Category: Uncategorized

Wolverine Worldwide will soon begin sampling wells for PFAS in the Wolven West Study Area – an area newly-established by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and located in the vicinity of Algoma Avenue between 10 Mile Road and 11 Mile Road.  The sampling will be conducted by Rose & Westra/GZA, Wolverine’s environmental engineers.

Wolverine began notifying homeowners on December 6, 2017, and sampling is expected to begin in the next several days.  All homeowners in the Wolven West Study Area are being provided with bottled water while waiting for their results, which we expect to be available within four weeks after sampling.

In addition, in our ongoing commitment to provide residents confidence in their drinking water, Wolverine has made the decision to extend its whole house filtration program to residents in the Wolven West Study Area that receive confirmed test results with any detection of PFOA or PFOS.  While the extent of any impacted area has not been fully determined, and sources are still being identified, we remain committed to the community and doing what we believe to be the right thing for our friends, family and neighbors.

Earlier this fall, Wolverine selected the Culligan/Calgon whole house filtration system, which relies on dual canister granular activated carbon adsorption.  This system has been demonstrated to effectively remove PFAS, and ensures that these compounds are not returned to the environment.  The Culligan/Calgon filtration system has been used to treat water for PFAS in over 1,000 homes outside Michigan, and Wolverine has already provided over 250 of these systems in the local area.

Residents in the Wolven West Study Area whose test results come back with a detection of PFOA or PFOS will be eligible to receive a whole house filter, and Culligan will contact them at that time to make arrangements for installation.

We will continue to keep the community updated about this issue through our blog at WeAreWolverine.com, and will post a map of the Wolven West Study Area on our Maps section when one becomes available.

Wednesday night, Wolverine Worldwide and several state and local agencies participated in a community Town Hall organized by the Kent County Health Department and held at the Rockford Freshman Center.  Prior to the start of the Town Hall, Wolverine was on hand to meet individually with residents to answer questions and provide more information on the environmental issues in the community.  We want to extend a sincere thank you to the community members and residents who attended the meeting or watched the livestream.  A special thank you to Dr. Shibler and Rockford Public Schools, the Kent County Health Department, and the Kent County Sheriff’s Department for all their efforts in support of the event.

If you were unable to attend the Town Hall but would like to watch it, please click the link below.

November 29, 2017 Community Town Hall

Representatives from Wolverine Worldwide will participate in a community town hall meeting to address the latest information about the presence of PFAS in area groundwater.  The meeting will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight at the Rockford Freshman Center, 4500 Kroes Street NE.

Hosted by the Kent County Health Department, the event will address the presence of PFAS in groundwater, the well sampling being conducted, how to interpret the results, and what steps are being taken to address the situation.  The event will be moderated by Steve Kelso of the Kent County Health Department, and residents will have the opportunity to ask questions.  In addition, the event will also be livestreamed and can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4dfh8ZEbk0mvp8z7iLdEg/live

Wolverine Worldwide is participating in the event so the community can hear our point of view and understand the actions we have been taking to ensure that all residents have confidence in their drinking water.  Agencies and other organizations participating in the event include the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and the Kent County Health Department.

Finally, prior to the town hall residents can ask questions of Wolverine and the participating agencies in a one-on-one setting, starting at 4:00 pm in the school cafeteria.

 

In our continuing effort to keep you informed and give you the facts, below is a link to an interview that State Senator Peter MacGregor did recently with WOOD TV 8’s political reporter, Rick Albin. We understand residents have many questions and concerns and we hope this video will help to continue to inform the community on this matter.

Click the link below to watch the interview.

Interview with State Senator Peter MacGregor