Late last week, the Michigan PFAS Action Response Task Force published documents declaring Butterworth #2 Landfill an official PFAS contamination site. Sampling conducted at the site in June found multiple results of PFAS levels exceeding safety standards.
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.
Groundwater from the site, which sits to the east of I-196 on the northern border of the Grand River, flows north to south, directly into the river, and residents within the area are connected to municipal water.
120-acres of the 180-acre site were used as an open dump by the city of Grand Rapids from 1950 to 1967, and then as a sanitary landfill until the state shut it down in 1973. The landfill contaminated the dirt and groundwater. The Environmental Protection Agency recognized the land as a superfund site in 1986 for continued monitoring, and cleanup efforts were successful, leading to a public use space with open grass areas and walking paths.
