Historical Timeline

• This area consists of a former licensed disposal facility owned and operated by Wolverine World Wide (Wolverine) near House Street and Herrington Avenue in Plainfield Township, and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE - previously the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)) investigation into several citizen reported unregulated dump sites across three townships in northern Kent County.

  2017

  • On January 24, 2017, a concerned citizens group brought the former House Street disposal location to EGLE’s attention on January 24, 2017. In response to these concerns, EGLE requested that Wolverine sample residential wells.
  • In May 2017, EGLE received results from Wolverine from the requested residential well sampling. Levels of PFOA and PFOS were detected over the USEPA Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt PFOA and PFOS individually or combined.
  • In August 2017, Wolverine began its on-site groundwater investigation on the House Street Dump Site, which has expanded off-site in order to define the full extent of the PFAS contamination. This investigation is still ongoing, and more work is needed by Wolverine to fully define and monitor the plume long term.
  • In Fall/Winter 2017, per a request by the school district, the water at several Rockford Public Schools was tested. The results were non-detect.
  • Beginning in the Winter of 2017, Wolverine has been conducting off-site groundwater environmental investigations in the Wolven/Jewell source area (located north of 10 Mile and west of Wolven Ave).

• 2018

  • In January 2018, EGLE filed a legal complaint against Wolverine under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and state law, including Part 201 (Environmental Remediation) in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.In the complaint, the state seeks orders that Wolverine institute protective measures to mitigate risks to public health, continue environmental investigations, address PFAS contamination in ground and surface water and pay for the state’s past and future costs associated with enforcement of state clean-up laws.
  • In late Spring 2018, Wolverine began conducting a source area investigation on the House Street site under a United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Unilateral Administrate Order (UAO) to address the non-PFAS contamination, and is sampling for PFAS for EGLE as part of those investigation activities.This investigation was completed in late November 2018, with a summary report due to the agencies in late February 2019.
  • On July 31, 2018, Rockford Public Schools were tested again as part of the MPART statewide sampling efforts. Results were non-detect.
  • EGLE has provided oversight of Wolverine’s activities, conducted follow-up groundwater monitoring sampling, sampled 124 residential drinking water wells, provided residents with bottled water, investigated over 100 citizen-reported disposal locations, implementing a hydrogeologic groundwater investigation in the North Childsdale sampling area and areas east of the Rogue River.
  • On November 3, 2018, EGLE completed reviewing Wolverine’s revised filter operation and maintenance plan and provided comments back.
  • On November 21, 2018, EGLE requested Wolverine resample all residential drinking water wells in current sampling areas in a letter dated 11/21/18. Wolverine responded to this request on January 18, 2019.
  • On November 27, 2018, the MDHHS and Kent County Health Department held a Community Meeting regarding the “North Kent County PFAS Exposure Assessment.”
  • In November 2018, Wolverine completed field work for House Street and MDOT property on-site investigations (reporting due to EGLE/USEPA starting January 22, 2019). 
  • In late November 2018, the USEPA and EGLE released a status update factsheet, providing residents an update on the investigation and announcing the January town hall meeting.   
  • On December 10, 2018, EGLE collected whole house filter split samples with GZA, Wolverine’s consultant.

• 2019

  • On January 2, 2019, Wolverine began installing a new monitoring well location in the Wolven/Jewell Area.
  • On January 10, 2019, EGLE announced that the originally scheduled January 23, 2019 joint USEPA/EGLE townhall was postponed due to the federal government shutdown.
  • On January 18, 2019, Wolverine responded to the November 21 resampling request with an alternate resampling plan, which it is currently implementing. 
  • As of January 30, 2019, Wolverine has sampled over 1,540 residential drinking water wells, provided residents with bottled water, installed 235 point-of-use filters and 536 whole-house treatment systems, removed barrels and subsurface waste at two locations near the House Street disposal site, and is implementing an environmental investigation of groundwater contamination at the House Street site and its surrounding area.
  • On February 25, 2019, Wolverine submitted a “Draft Implementation of 2018 Work Plan Summary Report” to the USEPA for review.
  • On February 28, 2019, EGLE sent Wolverine a “Notice of Expenditure of State Funds” letter.
  • On march 8, 2019, Wolverine provided a response to EGLE’s February 28 letter. Wolverine agreed to conduct drilling at 6 of the 11 proposed locations. Drilling activities for these 6 locations is scheduled to start the week of April 15, 2019.
  • On March 26, 2019, the USEPA and EGLE held a joint Town Hall at the Rockford High School Fine Arts Auditorium at 4100 Kroes Street NE, Rockford MI 49341. The Open House was from 6:00 – 6:30 pm, the Public Meeting from 6:30 – 8:00pm and time for questions held between 8:00 – 8:30pm. This meeting was originally scheduled for January 23, 2019 but was rescheduled due to the federal government shutdown. 
    • ​View the March 26 Town Hall presentation.
  • On April 29, 2019, the USEPA sent Wolverine a letter detailing the required time-critical cleanup CERLCA actions at the House Street site.
  • On May 21, 2019, Wolverine submitted their Final House Street Summary Report to USEPA (posted to USEPA website).
  • EGLE sent Wolverine a letter on June 4, 2019 requesting additional information regarding Wolverine’s drinking water well resampling efforts. Wolverine responded with a July 17, 2019 submittal.
  • Wolverine submitted the final House Street Work Plan to USEPA on July 12, 2019 (response to USEPA’s April 29, 2019 letter). This is posted on EPA’s website.  
  • On August 15, 2019, the Wolverine Community Advisory Group (CAG) held their first public meeting at the Rockford Freshmen Center.  EGLE participated and presented at this meeting. 
  • In July and August 2019, EGLE installed and sampled monitoring wells and soil borings in the Wolven-Jewell investigation area at the locations that Wolverine did not agree to install as requested in EGLE’s February 28, 2019 letter.
  • In August 2019 Wolverine completed the third-quarter groundwater sampling of monitoring wells in the House Street and Wolven/Jewell sampling areas.
  • On September 19, 2019, the Wolverine CAG held a meeting at Plainfield Charter Township Hall.  EGLE participated in this meeting.
  • On October 8, 2019, USEPA and EGLE met with House Street residents to discuss work being conducted by Wolverine under USEPA’s order.
  • On October 17, 2019, the Wolverine CAG held a meeting at Plainfield Charter Township Hall.  EGLE participated in this meeting.