health, property values and local environment.
New PFAS toxic chemical injury cases against DuPont being tried in Columbus federal court – The Columbus Dispatch
Thousands of people were awarded millions of dollars from DuPont de Nemours, Inc. in a settlement after their drinking water was contaminated. However, now about 60 people who have since developed testicular and kidney cancers are suing the company in hopes of getting compensation. Those trials are all playing out in a federal courtroom in Columbus.
National Wildlife Federation to talk PFAS in Ann Arbor – MLive
The Huron River Watershed Council hosted Oday Salim, co-author of a recent report outlining how state and federal officials “can and should set clean-water protections, support water-infrastructure investment and back cutting-edge research to prevent and remediate insidious PFAS pollution.”
The talk was held Feb. 5.
Featured Image: The Ohio river running between Ohio and West Virginia, Photo by Stihler Craig, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via wikimedia.org
