In Flint, Mich., recent testing at the former Buick City site shows elevated levels of PFOA or PFOS are not only in the storm sewer but also in the sanitary sewers as well.
According to MLive, four of five sampling locations tested showed elevated levels of one– or both –of the compounds, adding to evidence of widespread contamination that will require further sampling and investigation of connections to the sanitary sewers.
"We have reported these results to the U.S. (Environmental Protection Agency) and (Michigan Department of Environmental Quality),” the RACER Trust said in a posting on its web site.
The company manages the old Buick property, according to MLive. The court-created trust is charged with cleaning up and selling off the real estate for redevelopment. However, sales have been put on hold until the scope of PFAS contamination is better defined.
According to the EPA, PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS and other chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries in the U.S. since the 1940s.
According to MLive, concentrations of PFOA ranged from zero to 2,280 ng/L, and PFOS results ranged from zero to 27,580 ng/L, nearly twice the level as the highest previous testing of groundwater in the area.
The groundwater and sanitary sewer tests showed high results near a former paint shop.
RACER officials said none of the PFAS detected on the Buick City property is making its way to the municipal water system, which has not drawn from the Flint River since October 2015.
According to MLive, previous testing showed PFAS moving through the storm sewer system into the river.
