Read the full article by Hassan Abbas (Arab American News)
“DEARBORN — A report by The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), shows PFAS contamination in the groundwater and storm water at the Rouge Manufacturing Complex (RMC) in southeast Dearborn.
Both Ford Motor Company and AK Steel conduct manufacturing operations on the site, which is bordered by the I-94 freeway to the north and the Rouge River to the south.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS are man-made chemicals used in a variety of manufacturing industries since the mid-20th century. These chemicals don’t break down naturally and have been shown to produce serious health problems in humans, including low infant birth weights, effects on the immune system, cancer and thyroid hormone disruption.
People can be exposed to PFAS found in many commonly used chemically-treated products to make them stain- and water-repellent or nonstick, including carpets, leather and apparel, textiles, paper and packaging materials, and non-stick cookware.
But people can also be exposed to PFAS by other means, like their drinking water, if that water was contaminated by industrial facilities like the RMC.
The report says the EGLE conducted an investigation into PFAS and into the nature and extent of PFAS in groundwater and storm water in the complex and its neighboring Schaefer Road Area Wastewater Treatment Plant due to nearly a century of manufacturing and waste management activities at both properties…”