<body><div><p><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3ucABI_0qr71MdG00" style="display:none" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3ucABI_0qr71MdG00" width="1823" height="1214" ></p><div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox" scrolling="no" src="https://w3.mp.lura.live/player/prod/v3/anvload.html?key=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" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div></div><p> LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The United States Department of Defense has agreed to two additional groundwater treatment systems to address PFAS contamination in Oscoda, Michigan, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich. 7th Dist.) said in a statement Friday. </p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> PFAS stands for “per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances” — but is better known as forever chemicals. </p><p> The DoD <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse/about/news/2023/08/17/gov-whitmer-celebrates-pfas-clean-up-at-wurtsmith-base" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> announced in August </a> that it would install two groundwater treatment systems at the site of the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. </p><p> The two additional systems, announced this Friday, Jan. 19, “represent an even larger investment by DoD than those announced in August, and were developed in close coordination with community experts,” according to the news release from Slotkin’s office. </p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1GQmg0_0qr71MdG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1GQmg0_0qr71MdG00" width="899" height="599" ><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE – PFAS foam gathers at the Van Etten Creek dam in Oscoda Township, Mich., near Wurtsmith Air Force Base on June 7, 2018. Groundwater treatment systems will be installed near a military base in northern Michigan to address contamination from high levels of toxic, widely used “forever chemicals,” the U.S. Department of Defense announced Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP, File) </figcaption></figure><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> According to Slotkin’s office, last August she sent a letter to Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante, urging the DoD to take additional remedial actions at four sites in the Oscoda area. </p><p> With this most recent announcement, all four sites receive the requested remediation. </p><p> The former Air Force base, which closed in 1993, is located along Lake Huron. </p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2x6R13_0qr71MdG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2x6R13_0qr71MdG00" width="900" height="577" ></figure><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> “This is a landmark moment…There’s much more work to be done, but this effort should serve as a model to guide all future actions at Wurtsmith and other military installations across the country,” Tony Spaniola of Need Our Water in Oscoda said Friday in the Slotkin release. </p><p> According to a 2019 report, Michigan has the highest number of PFAS-contaminated sites in the United States. </p><p> The Environmental Working Group <a href="https://apnews.com/article/environment-and-nature-e8ff4a597c0a93e2e47e8c1339401335" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> has reported that </a> PFAS chemicals have oozed into the Great Lakes and can cause harm to people who eat fish from the waterways. </p><p> Pentagon documents have shown that at least 385 military facilities across the country are polluted with PFAS–primarily from firefighting foam that the military has used in training exercises, The Associated Press reported in 2021. </p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> In February 2020, U.S. Senator Gary Peters and members of the Michigan Congressional Delegation announced that the Air Force was giving $13.5 million to <a href="https://www.wlns.com/news/peters-13-5-million-for-pfas-cleanup-effors-at-former-wurtsmith-air-force-base/" rel="nofollow"> reduce PFAS around </a> the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. </p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4LPMW4_0qr71MdG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4LPMW4_0qr71MdG00" width="650" height="370" ><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Filters at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda clean PFAS from the water. (February 2018) </figcaption></figure><p> That funding came from $60 million that Congress had given to the Department of Defense to spend to address PFAS contamination at decommissioned bases around the country. </p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that include PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. <a href="https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/oee/a_z/genx.html#:~:text=PFAS%20are%20man%2Dmade%20chemicals,coatings%20and%20for%20other%20purposes." rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> GenX </a> is a trade name for one unregulated PFAS used in manufacturing nonstick coatings and for other purposes. </p><p> PFOS and PFAS are very persistent in the environment and the human body – meaning they don’t break down and they can accumulate over time. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pfas-forever-chemical-contamination-michigan-6b62dd98c7ce4d0c4cddba057f218a4d" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> They are linked to </a> several kinds of health issues, from low birthweight to kidney cancer, The Associated Press reported. </p><i> Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. 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The two additional systems, announced this Friday, Jan. 19, \"represent an even larger investment by DoD than those announced in August,\" according to Slotkin.

Government to add groundwater treatment systems in Oscoda to prevent forever chemical contamination

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The two additional systems, announced this Friday, Jan. 19, "represent an even larger investment by DoD than those announced in August," according to Slotkin.