PFAS Sites and Areas of Interest
There are two major classes of firefighting foam: Class A and Class B. Class B is also called Aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) and is usually created using PFAS. It is a highly effective foam used for fighting high-hazard flammable liquid fires, like gasoline, oil, and jet fuel.
Wastewater Treatment Plants / Industrial Pretreatment Program
Laboratories Offering Home Testing
PFAS MCLs and Drinking Water
Statewide Testing Initiative
Official Correspondence
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
Please contact the Site Lead for the most up-to-date status of this site.
Christine Matlock, MatlockC2@Michigan.gov or 517-290-4612
The New Era Properties site is the location of the former Fenske Landfill and Closed Hazardous Waste Pile (Waste Pile) located at 2637 Wilson SW, in Kent County, adjacent to the Grand River. This landfill accepted liquid industrial waste, solid industrial waste, and solid municipal waste, from 1967 until the 1970s, when solid waste regulations were passed. Additionally, metal hydroxide plating sludges were stored on-site, in a waste pile. Clean closure of the waste pile was achieved in June 2008. Due to the previous acceptance of industrial and municipal wastes, and the management of metal hydroxide plating sludges, EGLE sampled the groundwater in July 2021, to determine if PFAS were present. The highest result in groundwater was 91 ppt for PFOS (compared to 16 ppt). Landfill leachate was indirectly sampled through a gas vent well in August 2021, and it was verified that the liquid contains PFAS.
Landfill operations were also conducted on the adjacent property in Ottawa County under a separate investigation summarized in the following MPART site investigation webpage: Fenske Landfills, Inc. (Tallmadge Township, Ottawa County).
Shallow groundwater flows toward the Grand River. The groundwater between the landfill and the Grand River was not sampled during this initial sampling. Additional sampling is needed to determine if the groundwater venting to the Grand River is contaminated.
Content posted May 2024.
See an aerial view of the location of the site.
EGLE, DHHS, and local health have evaluated nearby drinking water wells and will be sampling a nearby drinking water well.
EGLE has asked the property owner to further evaluate the impact of the landfill on the adjacent wetlands and the Grand River.