It’s a curious acronym — PFAS — and it stands for a family of chemicals that’s in most homes and being detected in an increasing number of people’s water systems in Michigan and other states and provinces. “Forever Chemicals” is what PFAS, PFOA and PFOS are all known as because of how long it takes them to break down in people’s bodies and the environment. These groups of industrial chemicals are used in many non-stick household products, food packages and waterproofed outdoor clothing. And research is only beginning to determine the health effects and what, if any, treatment there might be.
What can people do to protect themselves and their families? How are federal, state and local governments responding? What responsibility does industry have? And what are the financial, medical and social costs?
Great Lakes Now’s coverage has explored these issues and more. Find our work and our partners’ reporting on this page.
Watch NOW
PFAS Roundup: Minnesota votes to continue conservation and PFAS cleanup, Indiana ends firefighter foam collection program
Catch the latest Great Lakes PFAS news.
Students at Michigan State and Wisconsin win EPA funding for environmental health innovations
Students from Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin are among the winners of a contest for innovations in sustainability.
Up to 3.2M in Michigan may be getting water from PFAS-tainted aquifers
With lots of domestic well users and plenty of polluting industries, Michiganders are among the nation’s most likely to have ‘forever chemicals’ in their well water, according to a landmark federal study.
PFAS Roundup: Vice President Harris supports Michigan-led plan to provide medical care for military victims of PFAS
Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.
PFAS Roundup: Minnesota PFAS regulation said to be the strictest
Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.
Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear case with broad implications for PFAS cleanup
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a case that could have sweeping effects on state environmental regulators’ authority to force businesses to clean up PFAS pollution under the state’s spills law.
PFAS Roundup: Four Great Lakes states selected to test residents annually for environmental chemical exposure
Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.
PFAS Roundup: Wisconsin PFAS remediation funds still frozen due to partisan divide
Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.
COLLABORATIONS
Since 2019, Great Lakes Now has partnered with MLive Media Group to bring audiences news and information about PFAS and drinking water. The collaboration began with the “Forever Chemicals documentary and these MLive articles about the financial cost to local communities who need to deal with the contaminations. The project was supported by the Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.
Oscoda residents say ‘enough’ after 9 years of PFAS with no cleanup plan
Representatives from a number of Michigan communities—Oscoda, Flint, Detroit and Belmont among them—gathered on Wednesday to call on the U.S. Air Force for action on PFAS cleanup.
The Forever Chemicals: MLive Reporters and Great Lakes Now engage Sustainable Brands 2019 audience
After a documentary screening at the Sustainable Brands 2019 conference in Detroit, Great Lakes Now hosted an audience discussion with the MLive Media Group reporters who have been leading the coverage of the PFAS issue in Michigan.
PFAS pollution already costing Michigan communities millions
Michigan residents may be in line to pay for the fixes to PFAS contamination for years to come.
PFAS Stories from Great Lakes Now
Digital Credits
“The Forever Chemicals” documentary was produced by Rob Green and Sandra Svoboda.
Digital Designers: Shelby Jouppi, Mila Murray
Digital Video for “The Forever Chemicals” documentary: Angela Brayman, Marie Gould, Rob Green, Zosette Guir, Matt Ilas, William Kubota, Sandra Svoboda, Jordan Wingrove, Ernie Zinger
With additional production support and partnership from MLive Media Group and the Ravitch Fiscal Reporting program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.