August 17th, 2023

The United State Air Force (USAF) announced August 17, 2023 they would take immediate action to clean up PFAS groundwater contamination at the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda. 

This announcement by the United State Air Force (USAF) will take action to clean up the PFAS at the site, by installing groundwater treatment systems at two more sites on the base. This will stop the flow of more PFAS into the nearby lake. 

Governor Whitmer served as a strong advocate alongside community leaders and congressional delegation who have called for the Department of Defense to clean up this site for years, which has earned her a score of 2 out of 4 as her continued guidance on PFAS has been notable in leading to this clean up. Additional ways Governor Whitmer has taken to take action on PFAS include establishing both the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team and the Office of the Clean Water Public Advocate. 

Since then, the teams have established regulations on levels of PFAS in drinking water and groundwater clean up, disposed of over 60,000 gallons of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, created, and Governor Whitmer signed an executive directive to limit the purchase of nonessential products containing PFAS.