Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome back to Michigan's Big Show starring Michael Patrick Shields.
I'm Kyle Mallinn, editor of the Murrs newsletter, filling in today.
If you remember, it's been a few years now, but
in Rockford, which is north of Grand Rapids, there was
p foss chemicals found outside of a tannery in the
(00:28):
Wolverine Tannery plant where they make leather products, and the
p FOSS has discovered in the groundwater. And since then
there's been a lot of monitoring at the site to
see what kind of impact it's had on the people
who live out there. And one of the people who
has been very active in raising awareness on the issue
(00:50):
is Sandy win Steltz has joined us now from the
Great Lakes p Foss Action Network kind of give us
an update on what's happening with this particular issue.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Good morning'sy, how are you doing.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Good morning, I'm great, I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Well, tell our listeners a little bit about what's the
latest there in the Rockford area concerning the Wolverine Worldwide
House street Disposal area.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, we're chugging along, as they say they have interceptor
wells there in the Rockford area to hopefully prevent some
of the tannery waste, some of the pithos into getting
into the Rogue River, which is a real concern. We
do not eat fish advisories out of that river at
(01:36):
this point because of the contamination. And here closer to
my home, they have had to basically put a cover
over the contamination at the House Street dump again to
try to prevent runoff from hitting into the Grand River.
So at this point that's really all we can do
is try to limit the amount of contamination it goes forward.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
How big is this House Street dump.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
It's about forty acres and it would dump there in
the seventies into giant trenches, and they would bring tannery
wasts from their shoe manufacturing where they use Scotch gart
on their hushpuppy shoes, and that went into our aquifer.
And it's contaminated about twenty five square miles of private
(02:27):
wells in the northern Kent County area.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So, excuse my ignorance here, does Wolverine still make shoes
from that site.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
They do not make shoes here in the Rockford area,
though their corporate headquarters has remained here. I think they've
moved their shoe manufacturing overseas, all right.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
So there's no tanning that's going on anymore. There no.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
But because this is a forever chemical, it doesn't go anywhere.
It doesn't break down, it doesn't evaporate, it doesn't degrade.
It just stays and go into water and then moves
where we all drink it or eat it, and then
it stays in our body as well.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
What kind of impacts you have been reported in the
Rockford area because of this p FOS contamination.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Well, I lost my husband quite unexpectedly to liver cancer
in twenty sixteen. We had lived in this home for
twenty five years before I even found out about this.
I myself have had was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in
two thousand. But I have neighbors that have had kidney disease,
(03:38):
children with thyroid issues, children with elevated liver enzymes. The
issues are huge with this class of chemicals.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Wow, we're talking with Sandy win Stelt about the issues
with PFOS in groundwater, as she's been said in Belmont.
What kind of legal action I mean when when you're
talking about this kind of stuff, I mean, it can't help.
But think of that old movie with what's your name? Yeah,
(04:14):
the Aaron Brockovich. Yeah, I'm thinking Aaron Brokovic here. Did
you guys have an Aaron Brokovic moment because of this
or what?
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Yeah, we actually kind of did. We ended up having
there were class action suits, a lot of us had
individual suits against both three and Wolverine regarding this. We
were very fortunate that we had legal representation. A lot
of communities around the country don't have legal representation because
(04:43):
it becomes such a big case with so many moving parts.
So we were lucky. We were also lucky that our
polluter was still here and Wolverine has remained in our area.
You know, many communities around the state don't have a
polluter that they can hold accountable, or the polluter is left,
(05:04):
or the polluter ties it up. So in a weird way,
we were fortunate.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So as all the settlements then been reached. As far
as the legal aspect of it, is that continuing or
is that done?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I think the legal aspects are all done.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Okay, so now it's just containing the p fas And
what's the message that you all have been trying to
send to state legislators and federal legislators about what can
be done about PFOS.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Well, I think first we have to regulate this classic
chemicals because it is so ubiquitous. It's in everything. So
one thing is we have to have really strong water
standards regarding this, or we call them MCL's maximum contaminant level.
People don't want to be paying a water bill to
have contaminated water, so we need to have standards set
(05:56):
for that, and we really need those standards to be federal,
and we have, though most of those have now been
rolled back, which is why making state laws are really
really important, so that at least states can protect their
citizen dry for not having polluted water. We also need
(06:16):
to just I call it turning off the tap. We
need to not put this in every product out there,
because if it's in our carpet and our furniture, and
our clothes and our shoes and our makeup and our
hair products, in everything, then it gets in all of
our landfills, which then gets on our you know, bio
solids which we use for a fertilizer. It just comes
(06:37):
this compounding problem that we just need to regulate more closely.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So the pfiss is put is a chemical that is
used as a isn't it a water retardant.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
It's it is water resistant, it's a flame resistant. It
doesn't break down, which is why manufacturers love it, because
it doesn't break down. It's pretty indestructible. But that's what
also makes it so dangerous is it's pretty indestructible, so
when it gets in your body, it doesn't go anywhere.
(07:09):
And it's linked to now so many disease processes, kidney cancer,
testicular cancer, liver disease, thyroid disease, breast cancer, autoimmune disorders,
high cholesterol, developmental issues with children. It's just a really
problematic thing that I think we could all have less
(07:32):
water proofing and better health if we could figure out
a way to manage this.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
We all probably have a little bit of p foss
in our system, don't we.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
We all do, and nobody should be happy about that.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, yeah, I bet you so, just by trade, you're
a psychologist, right, yes I am, and this and so
life has kind of taken a strange turn where you've
actually become now an expert in p foss, which is
I'm sure something you didn't ever expect what was going
to happen.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Never did I want to be an environmental activist. That
was not anywhere in my future plans. It didn't make
the top one hundred. I was probably going to jump
out of airplanes before I do that. I don't know
that I'm an expert in pi fos, but I am
an expert I guess in what happens to you when
you've been contaminated with p fas and how how you've
(08:23):
got to message that and how you've got to work
together with other communities. And I think that's where the
Great Lakes TFOs Action Network kind of came about, is
we recognize that nobody really knows what you've gone through
until you've gone through it, and that makes us helpful
to other communities that are impacted by this and other
people that are finding that their job put them at
(08:46):
risk with this.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Well, we appreciate you joining us on the show. That
was Sandy Win the Stealth She is with the Great
Lakes PIFOS Action Network. She is the co chair out
of Belmont. You're listening to Michigan's Big Show.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
This is Chris Buck with Michigan Reemagined podcast. And when
it comes to managing your finances and planning for your future,
I suggest you contact my friends at Wagoner Financial. Whether
you're just getting started, getting ready to retire, or anywhere
in between, Wagoner Financial can help you make smart financial decisions.
Don't navigate a complex problem on your own. Wagoner has
the expertise to help you feel confident that you're making
the right financial choices. Contact an advisor by calling five
(09:23):
one seven eight five three three three sixty seven, or
visit their website at wagonerhyphenfinancial dot com.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
Our path to a top ten state is only as
strong as our strength of commitment. It's time to compete
to win. When we do better by our kids, invest
in people, accelerate our economy, and get the fundamentals right,
we will feel a powerful win in our sales that
will move Michigan over it. That's a top ten state.
(09:50):
Business Leaders for Michigan is the state's business Roundtable. We're
committed to make Michigan more competitive. Time to be bold, Michigan.
It's time to compete to.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
When it comes to healthcare costs, we often focus on
one thing, our insurance premiums. But what if we're only
seeing part of the picture. The truth is our health
insurance costs reside downstream. At the end of the cost equation.
But to really understand what's driving up costs, we need
to look upstream to the healthcare system itself. Upstream, there
are costs like the price is charged by hospitals and doctors,
(10:24):
and the cost of prescription drugs, healthcare administration, and technology.
These costs flow downstream directly into your health insurance premium.
That's why Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is advocating
for a system wide solution to address the rising cost
of healthcare. Blue Cross knows that healthcare is personal, needs
to work for everyone, and affordability matters, and that starts
(10:47):
with shedding light on the entire cost equation, from upstream
costs to downstream premiums. Want to learn more, visit miiblue
daily dot com slash affordability
Welcome back to Michigan's Big Show starring Michael Patrick Shields.
I'm Kyle Mallinn, editor of the Murrs newsletter, filling in today.
If you remember, it's been a few years now, but
in Rockford, which is north of Grand Rapids, there was
p foss chemicals found outside of a tannery in the
(00:28):
Wolverine Tannery plant where they make leather products, and the
p FOSS has discovered in the groundwater. And since then
there's been a lot of monitoring at the site to
see what kind of impact it's had on the people
who live out there. And one of the people who
has been very active in raising awareness on the issue
(00:50):
is Sandy win Steltz has joined us now from the
Great Lakes p Foss Action Network kind of give us
an update on what's happening with this particular issue.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Good morning'sy, how are you doing.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Good morning, I'm great, I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Well, tell our listeners a little bit about what's the
latest there in the Rockford area concerning the Wolverine Worldwide
House street Disposal area.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, we're chugging along, as they say they have interceptor
wells there in the Rockford area to hopefully prevent some
of the tannery waste, some of the pithos into getting
into the Rogue River, which is a real concern. We
do not eat fish advisories out of that river at
(01:36):
this point because of the contamination. And here closer to
my home, they have had to basically put a cover
over the contamination at the House Street dump again to
try to prevent runoff from hitting into the Grand River.
So at this point that's really all we can do
is try to limit the amount of contamination it goes forward.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
How big is this House Street dump.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
It's about forty acres and it would dump there in
the seventies into giant trenches, and they would bring tannery
wasts from their shoe manufacturing where they use Scotch gart
on their hushpuppy shoes, and that went into our aquifer.
And it's contaminated about twenty five square miles of private
(02:27):
wells in the northern Kent County area.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So, excuse my ignorance here, does Wolverine still make shoes
from that site.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
They do not make shoes here in the Rockford area,
though their corporate headquarters has remained here. I think they've
moved their shoe manufacturing overseas, all right.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
So there's no tanning that's going on anymore. There no.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
But because this is a forever chemical, it doesn't go anywhere.
It doesn't break down, it doesn't evaporate, it doesn't degrade.
It just stays and go into water and then moves
where we all drink it or eat it, and then
it stays in our body as well.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
What kind of impacts you have been reported in the
Rockford area because of this p FOS contamination.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Well, I lost my husband quite unexpectedly to liver cancer
in twenty sixteen. We had lived in this home for
twenty five years before I even found out about this.
I myself have had was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in
two thousand. But I have neighbors that have had kidney disease,
(03:38):
children with thyroid issues, children with elevated liver enzymes. The
issues are huge with this class of chemicals.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Wow, we're talking with Sandy win Stelt about the issues
with PFOS in groundwater, as she's been said in Belmont.
What kind of legal action I mean when when you're
talking about this kind of stuff, I mean, it can't help.
But think of that old movie with what's your name? Yeah,
(04:14):
the Aaron Brockovich. Yeah, I'm thinking Aaron Brokovic here. Did
you guys have an Aaron Brokovic moment because of this
or what?
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Yeah, we actually kind of did. We ended up having
there were class action suits, a lot of us had
individual suits against both three and Wolverine regarding this. We
were very fortunate that we had legal representation. A lot
of communities around the country don't have legal representation because
(04:43):
it becomes such a big case with so many moving parts.
So we were lucky. We were also lucky that our
polluter was still here and Wolverine has remained in our area.
You know, many communities around the state don't have a
polluter that they can hold accountable, or the polluter is left,
(05:04):
or the polluter ties it up. So in a weird way,
we were fortunate.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So as all the settlements then been reached. As far
as the legal aspect of it, is that continuing or
is that done?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I think the legal aspects are all done.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Okay, so now it's just containing the p fas And
what's the message that you all have been trying to
send to state legislators and federal legislators about what can
be done about PFOS.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Well, I think first we have to regulate this classic
chemicals because it is so ubiquitous. It's in everything. So
one thing is we have to have really strong water
standards regarding this, or we call them MCL's maximum contaminant level.
People don't want to be paying a water bill to
have contaminated water, so we need to have standards set
(05:56):
for that, and we really need those standards to be federal,
and we have, though most of those have now been
rolled back, which is why making state laws are really
really important, so that at least states can protect their
citizen dry for not having polluted water. We also need
(06:16):
to just I call it turning off the tap. We
need to not put this in every product out there,
because if it's in our carpet and our furniture, and
our clothes and our shoes and our makeup and our
hair products, in everything, then it gets in all of
our landfills, which then gets on our you know, bio
solids which we use for a fertilizer. It just comes
(06:37):
this compounding problem that we just need to regulate more closely.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So the pfiss is put is a chemical that is
used as a isn't it a water retardant.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
It's it is water resistant, it's a flame resistant. It
doesn't break down, which is why manufacturers love it, because
it doesn't break down. It's pretty indestructible. But that's what
also makes it so dangerous is it's pretty indestructible, so
when it gets in your body, it doesn't go anywhere.
(07:09):
And it's linked to now so many disease processes, kidney cancer,
testicular cancer, liver disease, thyroid disease, breast cancer, autoimmune disorders,
high cholesterol, developmental issues with children. It's just a really
problematic thing that I think we could all have less
(07:32):
water proofing and better health if we could figure out
a way to manage this.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
We all probably have a little bit of p foss
in our system, don't we.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
We all do, and nobody should be happy about that.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, yeah, I bet you so, just by trade, you're
a psychologist, right, yes I am, and this and so
life has kind of taken a strange turn where you've
actually become now an expert in p foss, which is
I'm sure something you didn't ever expect what was going
to happen.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Never did I want to be an environmental activist. That
was not anywhere in my future plans. It didn't make
the top one hundred. I was probably going to jump
out of airplanes before I do that. I don't know
that I'm an expert in pi fos, but I am
an expert I guess in what happens to you when
you've been contaminated with p fas and how how you've
(08:23):
got to message that and how you've got to work
together with other communities. And I think that's where the
Great Lakes TFOs Action Network kind of came about, is
we recognize that nobody really knows what you've gone through
until you've gone through it, and that makes us helpful
to other communities that are impacted by this and other
people that are finding that their job put them at
(08:46):
risk with this.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Well, we appreciate you joining us on the show. That
was Sandy Win the Stealth She is with the Great
Lakes PIFOS Action Network. She is the co chair out
of Belmont. You're listening to Michigan's Big Show.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
This is Chris Buck with Michigan Reemagined podcast. And when
it comes to managing your finances and planning for your future,
I suggest you contact my friends at Wagoner Financial. Whether
you're just getting started, getting ready to retire, or anywhere
in between, Wagoner Financial can help you make smart financial decisions.
Don't navigate a complex problem on your own. Wagoner has
the expertise to help you feel confident that you're making
the right financial choices. Contact an advisor by calling five
(09:23):
one seven eight five three three three sixty seven, or
visit their website at wagonerhyphenfinancial dot com.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
Our path to a top ten state is only as
strong as our strength of commitment. It's time to compete
to win. When we do better by our kids, invest
in people, accelerate our economy, and get the fundamentals right,
we will feel a powerful win in our sales that
will move Michigan over it. That's a top ten state.
(09:50):
Business Leaders for Michigan is the state's business Roundtable. We're
committed to make Michigan more competitive. Time to be bold, Michigan.
It's time to compete to.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
When it comes to healthcare costs, we often focus on
one thing, our insurance premiums. But what if we're only
seeing part of the picture. The truth is our health
insurance costs reside downstream. At the end of the cost equation.
But to really understand what's driving up costs, we need
to look upstream to the healthcare system itself. Upstream, there
are costs like the price is charged by hospitals and doctors,
(10:24):
and the cost of prescription drugs, healthcare administration, and technology.
These costs flow downstream directly into your health insurance premium.
That's why Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is advocating
for a system wide solution to address the rising cost
of healthcare. Blue Cross knows that healthcare is personal, needs
to work for everyone, and affordability matters, and that starts
(10:47):
with shedding light on the entire cost equation, from upstream
costs to downstream premiums. Want to learn more, visit miiblue
daily dot com slash affordability
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