Michigan Finds High-Level Contaminants In 2 Private Wells
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) - The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has identified two private drinking wells near an Air National Guard base with high levels of chemical contaminants.
The department in April began testing 61 drinking water wells at homes near the Air National Guard base in Battle Creek. The testing followed concerns over the military site's decades-long use of firefighting foam containing perfluorinated chemicals, known as PFAS.
PFAS have been linked to health issues, including cancer.
Communications Director Scott Dean says the department has results for 29 of the collected samples. He says two of the wells exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's safety standards. He says the agency found 11 wells showing some levels of PFAS, but they were under the 70 parts-per-trillion EPA advisory.
A public meeting on the contamination will be held July 30.
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