|
WIMS Special |
|
||||
|
Please Visit Our Corporate Sponsors
State Homepages
|
Note: Special
Reports are updated periodically here; but are updated and
reported on (updated May 8, 2008)
Click Here
for details on WIMS Information Service Products Dow Chemical Company, Midland Area, Tittabawassee River Dioxin Issue
Key Links
Some Articles From WIMS Daily
DC Ethics Organization Submits FOIAs For Gade Information - May 7, 2008: Access an announcement from CREW and links to the FOIAs (click here).
Residents Want Congress To Investigate Gade Forced Resignation - May 7, 2008: Access a release from the residents and the letter to Congressional members (click here). Access the Senate hearing website for links to all testimony, opening statements and a webcast (click here). Access a release and floor statement from Senator Whitehouse (click here).
MDEQ/Dow Chemical Dioxin Community Meeting May 7 - May 5, 2008: Access an announcement from MDEQ (click here). Access the MDEQ/Dow Community Involvement website (click here). Access the Dow Off-site Corrective Action website (click here). Access the official website for the Tittabawassee River NRDA maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service including extensive background documents (click here). Access the MDEQ Dioxin Information website for additional information (click here). Region 5 Chief Forced To Quit Over Dow Enforcement - May 1, 2008: Access a lengthy report in the Chicago Tribune (click here). Access the statement from MEC (click here). Access links to various media coverage (click here).
Outrage Follows Cherry's Deal On Dredged Material Disposal Facility - May 1, 2008: Access a release from LTC (click here).
Lt. Gov. Cherry Negotiates "Deal" On Dredging Facility - May 1, 2008: Access a release from MDEQ (click here). Access an article in the Bay City Times article (click here). Access a letter from Zilwaukee Township to Lt. Governor Cherry (click here). Access the Lone Tree Council Dredge It Right website for extensive background information (click here).
Controversy Continues Over Saginaw River Dredge Facility - Apr 28, 2008: Access an article in the Bay City Times on the controversy (click here). Access a letter from Zilwaukee Township to Lt. Governor Cherry (click here). Access the LTC Dredge It Right website for extensive background information (click here).
EPA
&
MDEQ
Sample
Neighborhood
Soils
In
Saginaw
For
Dioxin
-
Apr
2,
2008: Access
a
release
from
EPA
(click
here).
Midland Area Damages Assessment Plan To Be Released April 7 - Mar 31: Natural Resource Damages Assessment (NRDA). Access the Draft Assessment Plan on the MDEQ website (click here). Access the Draft Assessment Plan on the FWS website (click here). Access the official website for the Tittabawassee River NRDA maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service including extensive background documents (click here).
Appeals Court Denies Dow Chemical Rehearing Request - Mar 13, 2008: Access the denial order (click here). Access the three original decisions: Fort Hood opinion (click here); Meter opinion (click here); and Kelly opinion (click here). Access the Docket No. 266433 (click here). Dow Sues MDEQ On Saginaw Area Work Plan Modifications - Feb 21, 2008: Access a media report in the Midland Daily News (click here); and from WJRT-TV/DT (click here). Access the 21-page letter and SRB SOW Approval with Modifications (click here). Access the Dow Hazardous Waste Facility Operating License and Corrective Action Information website for background and additional information (click here). MDEQ Modifies & Approves Saginaw Bay/River/Floodplain Workplan - Feb 1, 2008: Access the 21-page letter and SRB SOW Approval with Modifications (click here). Access the Dow Hazardous Waste Facility Operating License and Corrective Action Information website for background and additional information (click here). Saginaw River Area Fish Eating Health Risks Report - Feb 7, 2008: Access the complete 54-page MDCH report (click here). Access a meeting agenda (click here). Access additional dioxin exposure reports and information from MDCH (click here). Access the MDEQ/Dow Community Involvement website (click here). Access the Dow Off-site Corrective Action website (click here). Access EPA's Dow/Midland area website for additional details (click here). Quarterly Midland/Saginaw/Bay City Dioxin Community Meeting - Jan 31, 2008: Access an MDEQ announcement (click here). Access the MDEQ/Dow Community Involvement website (click here). Access the Dow Off-site Corrective Action website (click here). Access EPA's Dow/Midland area website for additional details (click here). Henry & Others Similarly Situated v. Dow Chemical - Jan 24, 2008: Access the Fort Hood opinion (click here). Access the Meter opinion (click here). Access the Kelly opinion (click here).
EPA
"Extremely
Disappointed;"
Ends
Negotiations
With Dow
Chemical
- Jan 4,
2008: Access
a release
from EPA (click
here).
Access
EPA's
Dow/Midland
area
website
for
additional
details (click
here). More On Dow Engineer Whistleblower Suit On Data Validity - Dec 7, 2007: Access the complaint filed in the case (click here). Access the Detroit Free Press article (click here). Access various media coverage of the action (click here). Access additional information from the Tittabawassee River Watch website (click here). EPA Orders Immediate Cleanup Of Saginaw River Dioxin Hotspot - Nov 15, 2007: Access an EPA Region 5 release (click here). Access more information about the health effects of dioxin and pathways of human exposure, from the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's website (click here). EPA Criticizes Dow For Minimizing Very High Dioxin Level - Nov 14: Access the note to correspondents from EPA (click here). Access links to various media reports on the hot spot (click here). Saginaw River Dioxin Hotspot At 1.6 Million Parts Per Trillion - Nov 13, 2007: Access a release from EPA (click here).
Major
Investigation
Finds Potential
CAA & RCRA
Violations
At Dow
-
Nov 9, 2007:
Access a
release from
EPA with
links to
additional
information (click
here).
Groups Express Concern Over Dow "Closed Door" Negotiations - Oct 24, 2007: Access a posted release from the environmental organizations (click here). Dow Agrees To Negotiate On Dioxin Superfund Cleanup - Oct 18, 2007: Access a release from EPA (click here). EPA Gives Dow 60-Days To Negotiate Tittabawassee Cleanup - Oct 10, 2007: Access a release from EPA Region 5 (click here).
EPA &
Midland Agree On
Dioxin Sampling
Disclosure
- Sep 25, 2007:
Access a release
from EPA (click
here). EPA Calls For "Open Process" To Address Dow Dioxin Contamination - Sep 11, 2007: Access a release from EPA (click here). EPA Demands Dioxin Data From Midland & Other Parties - Aug 31, 2007: Access a release from U.S. EPA (click here).
EPA Agreement
With Dow On "Hot Spot"
Cleanup Plan - Jul
13, 2007: Access
an EPA release (click
here).
Activists Post EPA
Dow Review Document
Finding "Significant
Deficiencies" -
Jul 11, 2007. Access
the TRW/LTC website
posting which
summarizes some of
their initial
observations of the
report (click
here). Access
the complete 44-page
EPA review document (click
here).
MDEQ
Says Dow To Begin
Cleanup Next Week
- Jul 6, 2007:
Access a release
from MDEQ (click
here).
EPA Orders Immediate Action On Dow Dioxin Cleanup - Jun 27, 2007: Access the release (click here).
Little
Relationship Between
Dioxin In Soil &
Residents' Blood
- Jun 5, 2007: Access
the Midland Daily News
article on the meeting
(click
here). Access
the UMDES website for
complete information (click
here).
University Of Michigan Dow Dioxin Study Update - Apr 2, 2007: Access links to the latest updates (click here). Access the UMDES website for complete information (click here). Also see [See WIMS 8/15/06].
Sampling Reveals Major Dioxin Hotspots Needing Response - Jan 11, 2007: Access an MDEQ release (click here).
Dioxin Waste Planned For Upper Saginaw River Dredge Facility - Sep 19, 2006: Access a posted release from LTC (click here). Access two EPA documents released by LTC which have been combined and posted on the WIMS-EcoBizPort website (click here). Access the DMDF ownership document (click here). Access the Legal Counsel document (click here). Access a webpage on the Environment Michigan website for the DMDF (click here). Access an MDEQ October 19, 2005, comments on the facility posted on the WIMS/EcoBizPort website (click here). Access the MDEQ Section 401 Certification website for the project (click here). U-M Dioxin Exposure Study Released - Aug 15: Access an eNewsUSA Blog post for details and links to further information (click here).
NAS Committee Split On Classifying Dioxin "Carcinogenic To Humans" - Jul 11, 2006: Access a NAS release (click here). Access the report by chapters for reading on-line (click here). NAS To Release Evaluation Of EPA Dioxin Reassessment - Jul 7, 2006: Access the meeting details (click here). Access the National Academies Review of EPA's Assessment of the Health Implications of Exposure to Dioxins website (click here). Access EPA's Dioxin Reassessment, NAS Review Draft website (click here). Midland Group Expresses Concern Over Dow Consultant - Jun 4, 2006: Access the TRW website (click here). Access the EWG investigation leading to the professional article retraction (click here). Access the ChemRisk website for extensive information on the company and Dr. Paustenbach (click here). Judge In Dow Class Action Announces Retirement - Mar 5, 2006: Access the Saginaw News article posted on the Tittabawassee River Watch (TRW) website (click here). Access further information on the TRW website (click here).
TRW Post Draft MDEQ Deficiency Document For Dow Dioxin Work Plans - Feb 24, 2006: Access the TRW website (click here). Access the TRW posting of the MDEQ document (click here). Access the EPA review document (click here). Access links to the complete Dow Work Plan and related information (click here). Access the Dow Hazardous Waste Facility Operating License and Corrective Action Information website (click here).
EPA Rejects Dow Midland/Tittabawassee River Work Plans - Feb 21, 2006: Access the document (click here). Access links to the complete Work Plan and related information (click here). Access the Dow Hazardous Waste Facility Operating License and Corrective Action Information website (click here).
MDEQ/Dow Tri-Cities Dioxin Meeting - Feb 10, 2006: Access the GLNPO Grant study presentation (click here). Access links to various current and previous community meeting information (click here). Access the Tittabawassee River Watch website for additional information regarding the meeting (click here).
Opposing Views Broadcasts On Midland Dioxin Issues - Jan 17, 2006: Access the Egerer broadcast (click here). Access the Clift broadcast (click here). [Note: In both broadcasts the guest appears approximately half-way through the broadcast. RealPlayer is required to view the broadcast]. Access the Off the Record Archives for other broadcasts (click here).
Chester Speaks Out On Dow Dioxin Issue - Jan 6: In the aftermath of the Governor's veto of House Bill 4617, the so-called "Homeowners Fairness Act," and a recent editorial in the Midland Daily News, MDEQ Director Steven Chester responded with a January 6, 2006, letter to the editor of the newspaper. The following is an excerpt [emphasis is contained in the original]. Links to the complete Chester letter and the Midland Daily News editorial are posted on the websites below.
"First, in Michigan's cleanup law 'facility' is the word the legislature chose when referring to property that is contaminated. A parcel of property that is contaminated is -- by operation of law - a 'facility.' The DEQ does not -- in fact cannot -- designate a property to be a facility. True, the department may have reason to believe a property is contaminated based on existing data, but a property owner always has the opportunity to show otherwise based on other information. If a property is contaminated, this triggers important protections for the homeowner, including imposing on the polluter the financial responsibility to clean up the property. Also, if a property is contaminated (is a facility), a potential new homeowner of the property must be informed of this fact by the existing homeowner. These are clearly reasonable and desirable public policy outcomes. "Second, despite what is said in your editorial, the algorithms used to set cleanup levels have not been a source of historical controversy or dispute. The algorithms are formulas developed by scientists over time to account for what the science tells us about human exposure to a particular contaminant. In using these formulas, the DEQ is not doing anything unique or extraordinary. The formula for soil contamination is technically similar to that used by the EPA and by other states to set cleanup levels. Except for modest adjustments, this soil formula has been in use by the DEQ since 1995 to set cleanup levels for literally hundreds of contaminants. Let me also respond to your statement that the DEQ must be reined in. This implies that the department somehow has acted arbitrarily and inappropriately in responding to the dioxin issue. To the contrary, let me assure you that with respect t |
