Alpena County is home to two separate sources of contamination: Alpena Hide and Leather, which used PFAS to treat it’s leather products, and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC), which used PFAS-containing firefighting foam.
Alpena CRTR: The DEQ became aware of this site after the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs informed the DEQ that a groundwater sample on-base tested positive for PFOA/PFOS. The majority of drinking water at Alpena CRTC is provided by the municipal supply. The DEQ began sampling residential wells on November 7, 2017.
Alpena Hide and Leather: PFAS was confirmed at a vacant property on the former tannery in Alpena in August 2017. Efforts have been made to remove buried hides and contaminated soil from the former tannery. Since sampling 8 monitoring wells that August, the DEQ has installed additional monitoring wells and taken soil samples. Municipal water is being provided to residents in the area.
Additional Resources:
- DEQ Investigation — Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center
- DEQ Investigation — Alpena Hide and Leather
Media Coverage:
- Toxic chemical foam plume found at National Guard base in Alpena
- Low Levels of PFOS, PFOA detected in Alpena
Full citations are available on the second page of the full contamination site tracker. We ask for your additions, changes, questions and comments be sent to pfasproject@gmail.com.