GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - State officials are continuing to proactively test for PFAS contaminants at locations across Michigan.
As a part of this the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) tested water in September at the former Lacks Industries manufacturing site near Cascade. Of five groundwater samples, four showed high levels of PFAS.
The EPA's safe-drinking level is set at 70 parts per trillion (ppt). The samples taken in Cascade were at 270 ppt.
The former Lacks site is located at 1601 Galbraith Ave. The site was home to metal plating manufacturing until 1984, then the site was used to produce plastic parts from 1980-1997.
When the site was an active metal plating operating, metal-bearing process wastewater was dumped in three seepage lagoons. In 1989, the U.S. District Court issued two consent judgments on this: One, was to address the cleanup and the other to determine the extent of the contamination.
There is no manufacturing at that location now, but it has had contamination issues in the past.
Lakes nearby this contamination site include Walden Lake and Wood Lake, and the stream that drains them discharges to the Thornapple River.
The MDEQ is working to promptly identify drinking wells that may be contaminated with PFAS. Lacks will provide alternative water while testing is underway and where drinking water levels are found to be over 70 ppt.
PFAS was found in foam on the Thornapple River near the Cascade at the end of June. The dam is in the area that the MDEQ is going to evaluate further.
The MDEQ said that they will be holding a community meeting in the upcoming weeks once they have exactly defined the testing area.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.