White Pine Trail Detour to Begin Wednesday, October 2

As we discussed here and here, Wolverine will be conducting cleanup work this fall at the site of its former tannery in Rockford. As part of this work, the DNR has now issued a permit to close and re-route the White Pine Trail as shown in red on this map. The closure will commence tomorrow, October 2, and last for the duration of the work.

Wolverine and its contractors will strive to limit the impact of this work on neighboring residents, surrounding businesses, and the broader community. We will also continue keeping the community informed through regular updates on its blog, www.WeAreWolverine.com, and through information at kiosks and in other locations accessible to the public.

As always, residents with questions are encouraged to contact Wolverine directly at HouseStreet@wwwinc.com or (616) 866-5627.

WE ARE WOLVERINE

Rockford is our home and we’ve always acted responsibly and taken our obligations as part of this community personally.

In 1998, 3M began discussions on their formula change with its customers because PFOA and PFOS – two of the PFAS family of compounds – were “persistent in the environment.” We relied on 3M’s representations to the EPA, FDA, scientific bodies, and Wolverine regarding the safety of the Scotchgard™ formula.

We’ve been working with MDEQ since November 2016, when we became aware of the possible presence of PFAS in groundwater at our former Tannery location. We continue to work with the state to identify and test possible sites, and we’re close to completing that process. Every resident whose water is being tested has a water solution until they have answers. While the science is not conclusive, we’re working proactively to develop solutions, share information with you, and restore our community’s confidence in its drinking water. Much more information is available here on our WeAreWolverine.com blog.