Dear Community Member,
This is our first newsletter designed to provide updates on activities related to the PFAS contamination around Grayling. Written by citizens on your local Restoration Advisory Board, it is our intent to provide brief updates every 3-4 months. Being the first newsletter, we felt it necessary to provide some history, making this issue a little longer than desired. If you no longer wish to receive these newsletters, please email samantha@huronpines.org and ask to be removed from the contact list.
PFAS contamination has been found at three different sites on Camp Grayling lands in Crawford County. Each of these three sites is being treated as a separate project: Grayling Army Airfield, Lake Margrethe, and MATES at Range 30. The following organizations are working cooperatively to address
November 19th, 2021
the PFAS contamination in these areas:

•   The Michigan Army National Guard (MIARNG)
  
•   Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA)
  
•   The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)
  
•   The Michigan DNR (MDNR)
  
•   The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)
  
•   The District Health Department No. 10 (DHD #10).
  

In 2019, A Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) was created to assist with communications and community input regarding the environmental contamination. The RAB is comprised of local residents as well as representatives from the many organizations involved. The RAB established a website to host information about the PFAS project areas. One can learn about PFAS, view the detailed testing and mapping results, and find more information by visiting the website https://libguides.kirtland.edu/grayling_pfas.
From 2016-2019, the MIARNG discovered PFAS contamination in the groundwater at three different
sites. To determine how extensive the PFAS contamination is in the groundwater, EGLE tested residential wells in each of the areas. EGLE also drilled additional test wells in an effort to map where the groundwater flows to track movement of the PFAS contamination. MDHHS and DHD #10 provided certified kitchen sink filters to those found to have any PFAS in their water in order to address public health concerns during the investigation.
In 2020-2021, despite dealing with obstacles posed by COVID-19, the following activities were completed:
 MDHHS re-tested residential wells in all three project areas during 2020 and 2021. 2021 sampling results will be available soon. They plan to re-sample in 2022. The re-testing allows them to track if conditions change and make sure recommendations made are still correct.

•   DHD #10 continues to supply replacement cartridges for kitchen sink filters upon request.
  
•   The MIARNG pursued funding to assist residences and businesses having PFAS contamination
  over the EPA thresholds. Addresses with PFAS contamination over EPA thresholds in the Grayling Army Airfield project area were either hooked up to city water or had whole house water filters installed.
  
•   MIARNG, in cooperation with DMVA and EGLE, completed mapping of the groundwater flow for the Grayling Army Airfield area and is currently working on sampling and mapping groundwater for the Lake Margrethe area in an effort to find the source(s) of contamination.
  

•   EGLE provided oversight of testing results and sampled the Au Sable River, Portage Creek, and Lake Margrethe to determine the scope of PFAS contamination on recreational waterways. In Lake Margrethe, samples indicate PFAS discharging from known sources under investigation by MIARNG. There are no significant impacts to sediment or water in Portage Creek or the Au Sable River.
  
•   This fall, the MIARNG mailed letters to residents in the Grayling Army Airfield project area, requesting permission to enter their property to do additional residential water testing. Military funding sources being used requires the military do their own water testing. Hence you will find both MDHHS and MIARNG taking residential water samples. Residents will need to give the military permission to take additional water samples to qualify for future resolutions funded through the MIARNG. The RAB encourages residents to read the military correspondence and if they have questions, contact Bonnie Packer at 301-518-0860 or via email at bonnie.m.packer.ctr @army.mil
  

We hope you found this update useful! We plan to send our next update in spring of 2022. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve our communications, please let us know. Thank you!
Your Community Restoration Advisory Board
The information stated in this newsletter are Camp Grayling Restoration Advisory Board RAB's own and not that of the Michigan Army National Guard, (MIARNG), Michigan Environmental, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) or Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).