Wolverine Tannery Neighbors Threaten Suit To Force Cleanup

BELMONT, Mich. (AP) - Residents who live near an old leather tannery waste dump in western Michigan are threatening to sue Wolverine World Wide to force it to clean up the site.

Attorneys for 40 residents near the long-forgotten dump sent Wolverine a notice of intent to sue on Friday.

They want the Rockford-based global footwear company to remove contaminated soil from the 76-acre property, rebury it in a pit lined with a hazardous waste liner and then encircle the property with a slurry wall to contain polluted water.

Waste sludge from the tannery was dumped into unlined trenches and lagoons in the area during the 1960s.

MLive.com reports that Wolverine says in a statement that it's aware of the legal notice, but "does not comment on potential litigation."

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