Holly, MI Water Concerns
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Our Group is raising $3,000 for testing of a wetland adjacent to a Manufactured Home Community that has been allowed to dump effluent into the wetland for 20+ years. Soil and surface water will be tested for PFAS, e coli and common compounds of exceedances of the WWTP. The Holly Hills Manufactured Home Community, in Holly, MI, has had a history of violations of their on-site WWTP with the current 242 homes, and now they are in the process of expanding by 192 homes without the wetland having been tested. This wetland is attached to the Shiawassee River which flows all the way to Saginaw Bay.
For $2,000 we will also be testing neighboring properties to the Holly Hills MHC and the adjacent contaminated unlined, unlicensed Falk Rd. Dump. These neighboring properties were subjected to repeat extreme flooding last summer and fall of runoff from both the Holly Hills MHC and the Falk Rd. Dump, both on their property and inside their homes and barn. PFAS foam has been photographed on their property. One homeowner described the fast moving waters as "power washing the dump", unfortunately right on to their properties.
In 1994 the Falk Rd. Dump was found to have 11 contaminants, mostly metals, with 8 being over the MDNR clean up criteria. In 2020 and 2021, further testing by State of Michigan and Village of Holly environmental consultant revealed contamination by multiple types of PFAS, with some monitoring wells on the dump property above the State of Michigan limits.
February and March, 2021 our group raised funds through GoFundMe to test 4 homes near the Falk Rd. Dump for contaminants, and one home tested for 6 PFAS compounds in their home well with one being double the allowed State of Michigan limit.
The State of Michigan tested 30 fish from nearby Rice and Bush Lakes in May, 2021 and they just reported these fish contain multiple PFAS compounds and mercury. The data is not complete but the Department of Health and Human Services staff person that responded stated "PFOS would cause a fish consumption guideline if no other contaminants were present, but the mercury levels are of greater concern. " Fish consumption guidelines will be issued once the data is completed, but suggested guidelines are 1 serving per month for largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 18" and 6 servings per year for largemouth and smallmouth bass greater than 18" due to mercury.
We feel this is even more proof that the wetland and neighboring properties need to be tested. Denise Trabbic-Pointer, our expert toxics and remediation specialist, that has been helping us for 18 months will be on hand to complete the testing, and we will deliver the samples to the lab by hand the same day as testing.
WE APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU ARE ABLE TO GIVE TO HELP DETERMINE THE CONDITION OF THE WETLAND BEFORE THE MHC EXPANDS, AND GET TESTING FOR PFAS AND SURFACE WATER ON THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
We would like to offer our sincere thanks to the two experts who have given incredible pro bono expertise, time and support to our cause:
Mike Wilczynski, Certified Professional Geologist Emeritus with Pangea Environmental, LLC
and Denise Trabbic-Pointer, CHMM Emeritus, Toxicology and Remediation Specialist with the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter.
The Falk Rd. contaminated dump is just part of a complicated environmental situation in Holly, MI. The Falk Rd. dump is located across a two-lane dirt road from the Holly Hills Manufactured Home Community currently undergoing expansion from 247 homes to 434 homes with a third expansion planned to over 650 homes. The effluent from the on-site waste water treatment plant at the MHC is going into a wetland and the Shiawassee River. The state agencies and politicians insist the issues are separate, however the environment, and especially water, connect these areas together.
Please visit the Save Falk Road Committee Facebook page to learn more.
For $2,000 we will also be testing neighboring properties to the Holly Hills MHC and the adjacent contaminated unlined, unlicensed Falk Rd. Dump. These neighboring properties were subjected to repeat extreme flooding last summer and fall of runoff from both the Holly Hills MHC and the Falk Rd. Dump, both on their property and inside their homes and barn. PFAS foam has been photographed on their property. One homeowner described the fast moving waters as "power washing the dump", unfortunately right on to their properties.
In 1994 the Falk Rd. Dump was found to have 11 contaminants, mostly metals, with 8 being over the MDNR clean up criteria. In 2020 and 2021, further testing by State of Michigan and Village of Holly environmental consultant revealed contamination by multiple types of PFAS, with some monitoring wells on the dump property above the State of Michigan limits.
February and March, 2021 our group raised funds through GoFundMe to test 4 homes near the Falk Rd. Dump for contaminants, and one home tested for 6 PFAS compounds in their home well with one being double the allowed State of Michigan limit.
The State of Michigan tested 30 fish from nearby Rice and Bush Lakes in May, 2021 and they just reported these fish contain multiple PFAS compounds and mercury. The data is not complete but the Department of Health and Human Services staff person that responded stated "PFOS would cause a fish consumption guideline if no other contaminants were present, but the mercury levels are of greater concern. " Fish consumption guidelines will be issued once the data is completed, but suggested guidelines are 1 serving per month for largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 18" and 6 servings per year for largemouth and smallmouth bass greater than 18" due to mercury.
We feel this is even more proof that the wetland and neighboring properties need to be tested. Denise Trabbic-Pointer, our expert toxics and remediation specialist, that has been helping us for 18 months will be on hand to complete the testing, and we will deliver the samples to the lab by hand the same day as testing.
WE APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU ARE ABLE TO GIVE TO HELP DETERMINE THE CONDITION OF THE WETLAND BEFORE THE MHC EXPANDS, AND GET TESTING FOR PFAS AND SURFACE WATER ON THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
We would like to offer our sincere thanks to the two experts who have given incredible pro bono expertise, time and support to our cause:
Mike Wilczynski, Certified Professional Geologist Emeritus with Pangea Environmental, LLC
and Denise Trabbic-Pointer, CHMM Emeritus, Toxicology and Remediation Specialist with the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter.
The Falk Rd. contaminated dump is just part of a complicated environmental situation in Holly, MI. The Falk Rd. dump is located across a two-lane dirt road from the Holly Hills Manufactured Home Community currently undergoing expansion from 247 homes to 434 homes with a third expansion planned to over 650 homes. The effluent from the on-site waste water treatment plant at the MHC is going into a wetland and the Shiawassee River. The state agencies and politicians insist the issues are separate, however the environment, and especially water, connect these areas together.
Please visit the Save Falk Road Committee Facebook page to learn more.
Organizer
SAVE FALK ROAD COMMITTEE
Organizer
Holly, MI