Toxic PFAS is Threatening Marquette County

Stand up to Polluters Together

Protect Your Community

Learn more about PFAS in Marquette County

Contaminated Areas Near You

Contaminated Areas Near You

Find PFAS sites near you.

What is GLPAN?

What is GLPAN?

Who are we?

Testing for PFAS Contamination

Testing for PFAS Contamination

Discover local resources.

What are PFAS?

What are PFAS?

Toxic PFAS are invisible.

People Working for a Better Marquette County

Marquette County

PFAS in Marquette County

PFAS + Marquette County

As a Marquette County resident, you and the 66,403 people living in your community need to stay informed about the threat posed by toxic PFAS contamination.

A quick look at the numbers in Marquette County:

  • There is 1 site contaminated with toxic PFAS.
  • 17% of residents are over the age of 65, and their health can be aggravated by PFAS contamination.
  • 4.4% are children, who are especially vulnerable to PFAS.

To combat the harmful effects of PFAS, we must:

  • Raise funds to clean up the K.I. Sawyer AFB.
  • Raise awareness of PFAS contamination in Marquette County waterways, and conduct local events to educate boaters and swimmers of the risks associated with PFAS.
  • Recruit volunteers in key communities such as Powell and Champion to get the word out about this risk to our community.
  • Raise funds to continue testing important water sources like Arfelin Lake.
  • Raise awareness of potential PFAS contamination in Marquette County waterways.

Join the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network and share your story.

Frequently Asked Questions

PFAS is an acronym for a class of more than 4,700 different chemicals. Beginning in the 1940’s, PFAS have been used in a variety of industrial products, like stain and water-resistant fabrics, cleaning products, paints, and fire-fighting foams. PFAS are commonly referred to as forever chemicals, because they can take thousands of years to break down. Unfortunately, they are also linked to a wide array of health problems.
The full impacts of PFAS exposure and contamination are still being studied, and will be for years to come. These invisible chemicals are a problem for humans of any age and for all living creatures. This is because PFAS collects in our bodies over time and can take years to leave.
Because we are often exposed to different types of PFAS, they continuously add up in our bodies and in our bloodstreams. This is a real concern because PFAS can negatively affect our health. PFAS have been linked to:

  • elevated cholesterol
  • thyroid disease
  • immuno-suppression
  • damage to the liver and kidneys
  • various fertility issues
  • different types of cancers (testicular and kidney cancers)

Studies show that some of the potential and common health impacts associated with PFAS exposure are liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, reduced vaccination and immunity effectiveness, hormone suppression, testicular and kidney cancer.
GLPAN, the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, harnesses the collective resources, perspectives and expertise in PFAS impacted-communities, and fuses it with organizations' own resources and expertise. Together, we work to educate decision-makers at the state and federal level, secure funding for large-scale cleanup, and ensure accountability for swift, comprehensive and equitable solutions to PFAS contamination for people across the Great Lakes region.
GLPAN strives to bring impacted communities together to raise awareness and find solutions for toxic PFAS contamination happening across the region.
GLPAN provides tools and resources for communities grappling with PFAS contamination from top PFAS experts. These communities are empowered to hold polluters responsible and seek cleanup solutions for the contamination.