WEXFORD COUNTY — The CEO of Cyclopure, a company that sells self-test kits to detect Pfas or forever chemicals is speaking out.
He said critical information was left out during the recent town hall where homeowners in Wexford County were updated about the Pfas situation.
Cyclopure tests are a cheaper alternative to other commercial tests, including the ones the Michigan Pfas Action Response Team or MPART uses.
The self-tests have helped the state determine where more testing needs to be done. The company’s CEO, Frank Cassou said MPART did not give the complete picture on the test results.
“There was four that they brought to our attention where there had been, you know, a difference in testing outcomes. You know, we had reported positive measurements and MPART had reported non detects,” said Cassou.
Cassou said he was contacted in the middle of last month about inconsistencies in test results.
He said they later had a detailed meeting going over the procedures, the science behind the kit, and collection procedures.
They also reviewed the test samples to make sure all of the analytical runs were accurate.
“We reported that to them and we assumed that they were investigating this further. However, they put up a slide which, you know, really highlighted non detect versus likely to detect, which seemed like it had an intention of discrediting our test kits.
He said they did not discuss the information passed on to MPART or the hundreds of testing they had completed in the area that were non detects, instead focusing on the four that had inconsistencies.
“None of these things, which MPART knows and EGLE knows, were brought to the attention of people in the meeting. It’s kind of an omission, intended to present a skewed view of the test reporting,” said Cassou.
He said they worked closely with MPART to get them the information so it was puzzling how it was presented. A lot of what Cyclopure passed along to MPART never made it to the public.
“You have to be tested, you know, at the same time at the same location, from the same source. In every case here, the Eagle tests were about 60 days after,” said Cassou.
He said he worries about the fall-out from what he says is a lack of transparency from m-part on all the testing that was done
“That’s clearly inaccurate, but also for the community members, know that this is an accurate tool developed with government funding and is used by state and federal agencies,” said Cassou.
MPART declined our request for an on-camera interview but did send a statement that read in part, that it’s their goal to continue to share the most recent data and information they receive to be transparent.
They also said they are working with Cyclopure to figure out the discrepancies in the test results and communicate the information to the people of Cadillac.