The Montmorency-Oscoda-Alpena Solid Waste Authority recently conduct testing at an Atlanta, Mich. landfill and discovered high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Michigan officials lowered the acceptable amounts of PFAS to 8 parts per trillion (ppt), significantly lower than the standard 70 ppt, which is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) base. The measure was enacted on August 3 while landfill results still were not published.

EGLE Assistant District Supervisor John Ozoga surmises that the contamination, which 8.5 ppt of PFAS, occurred when "landfills weren’t required to install liners to prevent leachate — water that permeates through the trash — from filtering into the ground."

State officials are advocating for federal standards to be lowered. Thirty-eight sites across Michigan are on a state watchlist curated by the Michigan Department of Energy, Great Lakes, and Environment.

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