On April 26, Wolverine Worldwide submitted a comprehensive Final Remedy Work Plan (the “Work Plan”) to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), outlining the next steps to address PFAS at our House Street property. This Work Plan expands on our Feasibility Study that EGLE approved in 2021, after receiving feedback and input from community members and local officials.
The primary feature of the Work Plan and Feasibility Study is the construction of three separate engineered caps that will cover approximately 27 acres of the property, which was a State of Michigan licensed and regulated disposal site from the mid-1960s through 1978 and was used by Wolverine until 1970.
Our Work Plan includes detailed sections on engineering, construction and monitoring, along with supporting figures, charts and graphs. It is available for your review by clicking HERE, and you can review the Feasibility Study by clicking HERE.
After the Work Plan is approved, we expect that it will take two or three months to obtain permits and select contractors. We estimate construction will then take about 30 months to complete, with the final schedule determined by the approved contractors. The hours of operation will follow Plainfield Township ordinances and be limited to between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The first steps after construction commences will include clearing vegetation and trees from approximately 30 acres of the property. The material will be safely processed, retained on-site, and placed beneath the constructed caps. Once clearing is complete, the contractors will construct the caps and associated improvements on the property.
Existing soil from the property will be used as much as possible, but the project will require bringing in additional soil and topsoil, along with other materials like sub-base stone, riprap, geotextile, capping membrane, and gas vent piping. During construction, air and dust will be monitored at the property boundaries and stormwater and soil will be properly managed, in accordance with best practices and EGLE oversight.
An aerial view rendering that shows what the House Street property will generally look like after construction is complete and new vegetation has been planted and taken root is depicted below:
This Work Plan at our House Street property is just one part of our ongoing efforts to address PFAS in the area, as outlined in the Consent Decree agreed to between Wolverine and EGLE in 2020.
We will continue keeping the community informed about this work, including the cap construction at our House Street property, 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 or feedback are encouraged to contact Wolverine Worldwide directly at HouseStreet@wwwinc.com or (616) 866-5627.