PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The Plainfield Township board is preparing to play hardball with Wolverine Worldwide over the PFAS crisis that has spread through northern Kent County.
The board was expected to vote Monday night on whether to join a federal lawsuit against Wolverine over paying to pipe municipal water to areas where contamination has been found in residential wells.
The township hopes to start work this year extending municipal water into Belmont. It says Wolverine has so far refused to help it pay for the project, which could cost up to $25 million.
The PFAS has spread from Wolverine’s former House Street dump, where the shoemaker buried sludge from its tannery until 1970. It has affected parts Plainfield and Algoma townships, covering an area more than 5 miles long by 5 miles wide. So far, Wolverine has tested the wells of 1,500 homes, finding the likely carcinogen in more than 400, many of those over the state’s limit for safe drinking.
It not only has led to a federal class-action suit, but 100 separate lawsuits in Kent County Circuit Court. Those claims allege the PFAS contamination has led to three deaths, along with miscarriages, cancer and other illnesses.
>>Inside woodtv.com: Complete coverage of the toxic tap water investigation
Plainfield Township also plans to spend up to $400,000 for a carbon treatment system to clean low levels of PFAS from its city water system, which supplies 40,000 people.
Algoma Township says it also wants to extend Plainfield’s water into large areas with tainted wells north of 10 Mile Road NE.
Plainfield officials say Wolverine so far has balked at helping with the costs, forcing it to find other ways to pay for it.
Wolverine has said it plans to spend $40 million on the PFAS crisis, much of it to provide whole-house filters to homes. It says it’s already installed 500 of the filters.
In a statement on its blog, Wolverine called the township’s move premature though it didn’t rule out expanding the city water system:
“Wolverine Worldwide has consistently said that all options remain on the table related to resolving the water quality issues facing our community, and that it is open to a comprehensive solution based on the right data and involving all necessary parties,” according to the blog.
“It is possible an expansion of the Township’s municipal water system could be part of a comprehensive plan, along with other solutions used around the country, like drilling deeper wells and using filters similar to those Wolverine has already provided. Given this, we welcome the Township’s input into our discussions with the State about long-term solutions.
“Due to the involvement of the State and the process it has initiated, however, we are not in a position to move forward with separate, premature discussions with the Township on its proposal to begin construction of a municipal water extension this summer. This would short circuit the State’s involvement and our responsibility to them.”
RESOURCES FOR PLAINFIELD AND ALGOMA TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS:
If you are eligible for a whole-house water filtration system from Wolverine Worldwide, you can call 616.866.5627 or email HouseStreet@wwwinc.com.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Environmental Assistance Center can be reached at 1.800.662.9278.
Websites with additional information on the contamination: