A crucial river that provides drinking water and recreation for many Michiganders has once again been polluted by the manufacturing company Tribar. On Monday, the company notified the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy about its release of “several thousand gallons of a liquid containing 5% hexavalent chromium into the sewer system,” according to a press release. Hexavalent chromium is a known carcinogen used in textile manufacturing and stainless steel production. Exposure to the chemical compound can cause nasal and sinus cancers, damage the kidney and liver, and irritate skin.
The fact that Tribar suspects the release may have been going since Saturday morning, and the lack of even an estimate of the number of gallons of contaminated water making its way into the Huron River is certainly alarming.
Also alarming? This isn’t Tribar’s first contamination crisis: The company was found responsible for a 2018 release of “forever chemicals” like PFAS into the Huron River. Officials have warned residents not to swim in or drink water from the Huron River, water their plants with Huron River water, or eat fish caught in the section of the river that’s contaminated, not that the latter was an option.
Testing conducted earlier this year found that fish from the area contained high levels of PFAS and PFOS, thus a “do not eat” advisory has been in effect since at least May. PFAS and PFOS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are chemicals typically found in nonstick cookware, water-resistant clothing, as well as firefighting foam, that can increase the risk of kidney and testicular cancer, elevate cholesterol levels, and even change liver enzymes, among other health concerns. The fact that these forever chemicals were previously detected at low enough levels to allow for fishing means the fish that remain in the Huron River have steadily built up more forever chemicals in their system.
Mitigation and elimination is a massive problem, but Michigan is at the forefront of pushing for measures that both address contamination issues and hold polluters accountable. That’s largely thanks to the efforts of lawmakers like Rep. Debbie Dingell, who introduced the PFAS Action Act last year and continues to advocate on behalf of communities disproportionately impacted by contamination. Dingell touted the $50 billion in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated to address clean water concerns with an added focus on environmental justice as well as the state of Michigan’s own stringent forever chemical cleanup standards.
With the EPA expected to announce later on Wednesday that it will designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under federal superfund laws, there is hope in meaningfully addressing this nationwide crisis, though certainly more work can be done to hold companies like Tribar accountable. Call on Congress to regulate “forever chemicals” and finally make the companies contaminating our waters answer for their actions.