White Pine Trail to Reopen on May 22

Wolverine is pleased to announce that the portion of the White Pine Trail running through its former tannery site in Rockford will reopen tomorrow, May 22, around 12:00 p.m.

Over the past week we removed crushed stone haul roads, installed additional erosion controls, and performed final grading and hydroseeding. This site restoration work is described here, and followed the excavation work described in more detail here. For current photos of the site, please see the end of this blog post.

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 early June, to supplement the seeding along the riverbank with cuttings and plugs of similar native grasses and wildflowers. The second will be this fall, to plant trees along the riverbank and trail. For complete details on the grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees being planted on the site, please click here for the approved plans, the key sections of which are also at the bottom of this blog post.

We are committed to keeping 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.

Tannery Restoration North Side

Tannery Restoration South Side

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.