State Rep. Douglas Wozniak reacted to recent reports that Michigan leads the nation in PFAS contamination sites, saying the reports highlights the diligence of the state’s investigation efforts as well as the pressing need for science-based guidance at the federal level.

“While we have led the nation in investigating and contain courses of PFAS contamination, Michigan families deserve to know their drinking water is safe each and every time they turn on the tap,” said Wozniak, of Shelby Township. “Over the last 18 months, the Legislature has allocated record dollars to enable Michigan’s experts to track down and respond to PFAS contamination, but we need consistent, science-based guidelines at the national level to give Michigan families that peace of mind they deserve.”

Michigan has led the way in PFAS detection and response. When contamination came to light in 2017, Michigan quickly adopted the Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water limit as our environmental cleanup standard—to ensure no polluted site goes undetected – and we have continued to advance our understanding of how PFAS moves through our environment.

In addition, the Michigan Legislature has taken the following steps:

• Secured $125 million to help Michigan families affected by PFAS contamination and allow the state to respond quickly and effectively to future reports of contamination.
• Supported Executive Order 3, which strengthened and reauthorized Michigan’s PFAS Action Response Team (MPART).
• Introduced legislation to contain and control PFAS contamination by increasing reporting and training standards for the use of AFFF firefighting foam—a key source of contamination.

Approved a House resolution that ensures the state is relying on experts to make science-based recommendations that prioritize the health, safety and welfare of Michigan families.

“Lake St. Clair is a crucial part of our way of life in Macomb County and the federal government must step up to the plate and do its part to clean up the mess left behind at Selfridge,” said Wozniak. “Our state has made great progress in investigating and managing PFAS contamination, and we must continue to support better water quality on all fronts—including working to combat dioxane and lead issues that have been a concern in Michigan for many years. I support our efforts to enforce consistent drinking water standards across the board, so we can continue to pursue options to protect our fresh water resources.”

In July of 2018, state test results showed PFAS contamination had been pouring out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base into the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.

In addition to state efforts, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has begun its process to establish new guidelines regarding PFAS and commissioned research to better understand the ecological and human health affects of PFAS contamination.

Rep. Wozniak can be contacted via email at [email protected]