LANSING, Mich. - Ahead of a new session, a coalition of House Democrats criticized the Republican-led legislature Tuesday for not making policy addressing the PFAS chemicals contaminating water systems throughout Michigan.
“[There are] 265 days that have been squandered…when we could’ve been keeping Michigan families safe,” said Rep. Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids. She introduced a bill—265 days ago last December—that would set Michigan’s maximum contaminant level for PFAS in drinking water at five parts per trillion, the lowest cap in the country.
“We still do not have an enforceable drinking water standard established in law to protect our citizens from PFAS contamination,” Brinks said.
The state currently abides by the U.S. EPA’s lifetime drinking water advisory level of 70 parts per trillion, an unenforceable standard.
“My bill proposes a level that is in line with new studies from the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] that suggest that PFAS levels should not exceed 7 to 11 parts per trillion,” she said. The federal government released the once-blocked report in June.
The DEQ has received nearly 500 results in its statewide survey of school and municipal water systems, according the spokesperson Scott Dean. Twenty-three detected PFAS between 10 and 70 parts per trillion. Only the Parchment water system exceeded the EPA limit.
“We are asking, again and again, on a daily basis that this legislature take its responsibility seriously and hold hearings, oversight hearings to shed light on what actually happened at the DEQ to lead to this situation,” said Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor.
The group of legislators said their requests to Republicans to hold hearings have “fall[en] on deaf ears.” 13 ON YOUR SIDE called every Republican on the House Oversight Committee. The office of Rep. Steven Johnson, R-Wayland, responded, saying he is “looking into the PFAS situation” and wants to make sure they are “using a science-based approach.”
Continued inaction and delay from Republicans are unacceptable, said House Democratic Floor Leader Rep. Christine Greig, D-Farmington Hills.
“As we are finally back in session tomorrow, the time for excuses has passed,” Greig said. “This administration and legislative Republicans have an opportunity…to show that they can do more than the bidding of the wealthy corporate donors. Pure Michigan has got to be more than a marketing slogan.”
The group said they would like to conduct an oversight hearing this week to discuss Brinks’ bill.
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