BAY CITY, Mich. (WJRT) – U.S. Senator Gary Peters kicked off his annual motorcycle tour across Michigan at Bay City Fire Department Station #2, where he saw how federal funding he secured will help clean up toxic PFAS contamination on the property.
During his visit, Peters also highlighted an additional $1.3 million federal grant he secured, funded by his bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act. The grant enabled the Bay City, Midland and Saginaw fire departments to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus, which allow firefighters to breathe safely during dangerous rescues.
“Our firefighters put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities,” Peters said. “We have a responsibility to make sure they have the tools and resources they need to stay safe on the job.”
Peters continued, saying hazardous PFAS chemicals from firefighting foams have posed serious health risks to firefighters for years.
“I was proud to secure nearly $1 million to help Bay City clean up this site and protect the brave firefighters who serve this community,” Peters said.
Bay City Fire Chief Kurt Corradi said Peters has worked to secure robust federal investments to help the department replace lifesaving equipment and address toxic PFAS contamination at Fire Station #2.
“I’ve been proud to partner with him to protect our firefighters and keep our communities safe, and I was honored to welcome him to Bay City on this year’s motorcycle tour,” Corradi said.
Bay City Public Safety Director Caleb Rowell said addressing the PFAS contamination at Fire Station #2 has been a long-term priority for the city. He said identifying a revenue stream became one of the biggest challenges for getting remediation work started.
“Thanks to our partnership with Senator Peters, we were able to secure the nearly $1 million investment needed to begin the process of cleaning up this site,” Rowell said. “Once finished, this project will help protect our firefighters and the neighboring communities from any potential impacts of these harmful chemicals.”
City of Midland Fire Chief Joshua Mosher said firefighters in Midland, Bay City and Saginaw now respond to emergencies using top-of-the-line safe breathing equipment thanks to funding made possible by Peters’ Fire Grants and Safety Act.
“Our departments were proud to work collaboratively to secure this robust funding, and we appreciate Senator Peters’ long-term support of fire and emergency response here in the Bay Region,” Mosher said.
City of Saginaw Fire Chief Brandon Hausbeck said Peters understands that local fire departments need to have the best equipment available to protect first responders when they enter harm’s way.
“Not only does this federal investment help us protect our firefighters, these new breathing apparatuses put our department in compliance with current regulations, which wouldn’t have been possible without this funding,” Hausbeck said.
Peters secured $959,000 in government funding legislation signed into law earlier this year to support the excavation and demolition of existing fire station property where PFAS contamination was detected. He also advocated for and helped secure the $1.3 million federal grant for a joint application between the three fire departments.
The funding allowed the departments to purchase a total of 120 self-contained breathing apparatus, which are now in use across each department. The grant funding comes from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which Peters passed bipartisan legislation into law to reauthorize in 2024.
Peters has a long legacy of fighting to address toxic PFAS chemicals. In September 2018, Peters convened the first-ever hearing on PFAS contamination in the Senate and has held numerous hearings since to continue to conduct oversight and hold administrations accountable to address PFAS.
Peters also authored bipartisan legislation that was signed into law to reduce the spread of PFAS chemicals at commercial airports. In 2022, Peters’ bill to help protect firefighters and emergency responders from PFAS exposure in the line of duty was also signed into law.
Peters kicked off his “Thank you, Michigan” tour in Bay City. He will then make stops in Alpena, Marquette, Traverse City, Grand Rapids and East Lansing, riding more than 1,000 miles across the state on this year’s tour, which is Peters’ 10th and last official motorcycle tour.
“I’ve always said the best way to travel across our state is on a motorcycle,” Peters said. “Representing Michigan in the U.S. Senate has been the absolute honor of my lifetime. So, this year’s tour is about saying thank you to all of the amazing people and communities I’ve been able to partner with during my career to help make Michigan an amazing place to work, live and raise a family.”
