MDHHS Update Regarding Huron River Spill

The City of Dexter sent out the following update:

Effective Friday, August 12, 2022, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) lifted its recommendation for no contact with the Huron River between North Wixom Road in Oakland County and Kensington Road in Livingston County based on a review of testing results. While the State of Michigan's departments of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and Health and Human Services (MDHHS) did not issue any public health notices for the Huron River near Dexter regarding the Wixom-area chromium spill, this is still good news for those planning a visit to the Huron River. Based on a press released issued by EGLE, a "MDHHS data review found that:

The amount of hexavalent chromium released into the Huron River was much less than originally thought. 

The release was predominantly trivalent chromium, not hexavalent chromium. Trivalent chromium is a micronutrient that is part of humans’ diet and is far less concerning from a health perspective.

Hexavalent chromium was not detected in the majority of the surface water samples. The detections in three samples were well below the level that could cause harm."

The State of Michigan has established a website to summarize the data collection and results at: https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/water-resources/assess….

Additional Sources of Information

- Washtenaw County Health Department Website: https://www.washtenaw.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2233

- City of Ann Arbor's Website: https://www.a2gov.org/departments/water-treatment/Pages/Chromium-Spill-…