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MDEQ: PFAS levels in groundwater near Rockford over 10,000 times higher than EPA's safety standard

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The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency hosted a public town hall in Rockford Monday evening after an investigation into Wolverine Worldwide’s tannery waste found dramatically high levels of PFAS contamination. 

According to the report, groundwater near Wolverine Worldwide’s former dump site on House Street in Belmont had PFAS contamination that registered at 71000 parts per trillion in some areas. With the Environmental Protection Agency setting the safety threshold for PFAS contamination in drinking water at 70 parts per trillion, that would mean the contaminated water is over 10,000 times more toxic than what is deemed safe by the EPA.

While many argue providing affected who rely on private wells with municipal water is the easy answer, the question remains then who pays for it. With Plainfield Township officials estimating that cost at more than $60 million, it’s a bill Wolverine Worldwide isn’t prepared to foot. At least, not alone.

In December, Wolverine Worldwide filed a lawsuit against 3M, the company that supplied the PFAS chemicals that Wolverine used to waterproof shoes. The lawsuits allege 3M concealed information about the dangers of PFAS chemicals, and therefore should be held financially responsible as well.

And Wolverine might have a case. Last year, 3M paid the state of Minnesota $850 million dollars to help with its own PFAS cleanup efforts.  

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