Lake Margrethe News

Well Testing Results

9/26/2018

Received these results last week from Randy Rothe, DEQ. THANK you Randy!!!

Lake Margrethe

438 private wells have been tested for PFOA/PFOS
422 results are in
362 are non-detects
58 PFOA & PFOS detected (1.2 - 68 ppt)
2 samples above MDEQ criteria - PFOA+PFOS 70 ppt (Both south bay area)
60 samples - Concentrations range between Non-Detect and 75.4 PPT

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Drones Fly Over Margrethe

9/18/2018

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September 18, 2018

Michigan first in the nation to deploy drones in search for PFAS contamination
In what is thought to be the first-ever use of drones to search for possible locations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) this week will deploy a drone over Lake Margrethe to locate springs that could be carrying PFAS contamination from past firefighting activities at the nearby Camp Grayling military base.
The DEQ will fly a DJI 210 drone fitted with both Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) and regular cameras just offshore and at an altitude of 50 to 100 feet above the lake. If cold springs entering the warmer lake are present, they will be visible with the FLIR camera. The entry of cold springs does not confirm the presence of PFAS contamination but discovering the flow of groundwater from the base into surface waters will allow the DEQ to better target sampling efforts. Identifying the flow of groundwater into a surface water body may also assist in effective placement of treatment, if needed.
Following the creation of standards and procedures to protect public safety and address privacy concerns, the DEQ has recently expanded the use of drone technologies to assist in environmental investigations throughout the state. Although using drones for thermal imaging is not new, this is believed to be the first time the technology has been used as part of a PFAS investigation.
“To the best of our knowledge, this the first time anyone has ever used a FLIR-equipped drone in the hunt for potential PFAS contamination,” said Carol Isaacs director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART). “Like our first-in-the-nation testing of public water systems, this innovative use of technology is another example of MPART’s proactive approach to this emerging contaminant.”
PFAS compounds are a group of emerging and potentially harmful contaminants used in thousands of applications globally including firefighting foam, food packaging, and many other consumer products. These compounds also are used by industries such as tanneries, metal platers, and clothing manufacturers. The discovery of PFAS contamination is a nationally growing trend across the United States.
In January 2018, the DEQ acted to set a new clean-up standard for PFAS in groundwater used for drinking water of 70 parts per trillion for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) combined. Michigan is one of only a handful of states to establish a clean-up standard.
MPART is overseeing the state’s $23 million effort to locate PFAS contamination, identify sources, and oversee remediation activities aimed at protecting the state’s water resources and mitigating risks to the public. For more information visit the MPART website: Michigan.gov/PFASresponse.
For More Information:
DEQ Media Office, [email protected], 517-284-9278

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Drone to fly over Lake Margrethe

9/12/2018

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The DEQ’s Remediation and Redevelopment Division will be flying a drone along the entire shoreline of Lake Margrethe, beginning Tuesday Sept 18 through Friday Sept 21. The exact times will be weather dependent (rain, wind, lake conditions, etc.). The drone has a visual camera as well as a thermal imaging camera. The purpose is to look for groundwater seeps and springs where the groundwater enters the lake. This way we can concentrate sampling water coming into the lake.   Generally flying between 50-100 feet above the lake (and that can vary based upon conditions.) This drone is a new piece of equipment and we are not certain how “deep” we will be able to “see” so that is another thing we will be looking at. A press release is supposed to be coming out and I will send that to you once I receive it. I didn’t want to wait for that press release to let you know.

Attaching a video taken by the drone as a test run we did on the north shore of Higgins Lake a few weeks back. The shore and trees are at the top of the video. The lake is the middle and bottom, and the blue you see is a spring fed creek that dumps into Higgins Lake. The blue is the cold water entering and you can see it mixing with the lake water.

Another update, we did complete the installation of 5 monitoring wells along the S.E. area of the lake and these wells were developed last week and will be sampled in the next week or two. Estimating 5-6 weeks before we get those results back.

Thanks to LMPOA for all your help with this project.

Much appreciation,

Randall L. Rothe
District Supervisor, Remediation and Redevelopment Division
Department of Environmental Quality
2100 West M-32, Gaylord, MI 49735
989-705-3416 (Direct Line)   989-217-0083 (Cell)
989-731-4920 (Office)           989-731-6181 (Fax)
[email protected]

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Well Testing Results

Drones Fly Over Margrethe

Drone to fly over Lake Margrethe

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