Read the full article by Don Reid
“BRONSON — The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has detected perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) — ‘a group of compounds that are persistent and resist degradation in the environment’ — in the discharge from the Bronson Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The level detected was 150 ng/L which is above the allowable level of 12 ng/L. The discharge from the plant flows into Swan Creek.
The city of Bronson has also detected PFOS in one test from one of its two water wells but the level is only 7.1 parts per trillion, 10 times less than the allowable level according to City Manager Brandon Mersman.
The manager said the wells were tested ‘because we wanted to be proactive’ rather than wait for state DEQ testing which is to come later this month. The test of the second well ‘showed no detectable amount. We are hoping a retest of the first well will come back the same.’
Mersman assured the public there is no danger drinking or using Bronson water.
Downstream from the plant discharge in northeast Bronson, fish have been harvested and surface water has been collected for testing from Swan Creek, Long Lake, Palmer Lake, and the St. Joseph River downstream of Sturgeon Lake. Test results are pending at this time…
Michigan DEQ met with city officials. It now requires Bronson Wastewater Treatment Plant perform monthly discharge sampling for PFOS. It is working with officials to identify PFOS sources, and to implement source reduction activities.
There are possible sources but none had definitely been identified health officials said.”