1. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
January 11, 2018

2. PFAS **Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances**
USEPA designation - national emerging contaminant
PFAS - suite of chemicals, thousands of applications
Used in industrial, food, and textile industries
Characteristics
Incredibly stable
Break down very slowly
Highly soluble
Easily transferred through soil to groundwater

3. Statewide Concerns
PFAS contamination identified in several locations in Michigan
Currently – 14 locations, 29 sites
Sources include:
Current and former military installations
Tanneries
Plating operations
Legal and illegal disposal sites
Finding significant PFAS migration
Water wells – test wells, residential, municipal, livestock

4. Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART)
Governor Snyder signed ED on November 13
Design: ensure comprehensive, cohesive, timely response to continued mitigation PFAS substances (PFAS) across Michigan
Goal: provide cooperation and coordination among all levels of government

5. Michigan PFAS Action Response Team
Cabinet Director
Appointed Lead
Exec Office Legal
Travis Weber
SME
Dr. Savitz
DEQ
DHHS
DMVA
Program Manager
DNR
MDARD
MSP
DTMB
Treasury
LARA
MDE
Michigan PFAS Action Response Team
Deputy CoS
External Comms
Truscott/Gov Office
Potential On-Call Agencies

6. DEQ Action Response Team

7. Confirmed PFAS Locations
Alpena
Ann Arbor
Escanaba
Flint
Grayling
Gwinn
Lansing
Lapeer
Mt. Clemens
Mt. Pleasant
Oscoda
Plainfield Township
Rockford
Tawas

8. Confirmed PFAS Locations/# sites
Alpena/2
Ann Arbor/1
Escanaba/1
Flint/2
Grayling/3
Gwinn/1
Lansing/2
Lapeer/2
Mt. Clemens/2
Mt. Pleasant/1
Oscoda/7
Plainfield Township/2
Rockford/2
Tawas/1
14 locations
29 sites

9. Challenges Test analysis time frame Unsettled science Funding
Testing analysis time frame
Approximately 12 private vendors do PFAS testing
All out of state
General turn-around 4-6 weeks, $500
Rush $1000
Unsettled science
Some things we do know,
Exposure pathway is ingestion only, not dermal
Half-life is 2 to 9 years
Activated carbon filters will work up to certain concentration levels
Extremely high temperatures can break them down
There is not consensus on
Rate of dispersal in the environment
ppt level at which filters should be used for consumptive water
Human health impacts, animal impacts (livestock, pets, wild, fish)
Bioaccumulation of long chain PFAS in animals and what that means to those consuming
Funding
Addressing these sites is staff intensive and analysis is costly.
Need to take large number of samples (individual private wells and monitoring wells) to ensure public safety and characterize the plume.
Also will require expensive remediation actions.

10. DEQ’s PFOA and PFOS 70 ppt Drinking Water Criterion
PFAS criterion – 70 ppt PFOA and PFOS combined, established under Part 201
Took effect Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Allows MDEQ to:
Mandate responsible parties conduct activities
take legal action who doesn’t comply with MDEQ’s cleanup rules
70 ppt comes from the health advisory value set by EPA for PFOA and PFOS.
201 Rules
70ppt is also the value for PFOA/PFOS in the pending proposed 201 rule set.
No concerns have been expressed to date with this value as part of the 201 rule process.
Allows DEQ to
Address contamination, reducing exposure to human health and the environment, and
Pursue legal actions against those who don’t comply, including violation notices, lawsuits, etc.

11. Next Steps Stand up state laboratory capabilities MPART
PFAS Multiagency Technical Workgroup
Scientific Advisory Committee
Local Public Health Advisory Committee
Secure ongoing financial support
Web site:
Laboratory Capabilities
$1.4M in supplemental to finance lab equipment and supplies
Currently in the process of working with vendors to order necessary equipment – should have a firm estimation on a date for opening within the month.
MPART
Direct work of individual departments to ensure coordination, alignment, and consistency
10 state departments, in coordination with local and federal officials across Michigan, are working together to ensure that the public health and safety of residents is protected while ensuring our environmental heritage is secure for generations of Michiganders to come.
Receive regular updates on the status of site activities and legal actions
Identify knowledge and resource gaps
Ensure transparency regarding general and site specific information via Web site, community meetings, etc.
Web site:
Provide report to the Governor and Cabinet on PFAS status and progress
Scientific Advisory Committee
led by Dr. David Savitz of Brown University’s School of Public Health and academic advisor to MPART
convene Michigan and national PFAS experts to review available science and make recommendations for Michigan’s statewide response
coordinate and review medical and environmental health PFAS science and develop evidence-based recommendations
charged with completing their review and making recommendations within the next six months.
Local Public Health Advisory Committee
led by Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
coordinate and exchange information between state and local public health leadership specifically addressing the public health impact of PFAS within Michigan communities
elevate and address locally identified issues, concerns, and requests for assistance; ensure ongoing two-way communication within communities regarding state and federal agency activities; coordinate data sharing; and identify and jointly develop action plans related to community engagement, testing, remediation, and more, for PFAS contamination sites
PFAS technical team
Research and review known technical information
Help provide answers to pressing health and scientific questions
Identify and recommend courses of action
Funding
State legislature provided $23.2 million of one-time funding (includes $14.8 million for DEQ and $8.4 million for DEQ)
Funding will support response activities, including residential well testing, surface water sampling, fish collection & testing, filters, and continual investigation
New lab equipment will also be purchased
15 FTEs will be supported by the funds (8 DHHS and 7 DEQ)
Discussions regarding ongoing future funding strategies are underway