Comstock Park PFAS discussion separates local questions from Northeast Gravel site response

A July 16 Coffee with a Cop discussion gave Comstock Park-area residents an overview of how Michigan handles PFAS investigations, private wells and contaminated sites. Plainfield Charter Township published its account on July 23, 2026.

The discussion also addressed the active Northeast Gravel response in Belmont. But it was an information session, not a new health advisory or a finding that all Comstock Park residents face contaminated drinking water.

Who handles PFAS cases

According to the township’s account, PFAS investigations involve multiple agencies, including the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, or MPART, coordinates the state’s multi-agency response.

EGLE’s Remediation and Redevelopment Division handles contaminated sites involving soil and groundwater. Township-reported explanations from EGLE distinguished between Part 213 work involving leaking underground storage tanks and Part 201 work involving other contaminated properties, including old dumps and industrial sites. The township account identified Part 201 as the track handling PFAS contamination in the examples discussed.

Residents can use EGLE’s RIDE Mapper to review contaminated sites regulated under Michigan’s environmental programs. EGLE describes the tool as an interactive map covering sites regulated under Parts 213, 201 and 211. The township also directed residents to MPART and individual EGLE site pages for investigation information and updates.

Private wells and recreational water

At the July 16 discussion, EGLE officials said people with private wells that have not previously been tested for PFAS may consider testing. Officials also discussed when retesting may be useful. That discussion should not be treated as individualized medical or environmental advice. Private-well owners should use current EGLE, Kent County Health Department and MDHHS guidance when deciding whether testing or treatment is appropriate.

The township recap reported that state testing at Versluis Lake in 2023 found PFOS at 3.7 parts per trillion and PFOA at 6.3 parts per trillion. EGLE officials said the available data had not shown a swimming risk and described swimming as a personal choice. Those comments were part of the township’s account of the discussion, not a new independent assessment by this publication.

The township also reported MDHHS guidance to avoid foam on surface water, rinse after contact with foam and bathe or shower after swimming in an area where foam was present.

What is confirmed at Northeast Gravel

EGLE identifies Northeast Gravel at 3769 Cannonsburg Road in Belmont, formerly known as 4300 Cannonsburg Road. Northeast Gravel operated a licensed landfill on 23 acres from 1966 through 1979. The site included a Wolverine World Wide tannery-waste cell, a domestic-refuse cell and a plating-waste cell.

EGLE’s site record says some waste materials contained PFAS, which contaminated groundwater and surface water in certain areas. The former waste-cell property was later developed into Boulder Creek Golf Course, owned and operated by Boulder Creek Development Company. EGLE began PFAS sampling at the site and nearby drinking-water and irrigation wells in fall 2017 as part of the broader North Kent investigations.

What the April 24, 2026 order requires

EGLE’s site record says that on April 24, 2026, EGLE, the Michigan Department of Attorney General and Boulder Creek Development Company entered an Administrative Order by Consent for the site. The order requires Boulder Creek Development Company to address PFAS contamination at the property and carry out response activities intended to protect residents whose drinking water has been affected.

The EGLE record lists the following required or anticipated activities:

Offering municipal-water connections to eight properties identified in the order;
Sampling private drinking-water wells at two additional properties on Cannonsburg Road;
Conducting groundwater investigation and sampling;
Investigating groundwater-to-surface-water movement, including what may enter the Grand River; and
Installing an impermeable cap over the Wolverine World Wide waste cell.

The record describes offers, sampling and investigation work as required or anticipated activities. It does not establish that all eight connections or the investigation have been completed. It also does not establish that every nearby property is contaminated or that every listed property is within Comstock Park.

What residents should not conclude

The July 16 meeting did not establish confirmed PFAS contamination across Comstock Park, and it did not create a township-wide drinking-water advisory. The Northeast Gravel order applies to a specific Belmont site and specifically identified properties and activities. Those findings should not be generalized to every home, business or township well.

For current information, residents can compare township updates with RIDE Mapper, MPART and EGLE site records. Kent County’s PFAS information page directs residents to state resources for health effects, testing and specific site investigations.

EGLE warns that the Northeast Gravel webpage may not be routinely updated. Residents seeking the latest status should check current MPART records or contact EGLE site lead Leah Gies through the contact information on the state site.

Sources

Discover more from Interactive News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.