The State of Michigan is developing a readiness and response plan to coordinate quick response when PFAS contamination is identified. The plan is the result of an executive directive issued by the governor on October 2. Communities across Michigan are dealing with PFAS contamination issues that require expedited response to the health threats presented by PFAS compounds.

The MDEQ will establish the minimum requirements of a local PFAS readiness plan, working in cooperation with the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), and local units of government. The implementation of the PFAS readiness and response plan will be coordinated by MPART. MDHHS will coordinate efforts with state emergency management coordinators and local public health officials to develop the readiness plan. 

According to the governor’s office, “Michigan is continuing to work diligently to help communities respond to PFAS contamination that threatens public health and safety. To continue to identify PFAS contaminants, inform and empower the public, and mitigate potential effects, the state’s response requires a continuum of strategies. These include being prepared to ensure immediate state assistance to communities threatened by PFAS.”

The number of sites with PFAS contamination in Michigan continues to grow. The MDEQ has compiled a listing of these PFAS sites, which have been identified as having PFAS levels that potentially impact human health and the environment .

As part of the PFAS readiness plan, the MDEQ will develop and implement an access program to establish eligibility criteria, make funding decisions, and oversee the management of the funding established in Public Act 201 of 2017.   State departments and agencies will support, coordinate, and participate in developing the readiness plan and establish partnerships with government, private, and non-profit organizations.

Merit is Michigan’s PFAS environmental laboratory, analyzing soil, wastewater, groundwater, drinking water, and other sample matrices at our laboratory in East Lansing, Michigan.  Merit is certified for the analysis of PFAS by ISO/IEC 17025. Analytical method certification for PFAS includes drinking water by EPA 537 rev. 1.1 and wastewater, groundwater, and surface water by ASTM D7979 with Isotopic Dilution. Please contact Merit Laboratories for assistance on your PFAS testing needs.