More PFAS testing underway in Grayling Township; military study to decide if state thresholds apply
Jun. 12—GRAYLING — Grayling Township residents should expect to this summer see state and military officials taking additional water samples both on Camp Grayling property and across the community as part of the ongoing PFAS contamination investigation there.
Both state environmental regulators and Michigan Army National Guard officials confirmed this week that ongoing re-sampling efforts will continue throughout the summer and into autumn. The goal is to record how PFAS concentrations changed since initial tests were completed years ago, officials said.
"The field crews have been real busy over the last month or so," said Jonathan Edgerly, environmental program manager for the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
More than 250 private homes will this year be re-tested, in addition to Lake Margrethe, the AuSable River and on-base monitoring wells at the airfield, main cantonment and other military sites.
Authorities said the data will be useful if the military's feasibility study determines National Guard officials should adhere to Michigan's standards for PFAS cleanup adopted last year, rather than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's lifetime health advisory level.
"If we are able to take an action we will have our own data set and be able to do so," said Bonnie Packer, technical PFAS leader with National Guard Bureau.
The EPA's lifetime health advisory level for two of the thousands of PFAS chemicals — a legally non-enforceable 70 parts per trillion — is far greater than Michigan's maximum contaminant levels regulation: 8 ppt for PFOA and 16 ppt for PFOS.
Officials previously found 19 homes in Grayling Township with PFAS levels at or beyond the EPA's standard for lifetime exposure, including 17 near the airfield and two near Lake Margrethe. Hundreds more residential well samples returned levels between that concentration and non-detection, many of which surpass state thresholds.
Homes with levels beyond the EPA standard received whole-house filtration systems funded by the military, while those with lower levels were given point-of-use filters typically installed at kitchen sinks. Michigan's top PFAS official said she anticipates the state standards will be adopted and met.
"EGLE expects compliance with Michigan's environmental standards," said Abigail Hendershott, executive director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team.
Camp Grayling's pending feasibility study will be completed after this summer's site characterization work both on and off base property. The plume associated with the airfield will be mapped through the collective analysis of samples of groundwater, soil, sediments, and both surface and drinking water sources.
Potential future cleanup methods will also be recommended through the study, as previously reported in the Record-Eagle.
Additionally, geologist Christiaan Bon with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy confirmed said state officials would be taking new samples at Lake Margrethe and also studying how groundwater level fluctuations impact PFAS concentrations around the airfield.
Those with questions about this year's PFAS testing in Grayling Township can call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services at 844-934-1315, including to schedule an appointment for re-sampling.
PFAS is an acronym for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are found in firefighting foam, nonstick pots and pans, water-repellent clothing, and many other household and personal items. They are known as "forever chemicals" because they persist indefinitely in the environment without breaking down.
They have increasingly turned up in public water supplies and private wells nationwide, often from the longtime use of firefighting foam at aviation and military facilities.
Medical studies have linked the chemicals to testicular cancer, damage to organs including the liver and kidneys, and reproductive system harm. They are also known to build up in human bodies, or "bio-accumulate."