Oscoda Township will get $1 million to address PFAS contamination. The money comes from U.S. Department of Agriculture grants and will be spent to hook up over 200 households to the municipal water system.
Firefighting foams containing PFAS were used at Wurtsmith Air Force Base for decades until the base closed in 1993. Some Oscoda Township residents have had to clean their water or rely on bottled water since.
Democrat Dan Kildee of Flint secured the funding.
“Right now people who are using wells in the area affected not only can’t drink their water, but just imagine, the value of their home is practically zero,” Kildee said.
Just last week a deer was found near the base with high levels of PFAS in it’s system.
Township Superintendent Dave Schaeffer says he would like to see the Air Force cover some of the cleanup.
“We would like to see them … contribute towards the solution,” Shaeffer says. “What the Air Force does at this site, they’re gonna be held accountable for many more sites to come.”
