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Testing shows concerning chemical levels at Michigan site

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has found high levels of chemical contaminants at a shuttered electro-plating company site in a southwestern township.

The department tested four residential wells and one commercial well last month near the former Production Plated Plastics property in Richland Township.

Agency officials received results on July 6 showing perfluorinated chemicals, known as PFAS, appearing at levels several times above the Environmental Protection Agency's safety standards. One tested well showed PFAS levels almost 16 times higher than the EPA health advisory level of 70 parts-per-trillion for drinking water.

Department spokesman Scott Dean says groundwater discharge from the site had never been tested for the chemical contaminants or identified as a concern in the area. He says homeowners near the test sites showing high PFAS levels were given bottled water.

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