Michigan 2019: Tackling water contamination

An article from Mlive.com, "State employees required to report health, safety threats in Gov. Whitmer’s first executive directive" by Emily Lawler, 1/2/19, reports on the new Governor's first executive directive of her administration that begins to tackle the problem of water contamination in Michigan.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed her first executive order on 1/2/19 establishing a chain of command for state employees to report threats to public health and safety. 

"'The people of Michigan deserve to know that their government is working for them, and our government employees deserve to know that they can speak up when they see threats to Michigan’s health and safety,' Whitmer said before signing her first executive order."

The order was in part a response to the Flint water crisis where a state-appointed emergency manager failed to act to protect the city against lead contamination of its water supply. 

Another worrisome source of water contamination in Michigan was covered by Garrett Ellison on Mlive.com, "Major warning about Michigan PFAS crisis came 6 years ago" on 7/12/18. PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been found in Michigan waterways and drinking water supplies. Robert Delaney, a veteran geologist at the Department of Environmental Quality “..took his concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to state environmental leaders more than six years ago in a prophetic report that called for decisive action on a looming health crisis…His alarm bell was largely ignored.” 

“‘Communities with fire training facilities, other Department of Defense (DOD) bases, metal platers, other major airports, major transportation corridors, and other industrialized areas all could have extensive contamination by (PFAS),’ Delaney wrote.”

“…nearly six years after Delaney's warning about the dangers and potential ubiquity of PFAS, his predictions are coming true. Numerous sites around Michigan have known PFAS plumes and the list keeps growing as testing and attention escalates. So far, the number is 31 and counting across 15 communities, where neighbors are questioning whether contaminated water is to blame for chronic diseases.” 

A few months ago we began seeing signs along our beloved Huron River warning us not to eat the fish. And that white foam that we see on the banks from time to time may be related to PFAs.

Among the sources of contamination are fire retardents, food packaging materials, numerous household products, and drinking water.

“Following an October 2010 presentation on PFAS to the EPA, Department of Defense and an interstate regulatory group, Delaney wrote that his talk was 'well received, if you consider stunned silence a good reception.'" 

There is more information on PFAS from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Website :

“…Studies indicate that PFOA and PFOS can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals. Both chemicals have caused tumors in animals. The most consistent findings are increased cholesterol levels among exposed populations, with more limited findings related to:

• low infant birth weights, 
• effects on the immune system, 
• cancer (for PFOA), and 
• thyroid hormone disruption (for PFOS). "

Finding and reporting on sites of contamination are the first step in protecting citizens against the effects of PFAS. This is especially important in light of the apparent attempt to suppress Delaney's 2012 report and restricting Delaney's access to news media:

"Although Delaney has been a regularly accessible expert on PFAS contamination in Michigan, his freedom to speak with news media was curtailed at DEQ last fall [2017] after he talked about the report on the radio. The agency would not make him available for this story despite multiple requests over several months.

Requiring state officials to warn the public about risks to health and safety should have gone without saying, but the Governor’s first executive directive removes any ambiguity on this issue.