Dow's History of Impeding MDEQ Efforts to Implement corrective Action for Off-Site Contamination, August, 2007
http://media.freep.com/pdf/1208_dow.pdf
Saginaw river sytem dioxin levels
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
Front page Free Press
Fed up with dioxin, residents say they want out
They call cleanup slow and want government to move them
The Whitneys had hoped never to sell the house they bought along the river 15 years ago."We always dreamed of living on the river," Whitney said. "We were tickled to death when we bought it. We put lots of money into it." Now, "we'd relocate in a hot minute," he said. "But my house is essentially worth zero."
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 90594/1001
How bad is it?
Near one homeowner's back door, dioxin levels hit 1,100 parts per trillion. The state's cleanup standard is 90 ppt. There was even dioxin in the carpet.
Fed up with dioxin, residents say they want out
They call cleanup slow and want government to move them
The Whitneys had hoped never to sell the house they bought along the river 15 years ago."We always dreamed of living on the river," Whitney said. "We were tickled to death when we bought it. We put lots of money into it." Now, "we'd relocate in a hot minute," he said. "But my house is essentially worth zero."
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 90594/1001
How bad is it?
Near one homeowner's back door, dioxin levels hit 1,100 parts per trillion. The state's cleanup standard is 90 ppt. There was even dioxin in the carpet.
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
Area leaders brainstorm on how to spend potential windfall of Dow dioxin settlement
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index ... xml&coll=4
12/13/07 By JEFF KART jkart@bc-times.com | 894-9639
A process going on behind closed doors will determine how potentially hundreds of millions of dollars is spent to deal with dioxin contamination in the Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River and Bay.
Some of the money, which could total around $300 million, will likely go to dredging, to remove hot spots of the toxic chemicals, according to participants at a Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative meeting on Wednesday.
Some money will likely go to wetland and wildlife habitat restoration projects, especially in the Bay City area of the watershed, to compensate for natural resources impacted by dioxin from historic Dow Chemical Co. discharges in Midland.
The dioxin cleanup money will be allocated as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment coordinated by trustees from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources, Michigan Attorney General's Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
The allocation process is confidential under federal law, and government agencies act on behalf of the public in deciding how to restore natural areas for public use and enjoyment. Dow does not have a seat at the table. The amount that Dow will pay has not been disclosed.
Ernie Krygier, a Bay County commissioner and head of the Save Our Shoreline property rights group, he'd like to see about $1 milllion go to ''completely restore'' the beach at the Bay City State Recreation Area in Bangor Township.
That's all the beach. The entire shoreline, stretching for 11ڴ miles in front of the Saginaw Bay park. Right now, there's only a 1,200-foot-long northern beach that's maintained, and it's plagued by problems with muck and low water levels.
Krygier said the money could go to remove muck, pump fresh sand from the bay back onto the shoreline, remove invasive phragmites and restore natural vegetation to the area.
''What a draw that would be,'' Krygier said.
He envisions some of the $1 million being set aside for an endowment fund, so the shoreline could be continually maintained.
Charley Curtiss, with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy, said he also envisions up to $20 million going to a Saginaw Bay restoration endowment fund administered by the Bay Area Community Foundation, to give grants of up to $1 million a year for local projects.
Krygier and Curtiss were among about 50 participants at Wednesday's meeting, held at the Doubletree hotel and conference center in downtown Bay City.
Laura Ogar, Bay County environmental affairs director, said there will likely be only one chance for public input, after a draft of the plan has already been created
Ogar said local agencies and residents need to make sure their voice is heard in how the money should be spent on improving natural resources including land, fish, plants, air, water, groundwater and drinking water supplies.
Ogar said she thinks committing some money for the beach makes sense. Older folks in the area talk about going to the state park beach for Sunday picnics, but today's teenagers don't tell those stories, she said.
''There is a lost generation of beach users and bay users,'' Ogar said.
Bay County Executive Thomas L. Hickner said another idea for some of the money is building a Saginaw Bay environmental education center as part of the Bay City-based BaySail program, which operates two Appledore tall ships on the Saginaw River.
Officials at the meeting said they still need to find out more about what damages dioxin can be attributed to before they go about making recommendations on how the money should be spent.
Hickner said he'll help put together a work group to investigate the requirements for funding, come up with a consensus of ideas, and submit those formally to the trustees.
Other general ideas mentioned at the meeting included compensation for impacts to tourism.
Russ Terry, with Ducks Unlimited in Ann Arbor, said his organization would look to use some money to leverage additional federal dollars for restoration projects.
There are real and perceived damages from dioxins here, Terry and others said.
''The Saginaw Bay is a huge destination for hunting and fishing. Surely, the amount of visitors must have been decreased - millions and millions of dollars of impact,'' Terry said.
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index ... xml&coll=4
12/13/07 By JEFF KART jkart@bc-times.com | 894-9639
A process going on behind closed doors will determine how potentially hundreds of millions of dollars is spent to deal with dioxin contamination in the Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River and Bay.
Some of the money, which could total around $300 million, will likely go to dredging, to remove hot spots of the toxic chemicals, according to participants at a Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative meeting on Wednesday.
Some money will likely go to wetland and wildlife habitat restoration projects, especially in the Bay City area of the watershed, to compensate for natural resources impacted by dioxin from historic Dow Chemical Co. discharges in Midland.
The dioxin cleanup money will be allocated as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment coordinated by trustees from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources, Michigan Attorney General's Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
The allocation process is confidential under federal law, and government agencies act on behalf of the public in deciding how to restore natural areas for public use and enjoyment. Dow does not have a seat at the table. The amount that Dow will pay has not been disclosed.
Ernie Krygier, a Bay County commissioner and head of the Save Our Shoreline property rights group, he'd like to see about $1 milllion go to ''completely restore'' the beach at the Bay City State Recreation Area in Bangor Township.
That's all the beach. The entire shoreline, stretching for 11ڴ miles in front of the Saginaw Bay park. Right now, there's only a 1,200-foot-long northern beach that's maintained, and it's plagued by problems with muck and low water levels.
Krygier said the money could go to remove muck, pump fresh sand from the bay back onto the shoreline, remove invasive phragmites and restore natural vegetation to the area.
''What a draw that would be,'' Krygier said.
He envisions some of the $1 million being set aside for an endowment fund, so the shoreline could be continually maintained.
Charley Curtiss, with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy, said he also envisions up to $20 million going to a Saginaw Bay restoration endowment fund administered by the Bay Area Community Foundation, to give grants of up to $1 million a year for local projects.
Krygier and Curtiss were among about 50 participants at Wednesday's meeting, held at the Doubletree hotel and conference center in downtown Bay City.
Laura Ogar, Bay County environmental affairs director, said there will likely be only one chance for public input, after a draft of the plan has already been created
Ogar said local agencies and residents need to make sure their voice is heard in how the money should be spent on improving natural resources including land, fish, plants, air, water, groundwater and drinking water supplies.
Ogar said she thinks committing some money for the beach makes sense. Older folks in the area talk about going to the state park beach for Sunday picnics, but today's teenagers don't tell those stories, she said.
''There is a lost generation of beach users and bay users,'' Ogar said.
Bay County Executive Thomas L. Hickner said another idea for some of the money is building a Saginaw Bay environmental education center as part of the Bay City-based BaySail program, which operates two Appledore tall ships on the Saginaw River.
Officials at the meeting said they still need to find out more about what damages dioxin can be attributed to before they go about making recommendations on how the money should be spent.
Hickner said he'll help put together a work group to investigate the requirements for funding, come up with a consensus of ideas, and submit those formally to the trustees.
Other general ideas mentioned at the meeting included compensation for impacts to tourism.
Russ Terry, with Ducks Unlimited in Ann Arbor, said his organization would look to use some money to leverage additional federal dollars for restoration projects.
There are real and perceived damages from dioxins here, Terry and others said.
''The Saginaw Bay is a huge destination for hunting and fishing. Surely, the amount of visitors must have been decreased - millions and millions of dollars of impact,'' Terry said.
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
Next steps for dioxin cleanup still under discussion
http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm ... 2542&rfi=6
http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm ... 2542&rfi=6
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
Dow finishes cleanup
http://www.mlive.com/news/saginawnews/i ... xml&coll=9
12/20/07 JUSTIN ENGEL THE SAGINAW NEWS 776-9691
The cleanup of a dioxin ''hot spot'' in the Saginaw River near Wickes Park is finished, say officials with Dow Chemical Co.
John C. Musser, Dow spokesman, said crews took final samples of the region surrounding the dredged site and determined the danger is gone.
''They've already started to decontaminate the (dredging) equipment,'' he said.
In late November, crews began dredging the area near where the sample came from beneath 12 feet of water, using an abandoned boat launch in Wickes Park as a base.
A top government scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said the find -- which measured 1.6 million parts per trillion -- was nearly 20 times higher than any other recorded in EPA archives.
The next week, Musser announced scientists couldn't locate other high-level amounts in the same sample jar. He said that means it likely was a small, isolated discovery rather than a large-scale problem.
Regardless, officials at the Michigan Department of Community Health decided to extend a fish consumption advisory in effect for the Tittabawassee River for more than three decades to include the entire Saginaw River and part of Saginaw Bay.
The notice warns against eating carp, catfish and white bass -- fish that feed near the riverbed -- and alerts women of child-bearing age and children against eating certain types of other fish.
State guidelines require corrective action on environmental contamination measuring above 1,000 parts per trillion. Michigan's state average for dioxin in soil is
7 parts per trillion.
Dow has spent much of the year planning and executing the removal of three dioxin ''hot spots'' discovered along a six-mile stretch of the Tittabawassee River downstream of the chemical complex.
Musser said those three cleanup efforts also are complete.
When Dow-sponsored Ann Arbor Technical Services finishes its survey, it will have analyzed the entire 22-mile stretch of the Tittabawassee River and the first six miles of the Saginaw River.
The initiative is part of Dow's plans for cleaning dioxin along the river system. The state Department of Environmental Quality requires the company to measure the scope of contamination downstream.
Dow officials said the Wickes Park discovery fits the profile of ''historical contamination'' that resulted from waste material released from Dow at the turn of the 20th century.
http://www.mlive.com/news/saginawnews/i ... xml&coll=9
12/20/07 JUSTIN ENGEL THE SAGINAW NEWS 776-9691
The cleanup of a dioxin ''hot spot'' in the Saginaw River near Wickes Park is finished, say officials with Dow Chemical Co.
John C. Musser, Dow spokesman, said crews took final samples of the region surrounding the dredged site and determined the danger is gone.
''They've already started to decontaminate the (dredging) equipment,'' he said.
In late November, crews began dredging the area near where the sample came from beneath 12 feet of water, using an abandoned boat launch in Wickes Park as a base.
A top government scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said the find -- which measured 1.6 million parts per trillion -- was nearly 20 times higher than any other recorded in EPA archives.
The next week, Musser announced scientists couldn't locate other high-level amounts in the same sample jar. He said that means it likely was a small, isolated discovery rather than a large-scale problem.
Regardless, officials at the Michigan Department of Community Health decided to extend a fish consumption advisory in effect for the Tittabawassee River for more than three decades to include the entire Saginaw River and part of Saginaw Bay.
The notice warns against eating carp, catfish and white bass -- fish that feed near the riverbed -- and alerts women of child-bearing age and children against eating certain types of other fish.
State guidelines require corrective action on environmental contamination measuring above 1,000 parts per trillion. Michigan's state average for dioxin in soil is
7 parts per trillion.
Dow has spent much of the year planning and executing the removal of three dioxin ''hot spots'' discovered along a six-mile stretch of the Tittabawassee River downstream of the chemical complex.
Musser said those three cleanup efforts also are complete.
When Dow-sponsored Ann Arbor Technical Services finishes its survey, it will have analyzed the entire 22-mile stretch of the Tittabawassee River and the first six miles of the Saginaw River.
The initiative is part of Dow's plans for cleaning dioxin along the river system. The state Department of Environmental Quality requires the company to measure the scope of contamination downstream.
Dow officials said the Wickes Park discovery fits the profile of ''historical contamination'' that resulted from waste material released from Dow at the turn of the 20th century.
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
CONTACT: Anne Rowan, 312-353-9391, rowan.anne@epa.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 08-OPA01
EPA terminates negotiations with Dow Chemical on river cleanups
(Chicago, Ill. - Jan. 4, 2008) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 today stopped its negotiations with Dow Chemical aimed at a settlement to conduct a study and interim cleanup actions for dioxin contamination in the Tittabawassee River system.
"EPA does not believe that the deal Dow is offering goes far enough," said Ralph Dollhopf, Associate Director for the Superfund Division of EPA's Regional Office in Chicago. "Key issues that are paramount for protecting human health and the environment remain unresolved. EPA simply will not accept any deal that is not comprehensive."
Last October, EPA called for 60 days of negotiations under provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or Superfund. Superfund specifies the process in which a remedial investigation and feasibility study must be conducted, as well as the design and execution of a cleanup plan. Last month, EPA extended its Dec.10, 2007, deadline to resolve remaining issues and reach a final agreement.
"I am extremely disappointed with this outcome," said Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade. "EPA approached negotiations with high hopes and realistic expectations. Our team put in many long hours of good faith efforts that came to an unfortunate end today. EPA is now reviewing its options for ensuring that dioxin contamination in the river system and the Midland area can be fully addressed."
The targeted area begins upstream of Dow's Midland, Mich., facility and extends downstream to the Saginaw River, its floodplains and Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron.
Under Superfund, an investigation and study are necessary to evaluate the nature and extent of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants from a site and assess the risks they present to human health and the environment. It would also require that enough data be developed to evaluate a range of cleanup options.
Dow's Midland facility is a 1,900-acre chemical manufacturing plant. Dioxins and furans are byproducts from the manufacture of chlorine-based products. Past waste disposal practices, fugitive emissions and incineration at Dow have resulted in on- and off-site dioxin and furan contamination.
For more information about the cleanup, visit http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/dowchemical/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 08-OPA01
EPA terminates negotiations with Dow Chemical on river cleanups
(Chicago, Ill. - Jan. 4, 2008) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 today stopped its negotiations with Dow Chemical aimed at a settlement to conduct a study and interim cleanup actions for dioxin contamination in the Tittabawassee River system.
"EPA does not believe that the deal Dow is offering goes far enough," said Ralph Dollhopf, Associate Director for the Superfund Division of EPA's Regional Office in Chicago. "Key issues that are paramount for protecting human health and the environment remain unresolved. EPA simply will not accept any deal that is not comprehensive."
Last October, EPA called for 60 days of negotiations under provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or Superfund. Superfund specifies the process in which a remedial investigation and feasibility study must be conducted, as well as the design and execution of a cleanup plan. Last month, EPA extended its Dec.10, 2007, deadline to resolve remaining issues and reach a final agreement.
"I am extremely disappointed with this outcome," said Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade. "EPA approached negotiations with high hopes and realistic expectations. Our team put in many long hours of good faith efforts that came to an unfortunate end today. EPA is now reviewing its options for ensuring that dioxin contamination in the river system and the Midland area can be fully addressed."
The targeted area begins upstream of Dow's Midland, Mich., facility and extends downstream to the Saginaw River, its floodplains and Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron.
Under Superfund, an investigation and study are necessary to evaluate the nature and extent of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants from a site and assess the risks they present to human health and the environment. It would also require that enough data be developed to evaluate a range of cleanup options.
Dow's Midland facility is a 1,900-acre chemical manufacturing plant. Dioxins and furans are byproducts from the manufacture of chlorine-based products. Past waste disposal practices, fugitive emissions and incineration at Dow have resulted in on- and off-site dioxin and furan contamination.
For more information about the cleanup, visit http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/dowchemical/
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
Appeals court OKs class-action certification in Dow dioxin case
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ss ... wsmichigan
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals has signed off on giving residents class-action status in their lawsuit against Dow Chemical Co. over dioxin contamination.
About 2,000 property owners in the Tittabawassee River basin say dioxin releases from Dow's Midland plant reduced the value of property along the river.
Dioxin is a chemical byproduct that may cause cancer and damage reproductive and immune systems.
A Saginaw County judge gave the suit class-action status. Dow wanted cases to continue individually.
The appeals court released a divided ruling Friday in favor of the property owners. But the two judges in the majority — Karen Fort Hood and Patrick Meter — split over how damages should be assessed if Dow is found liable at trial.
Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly dissented from the ruling, saying the plaintiffs failed to show commonality to be certified as a class. Some properties have elevated dioxin levels while others have none, Kelly said.
Dow may appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court, which in 2005 threw out a separate part of the suit concerning whether Dow should pay the cost of testing homeowners for future dioxin-related health problems.
The dioxin issue has dragged on for years. The suit was filed in March 2003 but hasn't yet gone to trial.
Also, the federal government said earlier this month that it had failed to reach a deal with Dow over the study and interim cleanup of the dioxin contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it ended talks with Dow and was reviewing its options for ensuring that dioxin contamination in the river system and the Midland area is fully addressed.
___
On the Net:
Dow Chemical Co.: http://www.dow.com
Michigan Court of Appeals: http://courtofappeals.mijud.net
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ss ... wsmichigan
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals has signed off on giving residents class-action status in their lawsuit against Dow Chemical Co. over dioxin contamination.
About 2,000 property owners in the Tittabawassee River basin say dioxin releases from Dow's Midland plant reduced the value of property along the river.
Dioxin is a chemical byproduct that may cause cancer and damage reproductive and immune systems.
A Saginaw County judge gave the suit class-action status. Dow wanted cases to continue individually.
The appeals court released a divided ruling Friday in favor of the property owners. But the two judges in the majority — Karen Fort Hood and Patrick Meter — split over how damages should be assessed if Dow is found liable at trial.
Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly dissented from the ruling, saying the plaintiffs failed to show commonality to be certified as a class. Some properties have elevated dioxin levels while others have none, Kelly said.
Dow may appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court, which in 2005 threw out a separate part of the suit concerning whether Dow should pay the cost of testing homeowners for future dioxin-related health problems.
The dioxin issue has dragged on for years. The suit was filed in March 2003 but hasn't yet gone to trial.
Also, the federal government said earlier this month that it had failed to reach a deal with Dow over the study and interim cleanup of the dioxin contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it ended talks with Dow and was reviewing its options for ensuring that dioxin contamination in the river system and the Midland area is fully addressed.
___
On the Net:
Dow Chemical Co.: http://www.dow.com
Michigan Court of Appeals: http://courtofappeals.mijud.net
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2008
Contact: Robert McCann (517) 241-7397
February 7 Community Meeting on Dow Corrective Action Work
The Department of Environmental Quality will be holding the next
quarterly Midland/Saginaw/Bay City (Tri-Cities) Dioxin Community Meeting
on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at the Horizons Conference Center, 6200
State Street, Saginaw. The meeting is open to the public and will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Staff from the DEQ, Department of Community Health, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency will participate and be available one-half hour before and one-half hour after the meeting for individual discussion with the public. Maps and
other handout materials will be available for viewing and discussion.
The Dow Chemical Company has elected not to participate in this
community meeting.
The agenda for about the first hour of the February 7 meeting includes
a summary of 2007 Tittabawassee River activities and findings and
potential 2008 activities; an overview of EPA/DEQ coordination,
including a summary of 2007 Tittabawassee River Reach D and Saginaw
River Wickes Park area activities; an evaluation of Saginaw River Dioxin
Exposures and Health Risks; and a brief update on the ongoing
Tittabawassee/Saginaw River treatment technology studies. Following
these presentations, 50 minutes are set aside for questions and
discussion on these and other topics. During the final 45 minutes of
the meeting, agency staff will be available at several stations for
one-on-one discussion and attendees will be able to view Tittabawassee
River sampling results on maps and discuss health/exposure concerns and
other matters directly with agency technical staff and management.
The DEQ is unable to have this meeting recorded or transcribed.
The meeting agenda and related documents will be posted to the DEQ Web
site prior to the community meeting at http://www.michigan.gov/deqdioxin
and may be accessed by clicking on the “DEQ/Dow Community
Involvement” and “Dow Off-site Corrective Action” Quick Links in the right navigation column. The next quarterly community meeting is scheduled to be held on May 7, 2008.
#####
“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s
Future”
January 31, 2008
Contact: Robert McCann (517) 241-7397
February 7 Community Meeting on Dow Corrective Action Work
The Department of Environmental Quality will be holding the next
quarterly Midland/Saginaw/Bay City (Tri-Cities) Dioxin Community Meeting
on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at the Horizons Conference Center, 6200
State Street, Saginaw. The meeting is open to the public and will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Staff from the DEQ, Department of Community Health, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency will participate and be available one-half hour before and one-half hour after the meeting for individual discussion with the public. Maps and
other handout materials will be available for viewing and discussion.
The Dow Chemical Company has elected not to participate in this
community meeting.
The agenda for about the first hour of the February 7 meeting includes
a summary of 2007 Tittabawassee River activities and findings and
potential 2008 activities; an overview of EPA/DEQ coordination,
including a summary of 2007 Tittabawassee River Reach D and Saginaw
River Wickes Park area activities; an evaluation of Saginaw River Dioxin
Exposures and Health Risks; and a brief update on the ongoing
Tittabawassee/Saginaw River treatment technology studies. Following
these presentations, 50 minutes are set aside for questions and
discussion on these and other topics. During the final 45 minutes of
the meeting, agency staff will be available at several stations for
one-on-one discussion and attendees will be able to view Tittabawassee
River sampling results on maps and discuss health/exposure concerns and
other matters directly with agency technical staff and management.
The DEQ is unable to have this meeting recorded or transcribed.
The meeting agenda and related documents will be posted to the DEQ Web
site prior to the community meeting at http://www.michigan.gov/deqdioxin
and may be accessed by clicking on the “DEQ/Dow Community
Involvement” and “Dow Off-site Corrective Action” Quick Links in the right navigation column. The next quarterly community meeting is scheduled to be held on May 7, 2008.
#####
“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s
Future”
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
Saginaw River Dioxin Information
http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-1 ... --,00.html
http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-1 ... --,00.html
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan for the Tittabawassee River System Assessment Area
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Tittabawasse ... L_2008.pdf
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Tittabawasse ... L_2008.pdf
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
Since the last posting on this topic there have been 20+ posts that could have been placed with flurry of activity over last month. This one should be noted.
TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE: EPA's top Midwest regulator forced out
Mary Gade, based in Chicago, says Bush administration made her quit over Dow Chemical case
The Bush administration forced its top environmental regulator in the Midwest to quit Thursday after months of internal bickering about dioxin contamination downstream from Dow Chemical's world headquarters in Michigan.
In an interview with the Tribune, Mary Gade said two top officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington stripped her of her powers as regional administrator and told her to quit or be fired by June 1.
"There is no question this is about Dow," Gade said. "I stand behind what I did and what my staff did. I'm proud of what we did."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 5733.story
May 1, 2008
Contact:
Hugh McDiarmid Jr., Michigan Environmental Council: 248-660-4300
Statement from Michigan Environmental Council President Lana Pollack on the forced resignation of EPA Region V Administrator Mary Gade:
Today the Chicago Tribune reported that Mary Gade, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional office in Chicago, said she was forced from her job by the Bush Administration.
Gade said the reason was her aggressive pursuit of cleanup of dioxin contamination caused by Dow Chemical Company downstream from Dow’s Midland, Michigan headquarters.
Michigan Environmental Council President Lana Pollack released the following statement:
“It appears that once again Dow Chemical, with the help of an administration that has little interest in environmental protection, has succeeded in muzzling a woman of unquestioned credentials and integrity who was doing her job enforcing our environmental laws.”
“The dioxin that poisoned the Tittabawassee River valley many decades ago has spread to the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay. And still, there has been no meaningful cleanup.”
“If Mary Gade were indeed forced out because she was willing to enforce environmental laws against Dow Chemical, then it is a travesty.”
“With the federal government signaling its unwillingness to force Dow to abide by the law, we look to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to fill the void and bring this company to accountability for its toxic mess.
TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE: EPA's top Midwest regulator forced out
Mary Gade, based in Chicago, says Bush administration made her quit over Dow Chemical case
The Bush administration forced its top environmental regulator in the Midwest to quit Thursday after months of internal bickering about dioxin contamination downstream from Dow Chemical's world headquarters in Michigan.
In an interview with the Tribune, Mary Gade said two top officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington stripped her of her powers as regional administrator and told her to quit or be fired by June 1.
"There is no question this is about Dow," Gade said. "I stand behind what I did and what my staff did. I'm proud of what we did."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 5733.story
May 1, 2008
Contact:
Hugh McDiarmid Jr., Michigan Environmental Council: 248-660-4300
Statement from Michigan Environmental Council President Lana Pollack on the forced resignation of EPA Region V Administrator Mary Gade:
Today the Chicago Tribune reported that Mary Gade, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional office in Chicago, said she was forced from her job by the Bush Administration.
Gade said the reason was her aggressive pursuit of cleanup of dioxin contamination caused by Dow Chemical Company downstream from Dow’s Midland, Michigan headquarters.
Michigan Environmental Council President Lana Pollack released the following statement:
“It appears that once again Dow Chemical, with the help of an administration that has little interest in environmental protection, has succeeded in muzzling a woman of unquestioned credentials and integrity who was doing her job enforcing our environmental laws.”
“The dioxin that poisoned the Tittabawassee River valley many decades ago has spread to the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay. And still, there has been no meaningful cleanup.”
“If Mary Gade were indeed forced out because she was willing to enforce environmental laws against Dow Chemical, then it is a travesty.”
“With the federal government signaling its unwillingness to force Dow to abide by the law, we look to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to fill the void and bring this company to accountability for its toxic mess.
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
Dredging of the Saginaw River expected to begin in August
With construction of a spoils site due for completion in one to three weeks, dredging of the Saginaw River is just around the bend.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun building 14 monitoring wells around the 500-acre disposal facility in Zilwaukee Township and Bay County's Frankenlust Township. The 15- to 20-foot wells, costing a total of $50,000, will detect whether contaminants migrate beyond the clay containment perimeter.
http://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/news/i ... begin.html
With construction of a spoils site due for completion in one to three weeks, dredging of the Saginaw River is just around the bend.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun building 14 monitoring wells around the 500-acre disposal facility in Zilwaukee Township and Bay County's Frankenlust Township. The 15- to 20-foot wells, costing a total of $50,000, will detect whether contaminants migrate beyond the clay containment perimeter.
http://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/news/i ... begin.html