Statement: Sierra Club Calls for State to Enforce and Expedite Air Force’s Clean up of Chemical Cleanup in Oscoda

Oscoda, MI-- Today, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is holding a public meeting after announcing a non-binding, verbal agreement with the Air Force. Both parties controversially claimed the agreement would speed the cleanup of PFAS contamination at the closed Wurtsmith Air Force base in the area-- an area where surrounding communities have long suffered with contaminated water.

The Michigan Sierra Club and Oscoda residents will attend the meeting, and call out EGLE for a public relations stunt that undercuts local and congressional efforts to hold the Air Force accountable for the PFAS contamination coming from the closed base. The continued delays in Oscoda are indicative of a national trend-- one where the Department of Defense shirks responsibility for PFAS contamination that affects the health of communities around the country. 

Christy McGillivray, the Great Lakes State Organizer for the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club, points to the health problems faced by military families and veterans across the country due to PFAS exposure. “From New Mexico, to Colorado, and particularly here in Michigan-- the military’s decades-long use of PFAS has poisoned water and harmed the health of veterans and communities. The military is meant to protect American lives, however when it comes to chemical pollution, the Department of Defense is directly responsible for putting those lives at-risk. It is time to stop the excuses and delays; the military must be forced to clean up their PFAS pollution.”

Anthony Spaniola, an Oscoda home owner and attorney, said of the Michigan agreement between the state and military: “This is a big nothingburger that gives the Air Force yet another excuse to continue to delay the cleanup efforts long demanded by residents. The Air Force has had nine years to deal with this problem--and they’re still in stall mode,”said Spaniola. “PFAS plumes are continuously, and illegally, polluting our water and wildlife. There is no excuse for further delays.”   

Cathy Wusterbarth,co-leader of the Need Our Water community action group in Oscoda, also said, “We are ground zero for PFAS contamination in Michigan, and this botched agreement does not bode well for us or the rest of the state. The same state officials that consider this an appropriate action are in charge of PFAS cleanups in so many other places. It especially concerning for PFAS-affected communities across the state who face the same delays and inaction, while the health of residents is at risk every day.”