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U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, joined legislators across the aisle in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to announce a bipartisan congressional PFAS Task Force. In a statement, the congressman said task force leaders are concerned that contamination like what was discovered at Robinson Elementary School is “just the tip of the iceberg.”

“At the end of the day, residents deserve to know the truth and the full picture about the health risks, as well as the sources associated with PFAS and PFOAS,” he said. Huizenga added that more research is needed to address whether the EPA’s lifetime health advisory limit is “the right number or, as we suspect, it needs to be much lower.”

Town hall set to discuss PFAS contamination
Grand Haven Tribune
Alexander Sinn • JAN 23, 2019 AT 10:59 AM

WEST OLIVE — A town hall meeting on Feb. 8 will give people the opportunity to ask officials about PFAS contamination in Robinson Township.

The meeting will take place in the main conference room at the Ottawa County Administrative Offices, 12220 Fillmore St. in West Olive, from 5-7:30 p.m.

This is the first meeting that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Ottawa County Department of Public Health has held since early November 2018, after elevated levels of PFAS substances were detected in wells at Robinson Elementary School.

In November and December, the DEQ sampled water from 66 total wells on and near 120th Avenue in the township, and traces of the substances were discovered in 34 of them. A high level of PFAS was found at the school and one residence.

Since November, residents throughout Robinson Township have been relying on bottled water for drinking and cooking, have sought independent water sampling, and installed filters in their homes.

The DEQ will conduct a hydrogeologic investigation in the coming weeks in hopes of drawing closer to the source of contamination.

Kristina Wieghmink, the public information officer for the county health department, said the February meeting was scheduled due to requests from Robinson Township officials and community members.

“We want to ensure Robinson Township residents and the public have information about PFAS and the opportunity to ask questions from local and state health officials on the PFAS testing in their area, and other concerns in the community,” she said.

DEQ District Supervisor Abigail Hendershott, DEQ analyst Paul Knoerr, and Department of Health and Human Services toxicologist William Farrell will provide updates on the investigation and the health risks of exposure. Various other officials, including Robinson Township Supervisor Kathy Kuck and Grand Haven Area Public Schools Superintendent Andy Ingall, will be available for questions.

Questions can be submitted in advance at www.surveymonkey.com/r/PFASTownMtgFeb2019.

Four potential sources for the contamination were initially considered — including firefighting foam, undocumented dump sites, biosolid applications and highway construction materials. None of these potential culprits have been ruled out, but no strong links have been drawn, either.

The Robinson Township Fire Department has never used Class B firefighting foam, which is known to contain PFAS chemicals.

DEQ spokesperson Scott Dean told the Grand Haven Tribune this month that high concentrations of PFAS chemicals have not been discovered in close proximity to nearby biosolid applications or highway construction materials.

No PFAS contamination sites under investigation in Michigan have been linked to biosolids, and no highway materials used in the construction of the M-231 bypass in Robinson Township have been identified containing PFAS.

Dump sites have historically been allowed without documentation, Dean said, but none have been identified close to elevated PFAS levels in the township.

Known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS substances are water and lipid resistant, found throughout the environment, and are used in common items such as water-repellent materials, fast-food wrappers and non-stick cookware. Human studies have linked the chemicals to numerous health hazards including forms of cancer, thyroid disease and elevated cholesterol.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a lifetime health advisory of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) in drinking water for the two chemicals PFOA and PFOS. Michigan has not established standards for drinking water, but the DEQ has investigated the contaminants across the state.

U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, joined legislators across the aisle in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to announce a bipartisan congressional PFAS Task Force. In a statement, the congressman said task force leaders are concerned that contamination like what was discovered at Robinson Elementary School is “just the tip of the iceberg.”

“At the end of the day, residents deserve to know the truth and the full picture about the health risks, as well as the sources associated with PFAS and PFOAS,” he said.

Huizenga added that more research is needed to address whether the EPA’s lifetime health advisory limit is “the right number or, as we suspect, it needs to be much lower.”