The New Era Properties site is the former Fenske Landfill on Wilson Avenue in Walker. The property also borders the Grand River and sits across M-11 from Johnson Park.
This landfill accepted both liquid and solid industrial waste as well as solid municipal waste from 1967 until the 1970s, when solid waste regulations were put into effect.
The site was given the status of clean closure in June of 2008, but its industrial and municipal waste history led to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, also known as EGLE, to sample groundwater in July of 2021 to determine the presence of PFAS.
The results are back and levels of PFOS, or perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, registered 91 parts per trillion. Michigan’s maximum level of contaminant for safe drinking water is 16 parts per trillion.
Landfill water, known as leachate, was indirectly sampled through a gas vent well in August of 2021, and the liquid was verified to contain PFAS.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, commonly referred to as PFAS, is a large group of human-made substances used in manufacturing, firefighting foam and consumer products. Often called the forever chemical, it’s been determined that it can pose health risks, including cancer.
EGLE says additional sampling is needed to determine if shallow groundwater flowing from the site into the Grand River is contaminated.
More information can be found here.
