May 8, 2019
PFAS, industrial chemicals and water contaminants, were found in drinking water at twenty times the recommended level in areas of Kalamazoo County in July 2018. A State of Emergency was declared and residents were instructed not to drink the water, cook with it, or expose babies or pets to it while officials flushed the water system and retested its safety. PFAS are a multi-use product commonly used as a fire retardant, for stain protection, and on non-stick pans. They have now been detected in more than 49 Michigan sites and are also problematic in other states. What are Michigan’s remediation and prevention efforts of PFAS-contaminated water? What is the impact of PFAS on personal and environmental health? What research needs are there for further addressing the impact of PFAS?
This forum will lay out the problem of PFAS and Michigan’s response to it.
Panelist Biographical Information:
Lois Wolfson, Senior Specialist, MSU Extension and Fisheries and Wildlife
Background on PFAS Chemicals in the Environment
Cheryl Murphy, Associate Professor, MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Ecological Risk Assessment
Steve Sliver, Executive Director, MI PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), MI Dept. of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
Statewide Study, MPART, Next Steps
Susan Masten, Professor, MSU Civil and Environmental Engineering, Member
Remediation Strategies & Research Needs