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News
News
By Vicki Browne
Iron County Lakes & Streams Partnership
“Be curious. Reach out. Get involved.” These are three bits of advice from Ian Smith.
Smith manages the Emerging Contaminants Unit of the Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. During our phone conversation, he encouraged all Michiganders to learn what is happening in their local’ water supplies regarding per- and polyfluorinated substances. PFAS are the ‘forever chemicals’ used in a multitude of products to make them water-proof, grease-proof or stain-resistant.
“Curiosity is a good thing,” Smith said. “It’s OK to ask questions, and in many cases the answers are available.”
Smith gathers data about PFAS in surface water, particularly the source water that comes off lakes Superior and Michigan and then into treatment facilities before going out for public use. He shared results gathered from various sites in the U.P. Samples from some sites are only gathered quarterly, but data is gathered weekly at others sites where PFAS levels are detected.
The sample sites in Baraga, Houghton, Ontonagon and Marquette counties have no detectable levels of PFAS. Iron, Dickenson and Gogebic counties do not have sampling sites.
Of the two U.P. weekly sampling sites, the highest levels of PFAS are found in Gladstone, where samples have shown rates up to 17 parts per trillion. Levels remain comparatively low in Escanaba -- two parts per trillion. The Environmental Protection Agency’s “lowest detection rate” is four parts per trillion, and Smith points outs out that any level of PFAS is toxic.
In 2018, EGLE prioritized Michigan counties for sampling based on geology, population and industries likely to manufacture or use PFAS, according to Smith. Based on four years of data, source waters in Iron County and the surrounding counties do not appear to be tainted by PFAS.
Wyatt Johnson of the Stambaugh Water Department confirmed Stambaugh Township’s water supply has never had any detectable PFAS. The water only needs to be tested annually, which indicates that EGLE does not feel that there will be detectable PFAS levels.
Another way to keep track of PFAS, and other toxic chemicals, is through the EPA’s ‘toxic release inventory’ reporting program. The program tracks the release and waste management of toxic chemicals that could pose threats to either human health or the environment.
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 requires that facilities in certain industrial sectors report toxic chemical releases to air, water, land and other waste management to the EPA each year. The EPA must maintain the data and make it available to the public. At the start of 2020, 172 PFAS were added to the required reporting.
Looking at the 2021 data reveals that there are no facilities in Iron County that are required to report. Facilities in Ontonagon and Baraga counties reported no toxic chemicals released. Most of the toxic substances released in Houghton were from Koppers Performance Chemicals and were airborne. Most of the toxic substances released in Marquette were from Eagle Mine onto the land. And most of the toxic substances in Dickenson were from the Verso papermill and went into the air, land and water.
Health concerns for the average person -- who does not work in a plant manufacturing or industry using PFAS -- focus on ensuring the chemicals are not in drinking water.
Michigan was the first state in the U.S. to test every supply of public drinking water for PFAS, according to EGLE. In 2020 Michigan, set PFAS limits and sampling requirements for drinking water. These maximum contaminant levels pertains to seven PFAS.
In 2021, the chemical company 3M filed a lawsuit, saying the Michigan regulations were “rushed and invalid”. Court of Claims Judge Brock Swartzle ruled in favor of 3M and struck down the 2020 limits, and in August 2023 the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld that ruling. However, the regulatory rules remain in place during ongoing appeals.
The grounds for this lawsuit hinge on the premise that the State “failed to fully consider the costs to businesses of complying with the new limits,” and not because these limits aren’t necessary to protect public health.
At the federal level, the EPA has proposed limits which would apply to all state water utilities of no more than 4 parts per trillion for both PFOS and PFOA.
Earlier this year, Bridge Michigan reported this was, “the lowest amount modern technology can detect, but EPA officials say there is no safe level in drinking water.”
“We are all stakeholders,” according to Smith. “It’s OK to call EGLE or reach out to your local health department with your concerns.”
Readers can explore the EPA’s toxic release inventory interactive map at epa.gov/trinationalanalysis/where-you-live. More information about Michigan’s efforts to address PFAS contamination is available at michigan.gov/pfasresponse.