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Tri-Cities dioxin cleanup meeting Jan. 15, 7 P.M.

Release Date: 01/05/2009
Contact Information: (EPA) Mick Hans, 312-353-5050, hans.mick@epa.gov, (EPA) Anne Rowan, 312-353-9391, rowan.anne@epa.gov, (MDEQ) Bob McCann, 517-241-7397

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 09-OPA001

(Chicago, Ill. - Jan. 5, 2009) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will host a meeting on short- and long-term plans to clean up dioxin in the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers and Saginaw Bay. The meeting will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15 at Saginaw Valley State University, Curtiss Hall, Seminar Rooms, 7400 Bay Road, Saginaw. EPA and MDEQ officials will be available for informal discussions beginning at 6:30 p.m.

EPA is starting new negotiations with MDEQ and Dow Chemical Co. on a process that can be used to develop a comprehensive cleanup plan under the "Superfund Alternative Approach." This approach uses normal Superfund procedures and encourages public involvement throughout the process.

More information is online at https://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/dowchemical/ and at http://www.michigan.gov/deq (click on "Dioxin Information"). Residents with questions or who need special accommodations at the meeting may contact Patti Krause, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, 800-621-8431, Ext. 69506, or krause.patricia@epa.gov.

Dioxins are highly toxic compounds that pose serious risks to human health and the environment. Dioxins and furans come from the production of chlorine-based products. Past waste disposal practices, fugitive emissions and incineration at Dow resulted in dioxin and furan contamination at areas within Dow's 1,900-acre Midland facility and off-site areas in the Tri-Cities.