Oscoda residents, Kildee demand action on PFAS cleanup

The Alpena News | July 22, 2020

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“OSCODA–Oscoda residents and U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, urged the U.S. Air Force to take action on cleanup of PFAS contamination stemming from the Wurtsmith Air Force Base, at a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

The press conference was held ahead of a PFAS Town Hall held by the state on Tuesday evening and a Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board Meeting with the Air Force on Wednesday.

‘I am concerned that the Air Force is continuing to conduct studies and delay clean up at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. They need to clean up these toxic chemicals and ensure that there is no more PFAS going into Lake Van Etten,‘ Kildee said. ‘This year’s Military Construction spending bill, planned on being voted on at the end of the week, contains $200 million to clean up PFAS contamination at former military installations. The Air Force has no excuses, they have the resources to quickly clean up PFAS at Wurtsmith and they must do it now.‘

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of industrial chemicals that have been linked to health issues, including cancer, thyroid conditions, auto-immune diseases and reproductive issues.

In Oscoda, the chemicals come from firefighting foam used for decades by the U.S. Air Force at the Wurtsmith Air Force Base and have made their way into groundwater and nearby waterways. Advocates have been calling on the Air Force to clean up PFAS contamination for at least a decade…”

This content provided by the PFAS Project.