PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The City of Portage has announced that it will be holding an informational meeting regarding PFAS contamination at South Westnedge Park.
The meeting will be held between the City of Portage, the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).
Previously, PFAS contamination was discovered in May 2019 at South Westnedge Park (9010 South Westnedge Avenue), which was previously used as a municipal landfill.
Testing was held after the discovery, with additional samples being taken the following Fall.
As a result, residents in that area who use well water have been notified of the possible water contamination. Samples of 25 residential water wells near the site began this week and are expected to finish January 31. Officials say test results are expected within two weeks.
The results of the tests will help determine what steps should be taken next.
City officials say that at this time, there are no test results showing PFAS in private drinking water wells near the site, and that quarterly testing of municipal drinking water continues to meet water quality standards for PFAS.
Citizens of Portage near the area that are linked into the municipal water system are not affected by this potential contamination. Most residents and businesses in the area use the municipal water system.
The informational meeting will be held during the week of February 10th to discuss the test results and the next steps in the ongoing testing. The exact date, time and location of the meeting will be announced by officials next week.
Updates, including maps and test results, can be viewed through the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) website.
Residents can also follow the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Facebook page or www.kalcounty.com/hcs/pfasresponse.php for more updates.
