Neighbors of closed landfill learn their wells should be tested for PFAS

Posted Jul 30, 8:53 AM State officials said this cross-section shows how a clay barrier is protecting water sources from the garbage in the closed Huron Development Landfill.

By  Paula Gardner | [email protected] https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwDqTfZwxzMkhKBGRmCBRJgfNWW

The landfill closed in 1991. The state contained the site in 1998. And the leachate - known as “garbage water” - moving around the property was tested for six years, ending in 2012.

During all of that time, state officials found no sign that contamination from the former Huron Development Landfill north of Marine City and Lake St. Clair infiltrated neighbors’ wells.

But with the discovery, this summer of PFAS in the leachate, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is launching a new investigation to see if drinking water near the property is safe.

“We see (PFAS) in all of our landfills that we sample, so that was no surprise,” said Kevin Wojciechowski of EGLE’s remediation redevelopment division.

State testing of landfills continues this year after Michigan launched widespread testing in 2018 that touched public drinking water supplies, industrial wastewater streams, public schools and many of the state’s rivers, along with their fish.

Active investigations are underway at several landfills, including on House Street, the Coldwater Road Landfill in Flint, and the former Crown Vantage property in Parchment, where the municipal drinking water system was shut down in summer 2018 due to extremely high levels of PFAS.

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Citizens in the small city near Kalamazoo are still looking for answers.

At the same time, the state also is considering more protective measures from the per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals used in household products like Teflon pans and Scotchguard. Many of them have been linked to adverse health effects, including cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency is weighing its steps, while some in Congress - concerned that the EPA could take years to act - are introducing their own bills to reduce the public’s risk from the chemicals.

Many landfills are not near drinking water wells, state officials said, but that’s not the case near Marine City. State officials at a community meeting on July 29 in China Township discussed their scrutiny of the combined total of PFOA and PFOS, the two types of PFAS that the state regulates in groundwater and surface water.

The landfill was shaped like a horseshoe off of Indian Trail Road, Wojciechowski said. The state tested three different areas around that semi-circle, and found combined totals of PFOS and PFOA over the recommended drinking water guideline of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) at all three places. The totals: 106.8-ppt, 361.8-ppt and 731-ppt.

The state tests for 24 types of PFAS. Totals PFAS results for the highest test site came back at 1,898-ppt.

About 40 residents of the area, located 25 miles south of Port Huron, attended the meeting. Many asked questions about the state’s plans to test wells in a half-mile radius from the center of the close dump. That criteria makes about 30 homes eligible for testing.

Many in the audience said they wished the radius was wider.

“Keep in mind, this is probably a multi-step approach investigation,” said Tracy Kecskemeti of EGLE. " … If there are detections in any area, we’re going to make that area bigger."

You're concerned about PFAS. We have answers to your questions. Call 239-272-6655

PFAS concerns are multiplying around the U.S. - and so are questions about the chemicals.

The history of the site, as told by Wojciechowski, made residents like Mike and Cathy Oliver comfortable with that approach.

“They’re going to start troubleshooting,” Mike Oliver said, noting that some neighbors are eager for the tests.

The landfill opened in 1967, taking household garbage, construction debris, foundry sand and other wastes. It remains owned by Marine City and had various operators over the years, according to the state.

“This was a licensed landfill at the time,” Wojciechowski said.

Garbage extends about 30 feet below the surface and rests on top of 100- to 150-feet of clay, which is a common soil type in the area, he said. That clay acts as a barrier for the leachate, keeping chemicals on-site. Some may emerge in surface water and shallow groundwater, but the initial testing focuses on potential drinking water effects.

Testing from 2006 to 2012 showed no movement of chemicals toward neighboring wells, Wojciechowski said.

The new round of testing, which begins with getting access agreements from property owners, could start this week.

“This is the start of the sampling,” Wojciechowski said. “Hopefully, it’s the end.”

Beyond the wells, some other issues remain on the property. No one from Marine City, the landfill owner, attended the meeting, according to a show of hands requested by Kecskemeti.

But as the investigation progresses, the state will be raising questions about paying for the sampling and identifying responsible parties.

And until the results come back, residents were told that they should be able to use their water - including in their gardens - in a normal way. However, they were reminded to check the state’s Eat Safe Fish webpage for fish warnings. Bluegill and sunfish caught on Lake St. Clair come with PFAS warnings to not eat more than four servings per month.

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If a household is above 70-ppt of combined PFOS and PFOA, alternative drinking water sources will be provided, residents were told. They also were pointed to the state’s PFAS information webpage for more assistance with concerns. For treatment go to WWW.PFAS-PFOA.com.

After a wave of immediate and pressing questions, residents appeared satisfied with the presentation by the end, said Linda Schweihofer, China Township supervisor.

“I think it gives them a level of understanding and comfort,” Schweihofer said. “There was some panicky things on social media (ahead of the meeting).”

The township is posting documents, including the lab test results from the PFAS tests, on its website.

“I don’t like a lot of the heavy clay that we have,” Schweihofer said, noting that it makes farming difficult. “In this instance, I think it’s a beautiful thing because it acts as a non-permeable layer.”

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