Courtesy Photo This image provided by the state shows the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and surrounding drinking water wells that were tested in 2017 and are to be retested in the coming months for contaminants. The dots represented wells that were tested.

ALPENA — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has decided to perform another round of well-water testing for PFAS contamination within a one-mile radius of the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center.

EGLE says online that the company hired to conduct the testing, AECOM, has thus far taken five drinking water samples from the wells this year — the last in September — and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, or PFOS, were not detected in the samples. PFOA and PFAS are collectively known as per- and polyfluoralkyl substances, or PFAS.

Testing will continue to be sure none of the wells near the base have PFAS levels above the 70 parts per trillion benchmark recognized by EGLE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in a news release.

No tests in Alpena have shown results elevated to or above the current federal standards, Scott Dean, EGLE spokesman, said. He said the retests could show some that may be higher than the state’s standards, which he said could become law in the spring. The state is considering benchmarks as low as 6 ppt for some PFAS chemicals.

“There may be some that are in that mid-level range that may not comply with the standards that are being set,” Dean said. “Right now, the state doesn’t have standards set, but, once they are in place, they are expected to be the toughest standards in the country.”

PFAS can have health complications, such as low infant birth weights, effects on the immune system, and thyroid hormone disruption, the state says.

Contaminated water was found at the base in fall 2017, which led to water being tested in the vicinity of the base. The new round of testing is being done to be sure levels of the pollutants are not rising.

It is believed the contamination stems from the use of firefighting foam that contained the chemicals used during training at the base over the years.

“Previous testing was done a couple years ago, and this proactive retesting is being done to ensure there have not been any changes in PFAS levels in the water in this area,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health for MDHHS, said in a statement. “This is an opportunity for these residents to learn more about their water and assess if the use of filters is still necessary.”

During the last round of testing two years ago, 91 wells showed a non-detection of the chemicals, while 31 showed traces of PFOS and PFOA below the 70 ppt health standard.

State Rep. Sue Allor, R-Wolverine, the state representative for Northeast Michigan, has played an active role in the PFAS investigations in Alpena County and at the former Wurtsmith Air Force base in Oscoda. She said retests in Alpena are a good idea, because there are still a lot of unknowns about the contamination.

“I’m all for the tests, because there is a plume of this stuff in the ground, and we don’t know how big it is, how fast it is moving, and where it is going,” Allor said. “We need to be sure the water is safe and continues to be monitored.”

The state is mailing letters to residents whose wells are to be tested. Residents living near the CRTC who had their wells previously tested should contact DHHS at 844-934-1315 if they do not receive a letter from the state before Dec. 2.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.