Gary Peters

ALPENA — U.S. Sen. Gary Peters is fed up with the lack of haste the U.S. Air Force has exhibited in cleaning up and mitigating PFAS contamination at military installations around Michigan, including Northeast Michigan.

He recently wrote a letter to the military, urging officials to utilize the $13.5 million allocated for cleanup to be more proactive iat the former Wurtsmith Air Force base in Oscoda, where residents and businesses have been dealing with significant contamination since 2010.

PFAS stands for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, compounds used in many household items and in firefighting foam often used in training at military bases. It has been linked to health problems, including thyroid disease and birth problems.

Peters also said Thursday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency needs to be more proactive in setting a reasonable health standard for PFAS in drinking water.

The U.S. Department of Defense said in its latest PFAS progress report in March that broad efforts are underway to identify, track, and clean up PFAS contamination, as well as researching its effects on people. It also is working to use firefighting foam without PFAS at all of its bases.

Peters said contamination is an issue not only in Oscoda, but also near the Alpena Combat Readiness Center and other areas around the state. He said people in Oscoda have waited long enough to see progress and work here needs to be extradited.

“The Air Force has indicated it wants to use the money for more studies, but they have been studying it for a decade, and the purpose of the funding was for mitigation, cleanup, and to stop it from spreading,” Peters said. “The people have waited long enough and it is time for action.”

Peters said the PFAS contamination at the base in Alpena isn’t as bad as at Wurtsmith, but the military still needs to keep a close eye on it. Out of 71 wells tested near the base in Alpena, only two showed PFAS levels higher than the state’s proposed 10 parts per trillion limit and most were also below the federal standard of 70 ppt.

“The contamination in Alpena is on a smaller scale, but, nevertheless, I’m concerned about it,” he said. “The contamination at these military installations is a problem that needs to continue to be addressed.”

Peters said he is still working with the EPA to get effective water testing standards for PFAS that should be more in line with Michigan’s. He said the agency has not acted with the urgency needed to establish a PFAS level that ensures public health and safe drinking water for all Americans.

“I’ve been battling the EPA for a long time but they continue to drag their feet,” he said. “I will continue to push them and keep the pressure on, until they get something done.”