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Dioxin Contamination Issues in Midland
2006 Updates
(December 2006)
U of M Dioxin Study Results Now Available -
"Community Question: Dioxin" Special on
Streaming Video
(August
2006)
Brochures about Dioxins and Furans
Available
The Dow Chemical Company is required by its MDEQ-issued
hazardous waste facility operating license to provide
information about dioxins and furans to the public so that
people living in the Midland and Tittabawassee River floodplain
areas can make informed decisions about limiting their potential
exposure to these contaminants.
Dow does not necessarily agree with all of the information
contained in these brochures.
Dow will be making the brochures
listed below available for the general public at locations identified in the
Communications Interim Response Activities document.
In the city of Midland, the brochures are available on this
website and in hard copy form at the Grace A. Dow Memorial
Library's Governmental Information Center.
Each brochure below can be opened using Adobe Reader. A free
copy of this software can be downloaded from the
Adobe website.
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Health Questions
(765 KB)
This brochure addresses potential
health effects associated with exposure to dioxins and furans
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(976 KB) This
brochure details ways in which you can reduce exposure to dioxin
and furans in and around your home and garden
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Reducing Exposure from
Agricultural Activities
(758 KB)
This
brochure addresses ways in which you can reduce exposure to
dioxins and furans from agricultural activities
City Sends Letter to DEQ About
Proposed Remedial Action Plans
In the City’s continuing efforts to remain active in Dow/MDEQ
discussions regarding mitigation of dioxin in the city of
Midland, the following letter was sent to the DEQ on March 14,
2006, on the City’s behalf.
The City will continue to monitor discussions between Dow
and the DEQ regarding any proposed remedial action steps
regarding dioxin and other possible contaminants in Midland, and
communicate those with citizens through this website.
University of Michigan Dioxin Study
Results Now Available
On August 15, 2006, a University of Michigan dioxin research team publicly released the results of their two-year study on
dioxin exposure. To review a copy of the team's findings, plus a
description of the study, click
on the link below.
U of M Dioxin Study Results
Hard copies of the study results are also available for
review at the Government Information Center at the Grace A. Dow
Memorial Library, 1710 W. St. Andrews St., Midland, MI.
Soil Sampling Taking Place in
Midland
Dow Chemical, in collaboration with the DEQ and the EPA,
will conduct a detailed study of soil conditions in the Midland
area, with soil sampling taking place in the fall of 2006,
weather permitting.
The information generated by this study will be used as part of
a process to develop site-specific cleanup criteria for dioxins
and furans that are specific to the Midland area. This testing
will allow Dow and MDEQ to make informed decisions about risks
to human health.
A total of 571 letters were sent to property owners soliciting
access for soil sampling. In addition, Dow requested - and City
Council approved at its October 23, 2006, meeting - the sampling of fourteen (14) City of
Midland-owned parcels as part of Dow’s corrective action
obligations under its hazardous waste facility operating license
through the DEQ.
To view the City Council-approved agenda item for this
project,
click here.
Surface soil samples will be collected from 145 defined areas
called “sample stations” at regularly spaced intervals along a
series of lines radiating outward from the Dow Plant. These lines were chosen because of
wind patterns.
Map of Sampling Areas: Click here to view a
PDF* showing a
map of the sampling areas.
The Soil Study Area: The area that will be
studied encompasses residential,
commercial, and industrial properties surrounding the Dow plant.
Dow and its contractors will collect samples from the top six
inches of soil and in most cases take no more soil than would
fill a one quart container. It should take about 1 hour to
collect a sample at each location.
In response to community concerns, the sampling program has been
designed to protect the anonymity of property owners where
possible. This will be achieved by sampling multiple properties
within a sample station.
At the time properties are sampled, the property owner’s will be
told how to obtain results for the sample station. However, if
the results show that contaminants exceed action levels or
otherwise pose unacceptable near-term risks of harm to human
health, the independent third party will promptly identify the
specific property and its owner for Dow and MDEQ so that they
can determine the appropriate steps to take to address the
contamination.
Sample station test results are expected to be available
approximately 90 days after sampling takes place.
State Dioxin Bill Signed Into Law
On December 31, 2006, Governor Jennifer Granholm signed into
law a bill that suggests the State use the newest and best
scientific information when considering a dioxin cleanup
standard.
Public Act 603 - originally drafted as House Bill 5872 by
Rep. John Moolenaar of Midland - allows the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to use the National Academy of
Sciences' (NAS) review of the EPA's reassessment of dioxin, plus
other scientific research, to review its 90 parts per trillion
direct contact criteria. The NAS review suggested the EPA (and
possibly the MDEQ) use broader scopes of methodology for
calculating dioxin risk.
Continue to Watch City's Website for Future Dow/DEQ
Decisions
As future decisions regarding dioxin in Midland are made,
updates will be posted to this website.
The City of Midland would like to thank the residents of our
community who have educated themselves on this issue and have
shared their thoughts and opinions with the City of Midland and
our State legislators.
Citizens are welcome to continue to give their input on this
important community issue by emailing the City of Midland at
cityhall@midland-mi.org, and by contacting their
State and Federal legislators.
The City of Midland also thanks Lt. Gov. Cherry for
facilitating the preliminary framework discussions between Dow
and the MDEQ. In addition, U.S. Congressman Dave Camp, State
Senator Tony Stamas and State Representative John Moolenaar have
been very active in representing our community at countless
meetings. The "framework" agreement discussed above would not
have occurred without their support.
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