Lacks Enterprises plating facility declared PFAS contamination site
KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team has declared another contamination site in Kent County: The Lacks Barden Plating Facility in Kentwood.
According to MPART, Lacks Enterprises has operated at 4080 and 4090 Barden Drive near East Paris Avenue for nearly 20 years. The facility conducts “decorative chrome electroplating primarily on plastic automotive parts, (along with) plumbing fixtures, household appliances and business machines.”
Samples of stormwater collected at the facility in 2021 and 2022 showed extremely high levels of PFAS contamination. Levels of PFOS — perfluorooctane sulfonate — in stormwater runoff were recorded at 784 parts per trillion. The safety threshold for groundwater is 16 ppt. Soil near the source of the leak had levels of PFOS as high as 180,000 ppt.
“A thorough investigation of the storm water drainage system onsite led to the discovery of a faulty sump in the metal plating area of the facility, where plating solution was released into the soil, then transported through the stormwater system via fractured piping in the subsurface,” MPART said in a statement.
Study finds high PFAS blood levels around old Wolverine Worldwide dump site
A spokesperson for Lacks Enterprises told News 8 that the company conducts regular testing around its facility and self-reported the PFAS contamination. It also worked to track the source and cap it.
Groundwater flow from the property moves south toward a stormwater outfall and empties into a tributary of Plaster Creek. Lacks says they are cooperating fully with all state agencies and independently conduct testing “up and down Plaster Creek” and have not had any elevated PFAS readings.
EGLE says it will continue to oversee Lacks’ response to mitigate any future pollution risks. While most of the properties near the site have municipal water, the Kent County Health Department did identify one residential property in the area that uses a well and is expected to be tested.
DOD to start work at 4 PFAS-contaminated sites in Michigan
PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a large group of compounds first developed in the 1940s and incorporated into all sorts of products for waterproofing and heat resistance. Decades later, research showed that PFAS compounds take a long time to break down organically and can build up in the human body, causing serious health problems including cancer. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, there are more than 15,000 known PFAS compounds.
The Environmental Working Group says there are now more than 5,000 confirmed PFAS-contaminated sites across the United States, including at least one in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and two American territories.
According to MPART, as of March 4, 2024, there are now 280 active contamination sites across Michigan. No county has more than Kent County with 24 active sites. Oakland County has 19, Muskegon County has 15 and Kalamazoo County has 13.
EPA proposes changes to hazardous waste laws to cover PFAS
This is not the first time Lacks Enterprises has been a part of a PFAS contamination investigation. The company was also investigated in 2019 for PFAS contamination in Cascade Township. According to MPART, testing done in 2020 showed no elevated levels of PFAS beyond safety standards. More tests were done in 2023 but the results have yet to be published.
A Lacks spokesperson confirms that, despite the 2020 findings, the company spent more than $500,000 to get homes in the area hooked up to a municipal water system.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect comments made by a Lacks Enterprises spokesperson.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
