EGLE to provide an update Thursday on PFAS investigation near Rockford

Kent County residents will get an update on a PFAS investigation on Thursday in Rockford.

The man-made forever chemicals were found last year in private wells at several properties in Courtland and Cannon Townships .

After nearly a year of investigation, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is providing the community with more information.

The PFAS contamination was found in private residential wells in Courtland and Cannon Townships near Rockford back in 2023.

The last update was last September.

On Thursday, July 18, EGLE will provide an overview to the community on the investigation so far and an update on the data gathered to discuss next steps.

Last year, officials reached out to Wolverine Worldwide to investigate. The company used PFAS to waterproof shoes and had several dump sites around the area, where PFAS had previously been detected.

The investigation of neighboring properties looked into the source, how far it migrated and ensured all the drinking water wells were sampled.

It runs from 12 Mile Road NE to south of 10 Mile Road NE along Courtland Drive NE.

EGLE

The state found several homes with PFAS levels ranging from 50 to 110 parts per trillion. That's significantly higher than the regulation levels of eight to 16 parts per trillion.

PFAS are incredibly harmful with increased risks of kidney or testicular cancer, higher cholesterol levels and increased blood pressure.

The meeting will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium at Rockford High School.

At this time, EGLE says it is continuing to look for long-term solutions for homes where PFAS has been detected.

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