PFAS Investigation at Former Michigan Plating Facility
Helping a Site Owner Manage New Contamination Issues
From 1968 to 1986 the former Chrysler Corporation owned and operated a chrome plating facility along the Huron River that used per- and poly-fluoroalkyl (PFAS)-based chemicals to suppress plating bath mists.
Today, more than 30 years after the facility closed, TRC is helping the current owner address PFAS contamination on the site.
The designated Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)-led Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) site has already undergone substantial cleanup to remove volatile organic compounds and other contaminants.
PFAS, which is an emerging group of contaminants, has presented a whole new set of complex problems that TRC is working to address.
PFAS sampling completed at existing monitoring wells confirmed the presence of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) above the EGLE criterion for protection of surface water, e.g., groundwater surface water interface (GSI) criterion.
Site investigation activities are underway to delineate the extent of PFOS above the GSI criterion (11 ng/L) and quantify discharge to the Huron River.
Efforts to quantify site discharge to the Huron River are complicated by an upstream contaminated surface water body (from a up stream source with documented discharge levels orders of magnitude above concentrations observed at on-site GSI compliance points) and periodic reverse gradient flow conditions.
Once the PFAS have been delineated, we will work with EGLE and other stakeholders to assess risks and incorporate PFAS into a revised Corrective Measures Implementation Program Plan.
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