LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) issued the following statement on the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s addition of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport to the list of locations containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS):
“Michigan’s growing list of PFAS-contaminated sites is deeply disturbing, but I’m grateful for Gov. Whitmer’s resolve to take this issue seriously in Kent County and across our state. I am committed to continuing the work I began in the state House, in partnership with my colleagues in the legislature and the Whitmer administration, to make the safety of our families and critical water resources a priority. Together, we should demand safeguards that end the PFAS nightmare once and for all.”
Sen. Brinks has been a vocal advocate for stricter regulations that protect the Great Lakes, rivers and critical sources of drinking water from toxic contamination.
In the Michigan House of Representatives, she introduced legislation to set enforceable standards for PFAS levels, establish reporting standards, and require governments to provide safe drinking water alternatives when they are responsible for polluting drinking water.
Sen. Brinks recently introduced Senate Bill 14, which would amend the Safe Water Drinking Act and set maximum contaminant levels at 5 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS.
###