Air quality across the state is being impacted by smoke from Canadian wildfires. Information on current conditions and alerts can be found at: AirNow.gov.
Corrective action (hazardous waste clean-up information)
Environmental clean-up activities are performed to address contamination resulting from hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDF), and are referred to as "corrective action" in the hazardous waste regulations. Hazardous waste TSDFs are required to submit corrective action plans to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), for review and approval. The corrective action plans provide details on how the site owner(s) and/or operator(s) will investigate and clean-up the contamination to meet standards protective of human health and the environment. Though the corrective action cleanup process varies from site to site, it typically includes an initial site assessment, site characterization, evaluation of remedial alternatives, and implementation of the selected remedy.
Historical contamination
Air emissions from The Dow Chemical Company’s (Dow) incinerators and manufacturing operations in the past contained dioxins and furans which were found in the soil downwind of the plant. Today, Dow has a rotary kiln incinerator that is 99.999 percent efficient in eliminating dioxin and furan emissions. However, due to past operations, Dow continues to work with EGLE, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. FWS), to address dioxin contamination in the Midland and downstream floodplain area. See below for on-site and off-site corrective action activities.
On-site corrective action
Dow’s Hazardous Waste Facility Operating License (License), On-site Corrective Action attachment details Dow's on-site hazardous waste cleanup obligations. For specific license provisions see Attachment Text, Figures, and Tables, Appendices A-E, F1, F2, F3, and G-H. Dow's on-site cleanup is being performed to prevent human exposure to hazardous waste constituents. Past operations have resulted in 61 areas across the 1,900 acres subject to cleanup. Of those areas, 42 have been confirmed to have no human exposure concerns. Another 19 areas remain in various stages of investigation and cleanup.
Dow is implementing a plan to address site-wide dioxins and furans. They are also performing investigation and clean-up activities to address other contaminants, vapor intrusion, soil, and groundwater contamination concerns. Annually, Dow submits an Implementation Report for the previous year and Work Plan for the next year. Figures and Tables are available upon request.
- 2024 Implementation Report and 2025 Work Plan
- 2023 Implementation Report and 2024 Work Plan (available upon request - too large to post)
- 2022 Implementation Report and 2023 Work Plan
- 2021 Implementation Report and 2022 Work Plan
- 2020 Implementation Report and 2021 Work Plan
- 2019 Implementation Report and 2020 Work Plan
- 2018 Implementation Report and 2019 Work Plan
- 2017 Implementation Report and 2018 Work Plan
- 2016 Implementation Report and 2017 Work Plan (available upon request - too large to post)
Off-site corrective action
The Off-site Corrective Action Midland Area Soils attachment of Dow’s License details Dow's off-site hazardous waste cleanup obligations in the Midland Resolution Area (MRA). To review a copy of the Remedial Action Plan, please click on the links below.
Most of the Dow off-site cleanup was performed from 2012 through 2016. In 2016, Dow submitted a final report detailing off-site cleanup, which was approved by EGLE. The off-site cleanup involved removing the top 12 inches of soil, contaminated with dioxins and furans above the residential risk based cleanup criteria, from over 1,700 properties across Midland. Dow removed contaminated soil, replaced it with clean soil, and then re-landscaped the properties. Dow is monitoring properties in the MRA to ensure further action is taken at properties that have not yet been evaluated or remediated, as appropriate. Dow must report their monitoring data annually. Copies of these annual reports are available upon request.
Remedial Action Plan/corrective measures implementation
- Remedial Action Plan
- Remedial Action Plan figures part I
- Remedial Action Plan figures part II
- Remedial Action Plan tables (5-1 through 5-12 redacted)
- Remedial Action Plan attachments ABC
Due to large document sizes, and the necessary protection of personal identifying information (PII), electronic copies of the Appendices and the Annual Reports are available upon request with the PII redacted.
Contact us
Elizabeth Vanderhoef, VanderhoefE1@Michigan.gov, 517-388-2644, Project Manager & Geologist
Joe Rogers, RogersJ5@Michigan.gov, 517-599-531, Geologist (Salzburg Landfill Only)
How to stay connected
Complete this form to be placed on the official Dow mailing list to receive required notifications from both EGLE and Dow.
Through your observations and reporting of activities of concern, you play a valuable role in helping EGLE protect human health and the environment. To file a complaint or share details about improper waste handling or disposal, contact EGLE through the Pollution Emergency Alerting System (PEAS) Hotline at 800-292-4706.