‘Do Not Eat’ advisories issued for fish near historic burial mounds, southwest Kent County

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team is working to determine the exact cause (or causes) of PFAS contamination found across parts of Kent County, including the grounds near the Grand River Burial Mounds.

MPART established the Chicago Drive & Lee Street Area of Interest on Monday. It stems from testing done on fish in the area that have shown elevated levels of PFAS in their bodies.

The testing started in 2023 thanks to a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to monitor fish in “environmental justice” areas. When elevated levels were found in fish at Wyoming’s Baatjes Park, the study expanded to the surrounding area, which includes Spelman Lake, Luvis Lake and a large pond near the mounds.

PFOS — perfluorooctane sulfonate — is the primary pollutant