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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 15, 2026
EGLE Media Office, [email protected], 517-284-9278
First-of-its-kind PFAS education campaign goes national with support from other states
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed the week of Sept. 21, 2026, as PFAS Awareness Week, highlighting Michigan’s leadership in addressing this class of chemical contaminants and urging continued focus on the environmental and health risks associated with these pollutants.
PFAS Awareness Week is an educational effort championed by the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) Citizens Advisory Workgroup, made up of Michigan citizens impacted by PFAS.
“Michigan residents expect and deserve access to clean drinking water and should be protected from harmful contaminants that pose a risk to their health," said Governor Whitmer. “This week everyone is urged to take steps to reduce their exposure to PFAS through actions such as sampling their private well to see if it is impacted by PFAS, checking the Eat Safe Fish guides, avoiding foam on surface water and reducing the use of consumer products that can contain PFAS.”
Nearly a dozen in-person and online events ranging from film screenings to panel discussions are scheduled throughout the state during PFAS Awareness Week.
Michigan was the first state in the nation to address growing concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, through an all-of-government approach to finding these contaminants and protecting the environment and public health from PFAS exposures.
Launched in 2017, MPART consists of seven state agencies including the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Michigan Department of Transportation; Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs; and Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
MPART is collaborating on this week-long PFAS awareness effort with state counterparts in Minnesota and California, many universities and non-profit organizations such as the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network.
Learn more about Michigan’s leadership in addressing PFAS by visiting the MPART website.
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