The Environmental Protection Agency is implementing the first-ever drinking water standards on six PFAS chemicals.
They join a list of nearly a hundred contaminants - like lead and copper - that must be screened for by ALL public water systems in the country.
Sandy Wynn-Stelt is a Rockford resident whose drinking water was contaminated by Wolverine Worldwide. She says she felt like the government had failed her when she lost her husband to liver cancer - a disease associated with PFAS exposure.
"This has been a long journey, not just in our state where we have made incredible progress, but for our country. This is really a day of celebration."
Members of Michigan's congressional delegation applauded the announcement. Flint Democrat Dan Kildee says there's now NO excuse for polluters to avoid accountability.
"But as we all know, there's much more work to do. This national standard is just the beginning... "
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says it welcomes the new policy and will integrate these stricter standards into existing state programs.
The department says it still needs to evaluate how the rule will impact PFAS testing and drinking water treatment across the state.
Roughly 10 percent of public utilities in the U-S will need to make changes to meet the new standards, according to an EPA estimate.
