Wolverine Worldwide to appear in court Friday

Attorneys for Wolverine Worldwide will be in court Friday, asking that dozens of lawsuits filed over groundwater contamination linked to the Rockford-based shoemaker be dismissed.
Wolverine has been inundated with individual lawsuits and class action lawsuits filed in state and federal court over water contamination linked to chemicals Wolverine used to waterproof shoes.
In mid-October, Grand Rapids law firm Varnum LLP met with Rockford-area residents to discuss groundwater contamination, much of it linked to an old Wolverine dumpsite on House Street NE in Kent County’s Plainfield Township.
They argue that lead to diminished property values and adverse health effects.
Attorneys from Varnum and Wolverine are meeting in Kent County Circuit Court to discuss the status of the cases, notably whether they will move forward or be delayed.
“It’s very clear what caused this contamination; it’s very clear who caused it,” Phelps said.
Wolverine told WZZM 13 many of Varnum’s claims are “misleading and not supported by facts.” In a document pushing for a stay of the cases, the company said the individual cases and the proposed class action suit are “sufficiently the same.” Wolverine Worldwide’s legal filings in Kent County Circuit Court do not diminish the Company’s commitment to working with the community to find long-term solutions.
Wolverine also believes certain issues raised in the federal class action lawsuit should be addressed before proceeding with the individual state court lawsuits and, because of this, Wolverine is asking the Kent County Circuit Court to stay the individual state court lawsuits.
Many of their clients’ homes came back with PFAS below 70 ppt, while one home tested around 38,000 ppt.
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