Officials give Versluis Lake green flag for swimming despite pollution questions

By Madison Bennett | MLive

Versluis Lake is safe to swim in despite scares of toxic fluorochemicals in municipal water in Plainfield Township and other nearby communities, according to township officials.

As the lake prepares to open for the summer, some residents have raised concerns with the township about whether it would be safe to swim there following the discovery of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, (also called perfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs) in drinking water wells. Those chemicals can be tied to cancer, thyroid problems and other diseases.

According to Plainfield's Superintendent Cameron VanWyngarden, Versluis Lake is directly in the path of a PFAS plume from a former landfill at the northeast corner of the East Beltline and 4 Mile Road.

The chemicals have been linked to industrial waste dumped by Wolverine World Wide, a global shoe company based in Rockford.

During the 1960s, sludge waste from the Wolverine tannery was dumped at the State Disposal Landfill at 3945 East Beltline Ave. NE, as MLive's Garret Ellison reported. 

VanWyngarden said the township asked officials with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Natural Resources and Department of Health and Human Services on the safety of the water and followed up by saying they had no concern on swimming in the lake.

The last test of Versluis Lake showed PFOS at 3.5 parts-per-trillion (ppt) and PFOA at 6.3 ppt. While the state and Kent County Health Department are responsible for testing and determining whether public swimming water is safe, the Michigan PFAS groundwater investigation FAQ states:

"You may bathe and swim in water containing PFAS. The PFAS do no easily absorb in to the skin. It is safe to bathe, as well as doing your laundry and household cleaning. It is also safe to swim in and use recreationally. Getting water with PFAS on your skin will not harm you."

The Environmental Protection Agency's current health advisory level for PFOS and PFOA is 70 ppt for drinking water. It was set in 2016.

Versluis Park, located at 3650 Versluis Park NE, features beach and swimming areas with lifeguard stations, playground areas, picnic facilities and beach volleyball courts as a well as a fishing pier and boat dock.

During the summer, the swimming beach will be staffed with lifeguards and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. All other areas of the park will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Bikes, vehicles and commercial vehicles will be able to pay an entry fee at the park. Season passes are also available for residents and others.

Versluis Park is set to open for Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 26.

This post originally appeared on MLive.com May 25, 2018.