Update on Restoration Work at Former Tannery; White Pine Trail to Reopen

Earlier this year, Wolverine completed excavation work at its former Tannery site in Rockford, and over the last several weeks we have been performing site restoration work. This has included placing and grading clean topsoil, re-seeding the banks of the Rogue River with native grasses and flowers, installing erosion control devices, and repaving the White Pine Trail (see pictures below). These activities are part of the remediation agreed upon by Wolverine and the EPA, and needed to protect Rogue River water quality and prevent possible shoreline erosion.

Wolverine is pleased to announce that this restoration work is nearing completion, and we anticipate reopening the White Pine Trail through the site by Friday, May 22. Between now and then, we will be completing additional erosion controls, performing final grading, and hydroseeding the area west of the trail. We will also be removing the crushed stone that was brought onto the site last year to construct access roads for the excavation work. This stone will be transported by truck to Wolverine’s House Street property over the next few days, where it will be staged for use in future construction projects like Plainfield Township’s municipal water extension.

We anticipate needing to close and re-route the White Pine Trail two more times this year for short periods. This first will be in late May or early June, when we anticipate supplementing the seeding along the riverbank with cuttings and plugs of similar native species. The second will be this fall, when we will be planting trees along the riverbank and trail.

We are committed to limiting the impact of these restoration activities on neighboring residents, surrounding businesses, and the community as a whole, and will continue to keep the community informed through regular updates on this blog, www.WeAreWolverine.com, and through information posted 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.

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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.