ROCKFORD, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy showcased Wolverine Worldwide’s plan to clean up a dangerous "forever chemical" in Rockford.
The company was falling behind the original schedule.
In a blog post, Wolverine writes that changes were necessary, following pump tests made by their March 2022 plans. EGLE agreed.
“The original design was modeled to get 48 and a half gallons per minute of flow from the extraction wells. But like we saw with those pump tests, they were having a hard time getting to those predicted numbers, they were getting low flow rates,” said EGLE Environmental Quality Analyst Leah Gies.
On Tuesday, EGLE heard and approved Wolverine's updated proposals for a clean-up plan.
“This will be ongoing as the permanent system is designed and finalized,” Gies said. "They are planning to install a groundwater extraction network capable of capturing PFAS-contaminated groundwater at the tannery site before it enters the Rogue River.”
Wolverine Worldwide, a shoemaking company, has a three-phase approach to clean up the "forever chemicals"that were improperly disposed of by its former tannery property. PFAS are chemicals that have been linked to several health issues, including cancer.
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“The schedule is based on an assumed EGLE report approval date, and will change if we don't approve the plan or if approval is delayed or permitting is delayed,” Gies said.
Phase One of the company’s Addendum to its Response Activity Plan talks about the designs and construction of trenches and wells near the Rogue River. There are six extraction wells and several pumps in several 2,000-foot trenches within these designs
“So the trenches are going to be 10 to 20 feet deep, and have that slotted pipe at the bottom to collect the water,” Gies said. “We do have our engineering team and our modeling team looking at it, but the depth of the plume is definitely a concern.”
There are also seven monitoring sections and two staff gauges in the Rogue River, one North and one South of Rum Creek.
“Wolverine proposes to take monthly measurements at the seven monitoring so sections each line is being referred to as a section,” Gies added.
Phase Two installs temporary treatment and pilot testing. The plans show, after proper EGLE permits, the treated discharged water would go into the Rogue River.
“When this trench design system, the modeling predicts an updated pump rate of 77 gallons per minute,” Gies said.
Finally, Phase Three is a permanent treatment setup.
"Performance monitoring is estimated to begin in June of 2024,” Gies said.
The public has a chance to comment on the plan by the 27th. EGLE says Wolverine could face fines if they fail to hit benchmark targets in this plan.
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