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From Michigan to the Nation – A Groundwater Emergency

Furious and fearful, residents are asking a simple but urgent question: what’s in my water?

But PFAS are the tip of the spear for threats to groundwater in Michigan and nationally. Nitrates, industrial chemicals, and pathogens have been swept underground for decades — aquifers used as garbage cans. What else is in the groundwater? And what are the risks?

A collaborative series produced by:

Collaborative Coverage

Here’s what Gretchen Whitmer’s new PFAS water rules mean for Michigan

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October 16, 2019
  Michigan has taken a major step toward regulating dangerous…
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/fire_hydrant.jpg 720 1280 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2019-10-16 15:07:342019-10-16 18:06:19Here’s what Gretchen Whitmer’s new PFAS water rules mean for Michigan

Whitmer orders Michigan to set PFAS standards, setting up clash with GOP

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March 27, 2019
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has kickstarted efforts to set a statewide standard for PFAS, hazardous chemicals that are increasingly befouling Michigan waters.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-JGanter-_G3_1540-Edit-2500.jpg 1067 1600 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2019-03-27 15:53:062019-03-28 13:07:56Whitmer orders Michigan to set PFAS standards, setting up clash with GOP

Gov. Snyder signs Michigan lame-duck bills opposed by environmentalists

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January 2, 2019
New legislation may impact Michigan's response to PFAS contamination. 
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/7vHD8F5v.jpeg 1067 1600 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2019-01-02 15:12:582019-03-27 15:53:52Gov. Snyder signs Michigan lame-duck bills opposed by environmentalists

Republicans: Michigan shouldn’t regulate more strictly than Washington

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December 10, 2018
By Jim Malewitz, Bridge Magazine
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/pfas_map_photo_0.jpg 600 1200 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2018-12-10 16:25:182018-12-12 08:55:35Republicans: Michigan shouldn’t regulate more strictly than Washington

Michigan waited years to heed warnings on PFAS dangers, expert says

November 13, 2018
By Jim Malewitz, Bridge Magazine
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JMdelaney-e1542168002370.jpg 561 1200 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2018-11-13 23:08:192018-11-15 10:54:58Michigan waited years to heed warnings on PFAS dangers, expert says

Minnesota has fought PFAS for years. Here’s how its plan can help Michigan

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October 17, 2018
FLINT — Gov. Rick Snyder says Michigan is the nation’s…
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/waterJ.jpg 800 1200 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2018-10-17 13:58:002018-10-17 14:21:45Minnesota has fought PFAS for years. Here’s how its plan can help Michigan

Infographic: Household Wells in the United States

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October 1, 2018
Thirteen percent of Americans, some 42 million people, use a household well for their water supply.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/US-map_Percentage-of-People-Wells.jpg 1597 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-10-01 12:32:072018-10-04 12:41:58Infographic: Household Wells in the United States

In Senate PFAS Hearing, Government Officials Say Regulatory Response Will Take Years

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September 26, 2018
Officials from multiple federal agencies testified at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-JGanter-_G3_2395-2500.jpg 1600 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-09-26 22:13:022018-10-03 10:30:16In Senate PFAS Hearing, Government Officials Say Regulatory Response Will Take Years

Michigan’s Groundwater Emergency

September 25, 2018
Groundwater in Michigan is “compromised and deteriorated.”
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-JGanter-_G3_0543-Edit-2500.jpg 957 1600 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-09-25 15:00:332022-03-22 12:43:15Michigan’s Groundwater Emergency

Groundwater: The Sixth Great Lake

September 25, 2018
Despite its abundance, is groundwater a second-class citizen?
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-JGanter-_G3_1449-Edit-2500.jpg 1067 1600 Gary Wilson https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Gary Wilson2018-09-25 14:33:062021-03-13 14:26:33Groundwater: The Sixth Great Lake

Michigan PFAS by the numbers: How much is unsafe?

September 25, 2018
Confusion runs rampant about PFAS dangers. The federal government and states can’t agree on how much is unsafe for states. Here’s a primer on what’s known so far.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-JGanter-_G3_1825-Edit-2500.jpg 1067 1600 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2018-09-25 14:31:482018-09-27 09:34:31Michigan PFAS by the numbers: How much is unsafe?

Remembering Michigan’s PBB Crisis

September 25, 2018
Contamination of the food-supply chain in Michigan in the 1970s was one of the worst mass poisonings in U.S. history. The events still resonate today.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-JGanter-_G3_0740-2500.jpg 1600 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-09-25 14:30:562022-03-22 12:43:12Remembering Michigan’s PBB Crisis

Drip by Drip, Septic Systems Foul Michigan Waters

September 25, 2018
The state relies on backyard sewage treatment more than most.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2015-10-14-15-Septic-Tanks-JCGanter_G3_7324-Edit-2500-1.jpg 1067 1600 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-09-25 14:27:062022-03-22 12:43:28Drip by Drip, Septic Systems Foul Michigan Waters

Fastest-Growing Michigan County Reckons With Groundwater Pollution and Depletion

September 25, 2018
Ottawa County leaders recognize the need to act on groundwater.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/OttawaCounty-e1537902125882.jpg 1110 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-09-25 14:25:392018-12-19 11:42:15Fastest-Growing Michigan County Reckons With Groundwater Pollution and Depletion

Fear and Fury in Michigan Town Where Air Force Contaminated Water

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April 11, 2018
Some residents can’t drink the water or eat the fish. Now they’re…
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018-03-Michigan-Oscoda-Groundwater-BWalton_IMG_4860-Edit-2500.jpg 1366 2048 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-04-11 11:21:092018-12-19 11:33:45Fear and Fury in Michigan Town Where Air Force Contaminated Water

Listen to H2O Catalyst

Read and Listen

Additional Coverage

Stacks of free bottled water sit at Parchment High School. Residents have been advised not to drink the tap water after tests showed it contained PFAS, a group of chemicals used in many products and as a flame retardant. Photo © Jim Malewitz/ Bridge

PFAS contamination leaves fruits and veggies to wither 

By Jim Malewitz, Bridge

Michigan’s PFAS contamination emergency 

By Mary Ellen Geist, Bureau Chief, Detroit Public Television’s Great Lakes Bureau, greatlakesnow.org

Monitoring wells stand as silent sentinels on the grounds of a field used as a fire training site at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Photo © Brett Walton / Circle of Blue

Fear and Fury in Michigan Town Where Air Force Contaminated Water

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

Sticky foam rings a public beach near on Van Etten Lake near the shuttered Wurtsmith Air Force base. State environmental officials said it resembled foam that has tested positive for high levels of toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Photo © Jim Malewit/Bridge

Environmentalists outraged Michigan warning about PFAS went unheeded

By Jim Malewitz, Bridge

Is PFAS from Michigan’s Huron River contaminating Lake Erie’s fish?

By Mary Ellen Geist, Bureau Chief, Detroit Public Television’s Great Lakes Bureau, greatlakesnow.org

A truck similar to this one will be used to suck up toxic PFAS foam around parts of Oscoda, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality said. (Photo courtesy of MDEQ)

Michigan enlists ‘Shop-Vac on steroids’ to fight toxic PFAS foam

By Jim Malewitz, Bridge 

PFAS and PFOS Across The Nation

Congress Passes Defense Spending Bill That Includes Perfluorinated Chemicals Health Study

November 20, 2017
CDC will guide first-ever national evaluation of drinking water…
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/PetersonAFB1600px.jpg 1066 1600 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2017-11-20 17:10:142018-03-22 00:15:49Congress Passes Defense Spending Bill That Includes Perfluorinated Chemicals Health Study

New Jersey Sets First Binding State Limits for Perfluorinated Chemicals in Drinking Water

November 7, 2017
Regulators adopt strictest standards in the nation.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Salem_NJ1600px.jpg 717 1600 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2017-11-07 14:10:412022-03-22 11:45:52New Jersey Sets First Binding State Limits for Perfluorinated Chemicals in Drinking Water

EPA Investigates Chemical Contamination of North Carolina River

June 23, 2017
Nonstick chemical was found downstream of Chemours’ Fayetteville…
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Wilmington_North_Carolina.jpg 1001 1600 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2017-06-23 06:00:032017-06-26 10:44:47EPA Investigates Chemical Contamination of North Carolina River

Nonstick Chemicals Slipped Into Water, Causing Health, Environmental, Regulatory Mess

April 18, 2017
PFASs -- used in clothing, carpets, cookware, and more -- contaminate wells across the United States.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/GovCuomoHoosickFallsNY.jpg 1204 2048 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2017-04-18 06:00:282018-06-18 11:19:40Nonstick Chemicals Slipped Into Water, Causing Health, Environmental, Regulatory Mess

Drinking Water Warning Issued for Nonstick Chemical

June 20, 2016
Flint lead scandal a factor in stirring action for other contaminants. By…
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/ParkersburgWV.jpg 1365 2048 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2016-06-20 07:00:162016-06-20 08:20:57Drinking Water Warning Issued for Nonstick Chemical

Federal Agencies Plan to Investigate Links between PFAS Exposure and Viral Illness

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April 8, 2021
Two federal health agencies are planning to investigate potential links between exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals and susceptibility to viral illnesses like Covid-19.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-iPhone-JGanter-IMG_7163-Edit-2500.jpg 865 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2021-04-08 12:00:202021-05-20 15:07:40Federal Agencies Plan to Investigate Links between PFAS Exposure and Viral Illness

Who Pays? PFAS Lawsuits, Legislation Raise Question of Pollution Liability

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February 12, 2020
Wastewater utilities, whose facilities are a conduit for chemical pollution, object to Democratic proposals in Congress that could hold them liable for the cost of PFAS removal.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-JGanter-_G3_0573-Edit-2500.jpg 1600 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2020-02-12 18:12:472020-02-13 14:00:16Who Pays? PFAS Lawsuits, Legislation Raise Question of Pollution Liability

Michigan leads nation in PFAS. It will lead cleanups, too, U.S. reps say

May 30, 2019
A report this month found Michigan leads the nation in sites contaminated with toxic chemicals known as PFAS, and the state’s bipartisan delegation in Congress has introduced a flurry of legislation to increase testing.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/grand_hotel_pfas_story_1120.jpg 491 1111 Circle Blue https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Circle Blue2019-05-30 06:00:432019-05-29 14:00:09Michigan leads nation in PFAS. It will lead cleanups, too, U.S. reps say

Whitmer orders Michigan to set PFAS standards, setting up clash with GOP

0 Comments
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March 27, 2019
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has kickstarted efforts to set a statewide standard for PFAS, hazardous chemicals that are increasingly befouling Michigan waters.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-JGanter-_G3_1540-Edit-2500.jpg 1067 1600 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2019-03-27 15:53:062019-03-28 13:07:56Whitmer orders Michigan to set PFAS standards, setting up clash with GOP

EPA Says It Will Regulate Two PFAS Chemicals in Drinking Water

0 Comments
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February 14, 2019
The EPA’s PFAS action plan includes steps for regulation, monitoring, detection, and cleanup.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-iPhone-JGanter-IMG_7163-Edit-2500.jpg 865 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2019-02-14 12:28:112019-11-25 14:30:57EPA Says It Will Regulate Two PFAS Chemicals in Drinking Water

Gov. Snyder signs Michigan lame-duck bills opposed by environmentalists

0 Comments
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January 2, 2019
New legislation may impact Michigan's response to PFAS contamination. 
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/7vHD8F5v.jpeg 1067 1600 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2019-01-02 15:12:582019-03-27 15:53:52Gov. Snyder signs Michigan lame-duck bills opposed by environmentalists

As PFAS Lawsuits Proliferate, Legal Tactics Emerge

1 Comment
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December 14, 2018
Potentially billions of dollars in damages are at stake in more than a hundred lawsuits against companies and others for contaminating water with PFAS.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-iPhone-JGanter-IMG_7161-Edit-2500.jpg 1088 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-12-14 16:12:002018-12-19 11:35:28As PFAS Lawsuits Proliferate, Legal Tactics Emerge

Republicans: Michigan shouldn’t regulate more strictly than Washington

0 Comments
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December 10, 2018
By Jim Malewitz, Bridge Magazine
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/pfas_map_photo_0.jpg 600 1200 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2018-12-10 16:25:182018-12-12 08:55:35Republicans: Michigan shouldn’t regulate more strictly than Washington

Michigan waited years to heed warnings on PFAS dangers, expert says

November 13, 2018
By Jim Malewitz, Bridge Magazine
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JMdelaney-e1542168002370.jpg 561 1200 Jim Malewitz https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Jim Malewitz2018-11-13 23:08:192018-11-15 10:54:58Michigan waited years to heed warnings on PFAS dangers, expert says

In Senate PFAS Hearing, Government Officials Say Regulatory Response Will Take Years

0 Comments
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September 26, 2018
Officials from multiple federal agencies testified at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing.
https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-08-Mich-Groundwater-JGanter-_G3_2395-2500.jpg 1600 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-09-26 22:13:022018-10-03 10:30:16In Senate PFAS Hearing, Government Officials Say Regulatory Response Will Take Years

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