Wolverine Worldwide has consistently said that all options remain on the table related to resolving the water quality issues facing our community, and that it is open to a comprehensive solution based on the right data and involving all necessary parties.
Wolverine’s commitment to being part of a long-term solution is apparent from its actions – it has paid for over 1,500 groundwater tests, provided bottled water to over 1,200 homes, installed over 70 monitoring wells, and installed over 500 whole-house filters and over 100 point-of-use filters.
The vast majority of these filters are in homes with no detections of PFOA/PFOS or with levels far below the conservative 70 parts per trillion (ppt) level set by the EPA and the State for PFOA/PFOS. In addition, we recently committed $40 million towards our continuing efforts to address water quality in the area.
These proactive steps have ensured that residents have safe, high quality water that exceeds the safety levels set by the EPA and the State of Michigan. They have also provided all parties the time and opportunity to gather the necessary data, involve the appropriate parties, and identify and implement the right long-term solutions for our community. Wolverine has been working diligently and cooperatively through this process with the State for nearly a year, and last month the State filed a lawsuit seeking to formalize and solidify the timeline and next steps.
We understand Plainfield Township is considering a resolution tonight to try to become a party to the State’s lawsuit. It is possible an expansion of the Township’s municipal water system could be part of a comprehensive plan, along with other solutions used around the country, like drilling deeper wells and using filters similar to those Wolverine has already provided. Given this, we welcome the Township’s input into our discussions with the State about long-term solutions.
Due to the involvement of the State and the process it has initiated, however, we are not in a position to move forward with separate, premature discussions with the Township on its proposal to begin construction of a municipal water extension this summer. This would short circuit the State’s involvement and our responsibility to them. It also would not be based on the right data, would not take into account the significant water solutions Wolverine has already implemented, and would not involve the right parties.
We’ve said from the start that we will see this issue through to the end, and we are committed to providing the residents of our community the confidence they deserve in their water. To accomplish this, we will continue our collaborative and expedited efforts to develop long-term water solutions for the community and, as appropriate, we welcome the Township to participate in our discussions and actions with the State on this topic.
We started this blog to speak directly to the community and to help keep the facts straight, and we intend to do just that. Any residents with questions are encouraged to contact Wolverine directly at (616) 866-5627 or HouseStreet@wwwinc.com.
We Are Wolverine.