Environmental Industry Updates
The Latest News on Scientific and Regulatory Updates from Merit Laboratories
The MDEQ has been directed by the governor to begin the process of creating PFAS drinking water standards. The MDEQ will file a Request for Rulemaking to establish maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). As part of the governor’s direction, the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) will form a science advisory workgroup to review health-based drinking water standards to support the rulemaking process and make recommendations by July 1.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued an update for the on-going investigation into PFAS contamination at the Wolverine Worldwide Tannery and House Street site in Rockford, Michigan. According to the update, the contamination comes from Wolverine Worldwide’s former tannery in Rockford and a waste dump known as the House Street Disposal Area in Belmont.
Residents living in northern Kent County are being recruited to participate in a PFAS Exposure Assessment. The exposure assessment, conducted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Kent County Health Department (KCHD), will evaluate the relationship between drinking water contaminated with PFAS and the amount of PFAS in the body.
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 Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is deploying drones to fly over Lake Margrethe to search for cold water springs that could be carrying PFAS contamination into the lake near Camp Grayling. The MDEQ believes this is the first-ever usage of drones to search for PFAS contamination.
The presence of PFAS at sites throughout Michigan have prompted the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to require Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) with an Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) to address this emerging contaminant. In a letter to WWTPs dated February 20, 2018, the MDEQ is requiring several actions be taken to ensure that all IPPs are prohibiting discharges of PFOS and PFOA. By June 20, 2018, the MDEQ is requiring WWTPs with an IPP to complete the following:
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has announced that it will be hosting workshops on the Volatilization to Indoor Air Pathway (VIAP) to provide guidance and training on Vapor Intrusion (VI). The MDEQ will be conducting four workshops throughout the state. The workshops will provide information on the concepts and fundamentals of VIAP, steps associated with investigations, collection and use of evidence, information on the USDA soil classification system, mitigation strategies, and VI sampling methodology and supplies.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced the establishment of new drinking water criterion for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). The criterion, the first of its kind in Michigan for these compounds, is set at 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for the combined concentration of PFOA and PFOS for both residential and non-residential drinking water.
