LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy announced two new PFAS contamination sites this week, including one tied to the Michigan State Police.

According to a release, Delta Township’s Wastewater Treatment Plant notified EGLE last December of elevated levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS — a group of chemicals that were developed for products like nonstick pans and Scotchgard but were later linked to serious health problems, including cancer.

The Department of Technology Management and Budget ran tests to find the source of the PFAS pollution, ultimately tying it to a storm sewer corridor that runs alongside the Michigan State Police Training Building on North Canal Road.

One groundwater sample came back with 3,300 parts per trillion (ppt) of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). The safety threshold in Michigan is 16 ppt, however, a small batch of testing done last month came back without a trace of the chemicals.

The DTMB and EGLE are working together to figure out the exact source of the PFAS pollution.

Testing also confirmed elevated levels of PFAS at Charlevoix’s Municipal Well site. EGLE dropped the testing wells in October 2021. Last week, testing showed 200 ppt of perflourohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) in the wells. The state safety threshold is 51 ppt. The wells also showed 15 ppt of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The state safety threshold is 8 ppt.

EGLE says the city’s water is still safe to drink because it runs through a filtration system before going out to homes.