CMF is continuing to track the latest news on steps being taken to address PFAS contamination in our state.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of human-made chemicals – commonly found in fabric treatments, soaps, firefighting foam and other products – that break down very slowly in the environment, are highly soluble and easily transfer through the soil to groundwater.

In a session at CMF’s annual conference, presenters shared that PFAS exposure is associated with a variety of serious health issues, including some cancers, infertility, thyroid disease, suppressed immunity, high cholesterol, preeclampsia and ulcerative colitis.

There have been several developments on PFAS since that time.

In October, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) announced it was moving forward with formal rule-making on limits for certain PFAS compounds in drinking water. On November 14, the Environmental Rules Review Committee voted to move those regulations forward. As Michigan Radio reported, if approved, the new regulations will be among the strictest in the nation.

Here’s a look at the current draft regulations for PFAS Maximum Contaminant Levels:

PFAS Regs.jpg

"We can no longer wait for the federal government to act, which is why I directed EGLE to establish PFAS drinking water standards to protect Michiganders,” Governor Whitmer said in a press release. “Moving forward with the rulemaking process moves us one step closer toward building public confidence and achieving real solutions that ensure every Michigander can safely bathe their kids and give them a glass of water at the dinner table."

MLive reports that three hearings on the state’s plan to regulate PFAS chemicals in drinking water have been scheduled for January: Grand Rapids on Jan. 8, Ann Arbor on Jan. 14 and Roscommon on Jan. 16.

EGLE is taking public comment on the draft rules until Jan. 31, 2020. Comments can be emailed to: EGLE-PFAS-RuleMaking@Michigan.gov or mailed to Suzann Ruch, Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division, Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, P.O. Box 30817, Lansing, MI 48909.

Input from Michiganders will then be relayed back to the Environmental Rules Review Committee for a final vote currently slated for March.

At the federal level, Michigan lawmakers are leading efforts towards PFAS legislation, calling for the EPA to take action, and they are raising public awareness about the issue.

On November 21, Michigan Advance reported that dozens of Michigan lawmakers signed a letter threatening to withhold support for the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual “must pass” bill, if it doesn’t include a provision that would require the EPA to designate PFAS as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Because PFAS are not currently considered hazardous substances at the federal level, the EPA is limited in regulating the chemicals.

“We are only beginning to understand the implications of PFAS on human health, our economy, our water, and our environment,” said John Erb, chair and CEO of the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation and co-chair of the Green & Blue Network (GBN).

“PFAS and its family of chemicals may be the DDT of the 21^st century, or possibly even worse, due to its pervasiveness, persistence and bioaccumulation in humans and animals. Michigan is the epicenter with 75 known PFAS contaminated sites. Much more testing and research are needed to understand the impacts to health, water and food,” Erb said.

On December 5, CMF’s Public Policy Committee voted in favor of a resolution “supporting the adoption of standards to protect and improve the health of people and their communities against exposure to PFAS contaminants.”

The resolution was put forth by the GBN which provides a space for CMF members and philanthropists to come to together to learn from experts and each other about leading health and environmental issues and how to make more effective and intentional environmental grants, impact environmental policy and leverage grant dollars.

The issue is expected to next go to the CMF Board of Trustees.

Erb invites CMF members to join a funder-only call on Monday, December 9 at 1:30 p.m. to learn more about the PFAS Alliance and other ways foundations can support information sharing and referrals for families whose water has been contaminated by PFAS. Dial in information: 888.557.8511; passcode: 9295525#

Want more?

Check out Mlive’s Faces of PFAS series sharing the stories of Michiganders affected by PFAS in their drinking water.