On March 30, 2026, your office announced that BASF is a named settling defendant in Michigan's PFAS and AFFF federal litigation. Municipal claims deadlines fall on July 31 and August 1, 2026.

Wyandotte residents are asking you to act before that window closes. But this is not just about filing a claim. It is about getting real answers and real protection for the people who live here.

BASF North Works at 1609 Biddle Avenue sits approximately 1,700 feet upstream of Wyandotte's municipal water intake on the Detroit River. The facility operates under a 1986 state consent decree. In March 2025, EGLE formally notified BASF that they are violating that decree. BASF disputes it. But EGLE's own groundwater sampling at the site documents PFOS at 8,070 parts per trillion, more than 1,000 times the state standard. Mercury has been detected at levels of concern for the Detroit River ecosystem. And PFHxS, the same compound documented in my blood by two independent laboratories, is in that groundwater.

BASF generates 14 percent of Wyandotte's Water Fund revenue, per audited FY2024 city financials. The facility has received substantial tax abatements from the city, including a 100% personal property tax exemption for 20 years. To our knowledge, the city has not held a single public forum on water quality, and residents have not been formally notified about what is upstream from their tap.

Our pets have died. Our children drink treated water drawn from an intake immediately downstream of this facility. We have been paying for that water.

We are not asking for more studies. We are asking for action.

 
Attorney General Nessel, Governor Whitmer, and our federal representatives, use your full authority now.

• Compel BASF to fund independent PFAS blood testing and long-term health monitoring for Wyandotte and Downriver residents.

I have already done it. Two independent laboratories. Nine days apart. Quest Diagnostics, Specimen ZW356885U, collected March 2, 2026. PFHxS detected at 1.58 ng/mL. ARUP Laboratories, Accession 26-070-400711, collected March 11, 2026 through the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center. PFHxS detected at 1.3 ng/mL. Both results exceed the CDC population median of approximately 1.0 ng/mL.

PFHxS is not a household compound. It is industrial. It is one of the specific compounds documented in BASF North Works groundwater during joint BASF and EGLE sampling in summer 2020.

I primarily drink Coke Zero. When I use tap water it has been filtered. I have not consumed unfiltered tap water since 2019. These results reflect secondary exposure only. Showering. Bathing. Food preparation. Environmental proximity.

What do the numbers look like for someone who has been drinking Wyandotte tap water unfiltered for 10, 20, or 30 years, making coffee every morning, boiling water, cooking with it every night? We do not know. That community has never been tested. You can change that.

• Use the 1986 consent decree enforcement to mandate a binding accelerated cleanup plan for BASF North Works.

EGLE has already notified BASF they are violating the decree. The groundwater is contaminated with PFOS, PFHxS, and mercury. The water intake is 1,700 feet downstream. Order the fix. Monitor it. Enforce it.

• Require the City of Wyandotte to hold a public hearing and establish a permanent community notification system.

No more silence. Residents have a right to know what is in their water and what is upstream. If the city council will not act, you can compel them.

 
This petition is open to every Downriver resident. The Detroit River does not recognize city boundaries. BASF North Works sits upstream from communities that fish these waters, recreate on this river, and depend on its health. If you live Downriver and you believe your neighbors in Wyandotte deserve answers before July 31, your signature belongs here. Every name strengthens the community record.

Sign this petition and share your story in the comments. Every name here is a neighbor who deserves to be counted before July 31 and August 1.

We call on AG Nessel to:

1. Compel BASF to fund independent PFAS blood testing and long-term health monitoring for Wyandotte and Downriver residents.
   
2. Use the 1986 state consent decree enforcement to mandate a binding accelerated cleanup plan for BASF North Works with independent monitoring.
   
3. Require the City of Wyandotte to hold a public hearing and establish a permanent community notification system for water quality.

Downriver is proud. We are hardworking. We look out for each other. We always have. That is not a talking point. That is who we are. The question for every elected official and regulator named on this petition is simple. When the history of this river is written, will you be remembered as the people who acted, or the people who looked the other way while Downriver was left behind again. We are watching. We are documented. And we are not going anywhere.

Sergeant Brian Burgess, U.S. Army, Ret. 

CBRN Specialist | Airborne Qualified

Wyandotte, Michigan 

NeoKhufu@gmail.com