GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The first class action lawsuit has been filed against Wolverine Worldwide over contaminated ground water in the Belmont and Rockford areas of northern Kent County.
The suit was filed by a team of three law firms, The Miller Law Firm, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd and Weitz & Luxenberg. Consumer advocateErin Brockovich, who has led efforts on other pollution issues around the country, is also working with the legal team.
The suit alleges that Wolverine and 3M were aware of the dangers of Scotchgard, which was used to waterproof the leather in Wolverines shoes and boots since the 1950s. The suit says that the two companies covered up the truth of these dangers until groundwater testing in the Belmont area this fall showed contaminated water in drinking wells.
Brockovich will be in West Michigan for a community meeting on December 11 to discuss the lawsuit. The time and place of that meeting have not yet been determined.
