September 28, 2005

The Department of Environmental Quality, The Dow Chemical Company, and a number of government agencies are holding an initial meeting to discuss aspects of a process for addressing and resolving issues arising from historic releases of dioxins/furans in the city of Midland, the Tittabawassee River and floodplain, and the Saginaw River and Bay. The initial meeting of these parties is planned for September 29, in Lansing.

As called for in the January, 2005 “Framework for an Agreement” between the DEQ and Dow, Dow is preparing Remedial Investigation Work Plans for submission to the DEQ by December 31, 2005. These Work Plans, required by the DEQ-issued hazardous waste operating license, will describe the data to be collected in the Corrective Action process. The DEQ and Dow also recognize that data collection will be necessary in a natural resource damages assessment process that is designed to resolve potential claims, and understanding and coordinating the data needs of each process will provide the most efficient and effective way of collecting information to assist in the determination of a final agreement that would resolve the situation.

In addition to the DEQ and Dow, the other government agencies involved include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Michigan Attorney General.

The DEQ and Dow expect to inform the public of the general nature of these preliminary discussions at an upcoming community meeting.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

Revised September 28, 2005 by Pat Watson