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LEGEND
PFAS Contamination Site

Information about contamination sites comes from the PFAS Contamination Site Tracker, a project of the PFAS Project Lab at the Northeastern University.


Michigan Contamination Areas

  1. Algoma Township
    Tannery sludge from the Wolverine Worldwide facility in Rockford was spread on farms as crop fertilizer in what are now two residential neighborhoods in Algoma Township. There is also a Wolverine dump site at 12 Mile Road and the White Pine Trail which is linkely contributing to local water contamination
    Location  Algoma Township, Michigan
    Date  2017
    PFAS contamination source  Industrial sludge spread on farms as fertilizer

  2. Alpena
    Firefighting foam used at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) and tannery waste/emissions from Alpena Hide & Leather Co.
    Location  Alpena County, Michigan
    Date  2017
    PFAS contamination source  Military; Industry/Manufacturing

  3. Ann Arbor
    The contamination is blamed on upstream pollution from an Adept Plating and Plastics, now operating as Tribar Manufacturing Inc., in Wixom, and other potential sources.
    Location  Ann Arbor, Michigan
    Date  2014
    Community response  "City leaders say the extensive media attention surrounding the issue has resulted in numerous inquiries from residents regarding measures the city is taking to address PFAS in the drinking water." ('Ann Arbor OKs new plan to reduce PFAS in city's drinking water'. MLive)
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing

  4. Battle Creek Air National Guard Base
    Firefighting foam used at Battle Creek ANGB
    Location  Battle Creek/Springfield/Bedford Township, Calhoun County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Military- Air National Guard

  5. Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center
    Firefighting foam used at Camp Grayling Army Airfield/Joint Maneuver Training Center
    Location  Camp Greyling, Michigan
    Date  2016
    PFAS contamination source  Military - Army Base

  6. Cascade Township
    Firefighting foam used for training exercises at Gerald Ford International Airport during the 70s-90s, and discharges from a former Lacks Enterprises metal plating facility.
    Location  Cascade Township, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Civilian Airport; Industry / Manufacturing

  7. City of Kalamazoo
    Multiple potential sources. A study commissioned by the city found 20 industrial sites were dumping PFASs into its wastewater system.
    Location  City of Kalamazoo, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing, Landfill(s)

  8. Coldwater Road Landfill
    Leachate from PFAS-contaiing waste dumped in the landfill
    Location  Flint, Michigan
    Date  2016
    PFAS contamination source  Landfill

  9. Diamond Chrome Plating
    This site has operated as a chrome plater since 1953. PFAS surfactants were used to suppress vapors resulting from the chrome plating operations.
    Location  Howell, Livingston County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Industry/Manufacturing

  10. EightCAP Orleans Head Start center
    Source unknown
    Location  Orleans Township, Ionia County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Unknown

  11. Escanaba Defense Fuel Supply Point
    Firefighting foam used at Escanaba Defense Fuel Supply Point
    Location  Escanaba, Michigan
    Date  2014
    Community response  According to a December 2, 2017 article in the Escanaba Daily Press, the Hannahville Native American Nation purchased the property and is considering redevelopment of the property.The Hannahville Native American Nation is aware of the PFAS contamination at the site according to DEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Division district staff.
    PFAS contamination source  Military - Air Force

  12. Former Du-Well Metals facility
    Location  Hartford, Van Buren County, Michigan
    Date  2019
    PFAS contamination source  Industry/Manufacturing

  13. Former Wurtsmith Air Force Base
    Firefighting foam used at former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB)
    Location  Oscoda Township, Michigan
    Date  2010
    Community response  The NOW (Need Our Water) community activist group was formed in response to the discovery of toxic PFAS foam on the Van Etten Lake shoreline. Residents re-stablished a Restoration Advisory Board in 2017
    PFAS contamination source  Military - Former Air Force Base

  14. Fort Gratiot Landfill
    This landfill operated from 1969 to 1994. During its operation, it accepted industrial waste, including paper pulp waste, paint sludge, and contaminated soil from environmental cleanup projects.
    Location  Fort Gratiot Township, St. Clair County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Landfill

  15. Gordie Howe International Bridge U.S. Port of Entry (Customs Plaza)
    This site is the future location of the Gordie Howe International Bridge U.S. Port of Entry, and encompasses approximately 190 acres of historical heavy industrial, commercial, and residential properties in southwest Detroit
    Location  Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Industry/Manufacturing

  16. Grand Rapids Municipal Water System / WWTP
    The Grand Rapids municipal system draws its water from Lake Michigan at a depth of 50 feet and about a mile from shore. PFAS-related compounds have been in use around Lake Michigan for decades
    Location  Grand Rapids, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Multiple sources

  17. Grawn, Grand Traverse County
    1995 fire at Carl's Retreading, where AFFF was used
    Location  Grawn, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Industry-related fire

  18. Huron Shores Regional Water Authority
    Plume originating from Wurtsmith Air Force Base firefighting foam use
    Location  Tawas, Michigan
    Date  2015
    PFAS contamination source  Military - Former Air Force Base

  19. Ithaca
    Former landfill; potentially used by Wolverine Worldwide to dump tannery waste
    Location  Ithaca, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Landfill

  20. KI Sawyer Air Force Base
    Two fire training areas and three plane crash sites where firefighting foam was used, two land fills, and undeveloped areas where WWTP sludges were land-applied
    Location  Gwinn, Michigan
    Date  2015
    PFAS contamination source  Military - Air Force Base; Landfills; land-applied sludge

  21. Lansing
    RACER Lansing Plant & Adams Plating plant
    Location  Lansing, Michigan
    Date  2016
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing

  22. Lapeer
    Lapeer Plating & Plastics facility and the Lapeer Wastewater Treatment Plant (Lapeer WWTP)
    Location  Lapeer, Michigan
    Date  2017
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing

  23. Mt. Pleasant
    Firefighting foam used/stored at Roosevelt Refinery
    Location  Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
    Date  2017
    Community response  On August 03, 2018, the MDEQ was contacted by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe requesting quarterly meetings to discuss the Roosevelt facility and other sites within the reservation. On September 19, 2018, MDEQ staff met with the Tribe, USEPA, and other local units of government and provided an update on the Roosevelt facility, including a PowerPoint presentation and a site tour. This was the first quarterly meeting between these parties.
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing

  24. Otsego Township / Plainwell Township
    Source unknown. DEQ file information for the Kalamazoo River Superfund site, the former Rock-Tenn paper mill, the former Menasha paper mill, and the former A-1 Landfill are being reviewed as potential sources
    Location  Plainwell, Allegan County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    Community response  An Ostego resident, age 35, can't believe the number of cancer cases and other serious illnesses reported by area residents, including her own diagnosis of ovarian cancer when she was 17, and wants to find out if they're tied to environmental contaminants. She created an online survey to gather responses about cancer diagnosis and other health issues from area respondents. As of March 12, 2018, she had heard from 415 people and said she saw about 200 surveys that include cancer cases and reproductive issues in young adults and some children. She then created the Justice For Otsego Facebook page, where commenters share their own stories and work together to share research and news articles about environmental contamination in the Otsego area. Ostego's Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site has been selected as one of 21 contamination sites nationally to receive "immediate and intense attention."
    PFAS contamination source  Unknown

  25. Parchment / Cooper Township
    The old Crown Vantage mill used PFAS to coat food-wrap paper.
    Location  Parchment & Cooper Townships, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing, Landfill(s)

  26. Pierson Township
    Wolverine Worldwide tannery waste stored at the Central Sanitary Landfill since mid 1980s
    Location  Pierson Township, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Landfill / Industrial Waste

  27. RACER Buick City Site
    In April 2018, groundwater sampling at GM's former Buick City factory showed elevated PFAS levels in nearby groundwater, and the site is currently being investigated as a potential source of PFASs in the Flint River.
    Location  Flint, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Industry/Manufacturing

  28. Richland Township
    Of the facilities sampled by Fleis & Vanderbrink, Kalamazoo found 10 sites were discharging PFOA and 20 sites were discharging PFOS into the city's wastewater system. The primary contributor is former Production Plated Plastics, owned by the state since 1989.
    Location  Kalamazoo County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    Community response  On July 18, 2018, MDEQ held a townhall at the Living Hope Church to provide information and answer questions from Richland residents.
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing, Landfill(s)

  29. Saginaw-Midland Municipal Water Supply Co
    Lake Huron is the source of conamination, which receives drainage from Wurtsmith and Camp Grayling PFAS contamination sites upstream.
    Location  Au Gres, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Military - Army Base/Former Air Force Base

  30. Selfridge Air National Guard Base
    Firefighting foam used at Selfridge Air National Gaurd Base
    Location  Mt. Clemens / Harrison Township, Michigan
    Date  2015
    PFAS contamination source  Military - Air National Guard Base

  31. Sherwin-Williams packaging facility
    In the past, the site filled spray cans with 3M Scotchgard and its fire suppression system was primed with Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)
    Location  Holland, Allegan County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Industry/Manufacturing

  32. Tri County Schools Middle School
    Source unknown
    Location  Montcalm County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Unknown

  33. Wixom
    Adept Plastic Finishing Inc. factory
    Location  Wixom, Oakland County, Michigan
    Date  2018
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing

  34. Wolverine Worldwide Rockford tannery dump site
    This area consists of a former licensed disposal facility owned and operated by Wolverine near House Street and Herrington Avenue in Plainfield Township and several unregulated dump sites across three townships in northern Kent County.
    Location  Kent County, Belmont, Plainfield Township, and Rockford, Michigan
    Date  2017
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing



If you know about a contamination site in your state that is not shown on the map, fill out this form to have it added. Check back for updates about your state!

Michigan Community Groups

  1. Huron River Watershed Council
    The Huron River Watershed Council protects and restores the river for healthy and vibrant communities. HRWC is a nonprofit coalition of residents, businesses, and local governments. HRWC bridges political boundaries by building partnerships between and among communities, community leaders, residents, and commercial enterprises. HRWC monitors the Huron River, its tributaries, lakes, and groundwater, and leads programs on pollution prevention and abatement, wetland and floodplain protection, public education, and natural resource and land-use planning.
    Location  Huron River, Michigan
    Learn more at http://www.hrwc.org  
    Contact Name  Daniel Brown
    Contact Email  dbrown@hrwc.org
    Contact Phone  734-769-5123

  2. Michigan Demands Action Against Contamination
    Demand Action was born on November 22, 2017 in hopes of spreading current events in our community. We found that the DEQ, EPA, Department and health were failing to communicate to residents on a level that they could understand. We created this group to set focus on a massive crisis immerging throughout our state and our country. In the beginning we focused at a local level but quickly expanded throughout the state. We strive to educate the community regarding Water contamination from industrial waste.
    Learn more at https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1n-HifxgAMg5WkRv7JQm7uEVaqO9p-XNm  
    Contact Email  MIDemandsAction@gmail.com
    Facebook  

  3. NOW Need Our Water
    NOW Need Our Water is a community action group organized to give Oscoda-AuSable and surrounding communities a voice. Our mission is to be a reliable resource and catalyst for education and communication while advocating for long-term health and environmental welfare plans on behalf of those affected by the water contamination from the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan.
    Location  Oscoda Michigan / BRAC Wurtsmith Air Force
    Contact Name  Cathy Wusterbarth
    Contact Email  nowactiongroup@gmail.com
    Contact Phone  810-441-9855
    Facebook  

  4. PFAS Alliance
    We are a group whose membership is limited to PFAS impacted communities in the State of Michigan. We exist to present a uniform voice for all such communities whenever possible, and to provide much needed resources to residents and other stakeholders there. We also utilize our own scientific and regulatory resources to progress PFAS investigations and to cut off open exposure pathways in the State of Michigan with all possible urgency.
    Location  Entire State of Michigan
    Learn more at http://www.PFASalliance.org  
    Contact Name  Mr. A. J. Birkbeck
    Contact Email  abirkbec@umich.edu
    Contact Phone  616-541-4133



​​​​​​If you are involved in a community organization working on PFAS and you don’t see your group listed, click here to have your group added to this page. 

If there are no community groups in your state, try contacting the National PFAS Contamination Coalition—a network of community groups working to address PFAS contamination across the country. You can also contact a coalition member near you to learn more and get involved.

Michigan PFAS Exposure and Health Studies

  1. ATSDR Multi-Site Health Study in Parchment/Cooper Township and North Kent County, MI
    Location  Parchment/Cooper Township and North Kent County
    Status  Ongoing
    Learn more at https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71548_54783_54784_101858-539252--,00.html  
    Date  Beginning Fall 2019
    Type of study  Health study to look at human health effects of PFAS exposure through drinking water
    Study conducted by  Michigan State Department of Health and Human Services

  2. PFAS in Firefighters of Michigan Surveillance (PFOMS)
    Location  Statewide
    Status  Ongoing - actively recruiting participants
    Learn more at https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71548_54783_54784_102116_102118---,00.html  
    Date  Ongoing
    Type of study  Biomonitoring study on Michigan firefighters
    Study conducted by  Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

  3. PFAS U.S. National Investigation of Transport and Exposure from Drinking Water and Diet (PFAS UNITEDD)
    Location  Michigan, North Carolina, Colorado
    Learn more at https://www.pfasunitedd.org  
    Date  Ongoing
    Type of study  Project that will study the impact of PFAS in communities in three states and will develop possible means for PFAS remediation.
    Study conducted by  Colorado School of Mines, North Carolina State University, Duke University, Michigan State University, Colorado School of Public Health

  4. Plainfield Township Study
    Location  Plainfield Township
    Status  Ongoing - actively recruiting participants
    Learn more at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SNVy-vco_KrCBC_ZFpMcyiDTvtSNx36BmuUdGc4Glx4/viewform?edit_requested=true  
    Date  2017 - ongoing
    Type of study  Community health survey for residents of Plainfield Township, MI
    Study conducted by  Michigan Demands Action Against Contamination
    PFAS contamination source  Superfund site landfill



Some states have conducted their own blood testing to understand people's exposure to PFAS in areas with contaminated drinking water. In the fall of 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry launched a national health study on PFAS involving multiple communities across the country.

Do you know about a health study in your state that is not listed here? Fill out this form to have it added!

Wondering if a health study is right for your community? Boston University’s Department of Environmental Health has a guide for making informed decisions.

Michigan Agency Websites

  1. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
    List of PFAS Sites
    Learn more at https://www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse/0,9038,7-365-86511_95645---,00.html  

  2. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy PFAS Sites Web Map
    Learn more at https://egle.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=36c48f4a7d144c21a79291ba280cf50b  

  3. State of Michigan
    Learn more at https://www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse/