Wolverine Worldwide and 3M Finally Pay Up After 5 Year Court Case

It has been 5 years since it was discovered that Wolverine Worldwide and 3M polluted groundwater in Rockford and Belmont, and the two have finally reached a settlement.

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Water Testing

Some simple water testing by some locals in Rockford, Michigan, has led to a major settlement for residents in the Rockford and Belmont areas from Wolverine Worldwide and 3M.

The local watchdogs had been paying close attention to what Wolverine World Wide for over a decade and finally had enough evidence to convince state officials to test for PFAS near an old tannery dump in Belmont that was full of sludge waste from back in the 60s.

It turns out those PFAS managed to get into the groundwater people in the Rockford area had been using for years. Close to 800 homes had tested positive for PFAS.

What Was the Cause of Chemicals Getting into the Drinking Water?

In the late 1950s, Wolverine was treating its Hush Puppies brand leather shoes with 3M Scotchgard that is made with PFAS. Wolverine dumped those chemicals and other waste byproducts in dump sites around Rockford.

Wolverine Worldwide and 3M Have Reached a Settlement in a Class Action Lawsuit

According to MLive, Wolverine Worldwide and 3M are going to pay $54 million to property owners who were harmed by PFAS contamination. Around 1,700 residences qualify for a cut of the settlement.

The claims focused on the loss of property value. Nearly 300 residents are excluded from the settlement since they had already settled their personal cases back in the winter. Depending on the level of PFAS on residents' property is how the money is being dispersed.