The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) recently updated its list of sites where the MDEQ has confirmed detections of PFOA and PFOS in groundwater. The list now includes the following Michigan sites:
Merit Laboratories Featured in Cover Story in the October Issue of Lab Manager
We’re proud to be a part of the cover story in the latest issue of Lab Manager. The article, Human Resources, explores the important role a laboratory manager should play in hiring, leading, and developing employees.
Michigan Developing PFAS Readiness and Response Plan
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.
Deploying Drones to Search for PFAS Contamination at Camp Grayling
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.
PFAS Soil Site Investigation Efforts Becoming Increasingly More Important
While testing for PFAS in water sample matrices captures most of the attention, the analysis of soil for PFAS is growing in importance. Environmental scientists are working hard to identify and investigate the presence of PFAS contamination in soil. Soil site investigation efforts are increasing in importance as regulatory agencies and communities are looking to identify the sources of PFAS contamination.
National SSEHRI PFAS Contamination Site Tracker Now Includes 28 Michigan Sites - Most of Any State
In May, we shared with you information about a national PFAS contamination site tracker being maintained by Northeastern University’s Social Science Environmental Health Institute (SSEHRI). At the time, there were 17 sites in Michigan on the SSEHRI PFAS Contamination Site Tracker list. In just four months, the number has increased to now include 28 Michigan sites with PFAS contamination.
Alpha Bravo Charlie: Merit’s Department of Defense Certification Renewed
The Department of Defense (DoD) has officially renewed Merit Laboratories' testing certification in support of the DoD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (DoD ELAP).
Merit Laboratories is designated a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE). Merit’s DoD ELAP accreditation includes aqueous and solid sample matrices for a diverse range of analytical methods for organics, wet chemistry, and metals.
Michigan’s Superfund Legislative Report Published
The State of Michigan published its annual Superfund report summarizing hazardous substance cleanups of the 65 Michigan sites that are funded by CERCLA (Superfund). No new Michigan sites were added to the Superfund list in FY 2017. According to the MDEQ’s Remediation and Redevelopment Division, 10 of the state’s Superfund sites were in the operation and maintenance phase.
Michigan PFAS Statewide Drinking Water Initiative Results
The State of Michigan has started posting PFAS testing results from the statewide drinking water initiative for schools using well water. The state has created a database of PFAS results for public review. The school drinking water results are posted here. The second part of the statewide initiative involves PFAS testing of public water supplies and these results are posted here.
Explaining the GSI Pathway
Because of Michigan’s complex geology, the groundwater-surface water interface (GSI) plays an important role in the state’s environmental cleanup program. Last month, we shared with you information about recent updates made by the MDEQ to the Generic Cleanup Criteria Tables. But what exactly is a GSI Pathway and how is GSI Pathway relevancy determined?