Suspected contamination source: Firefighting foam used at Camp Grayling Army Airfield (Ellison, 2017)
In 2016, the National Guard Bureau issued a directive to identify sources of potential PFAS-related water contamination at every training facility, camp, fort, and armory. The order also included every installation which had an airfield where fire crash training occurred or where fires occurred. Water testing at the airfield in 2016 revealed PFAS contamination. This was publicly announced in May of 2017.
Water sampling in October 2016, December 2016 and March 2017 turned up successively higher concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS). The max combined PFOS/PFOA level detected was 801 ppt. The EPA lifetime health advisory for combined PFOS/PFOA exposure is 70 ppt.
Guard staff have found references to a fire training area on the airfield where AFFF may have been used.
Additional Resources:
Media Coverage
- DEQ says Camp Grayling toxic foam plume has likely spread off base
- Toxic chemical foam plume discovered at Camp Grayling airfield
- Residential Water Wells Near Grayling Army Airfield Will Be Tested For Potential Contamination
- Grayling residents get update on chemicals in water
Full citations are available on the second page of the full contamination site tracker. We ask for your additions, changes, questions and comments to be sent to pfasproject@gmail.com.