Small City Struggles With PFCs Moving In 'Unknown Ways'

The city of Grayling, MI, provides a case study in what happens when a perfluorinated compound (PFC) scare shakes a community.

Homeowners near the Grayling Army Airfield have been alerted that PFCs “are moving in largely unknown ways through the soil and groundwater south and southwest of the base,” Michigan Live reported. Around 180 well samples have been collected so far. At least 23 contained detectable levels of PFCs. Three of the samples exceeded the 70 ppt guideline set by the U.S. EPA.

“Now the city and [state regulators] are scratching their heads, suggesting that perhaps atmospheric desposition could be the cause, given the wells location east of the base. Grayling did not test for PFCs in 2013 after the EPA asked community water systems to start looking for the chemicals; a testing round that subsequently turned up PFCs in the Ann Arbor and Plainfield Township municipal supplies,” the report said.

It’s not just health problems that residents fear. Plummeting home values are also a concern.

“Several people spoke anecdotally of neighbors who lost an offer on a house or are stuck with a property that's unmarketable because the water isn't thought to be safe,” the report said.

Leslie LeBlanc, who lives near the airfield, discussed the potential impact on property values:

She's been thinking about moving but the water problem has changed the equation. Even if she can find a buyer and the PFCs only ding her property value by a couple percentage points, "it's still thousands of dollars out of our pocket through no fault of our own."

The EPA issued a health advisory last year regarding exposure to PFCs. Research has tied PFCs, which are industrial contaminants, to cancer.

“The 70 ppt level recommended by the EPA [last year] was a dramatic decrease over the agency’s prior, short-term recommended limit of 400 ppt,” The Intelligencer reported.

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