Yesterday, Dow
Chemical agreed to negotiate with EPA for response activities and
cleanup along the Tittabawassee River. Dow is doing this in response to EPA’s
October 10 2007 order under CERCA. We have asked EPA to explain their rationale
to no avail. Below please find a history of negotiations
with Dow Chemical. ( this litany
doesn't include the negotiations between EPA and Dow over the
City of Midland that occurred in the 1980's)
- In 2001/2002 DEQ and Dow, were behind closed doors negotiating
Consent Orders with Dow Chemical for their dioxin contamination of the
Tittabawassee, Saginaw Rivers and Saginaw Bay. Defined as “fatally flawed and
illegal” by the Attorney General’s office they never saw the light of day.
- In 2003 DEQ, Dow, EPA negotiated and finalized Dow’s RCRA
Corrective Action license to address Dow Chemical’s dioxin contamination of
the Tittabawassee, Saginaw Rivers and Saginaw Bay. This license was to be a clear path to
finally addressing this serious contamination.
- In 2005 DEQ, Dow and the Governor’s office went behind closed doors to
further negotiate the cleanup of the Tittabawassee, Saginaw Rivers and
Saginaw Bay. Secreted away from
the public the reasons for these closed door meetings…Dow, DEQ and without
protest from EPA, emerged after 8 months with a negotiated “FRAMEWORK for and
agreement “
- Later in 2005 Dow, DEQ, EPA., USFWS, DOJ agreed to private closed door
meetings under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment to once again
negotiate Dow’s responsibility
to address their contamination of the Tittabawassee, Saginaw Rivers and
Bay.
- 2007, October24th Dow, DEQ and EPA will again be going behind closed
doors to negotiate under Superfund Dow Chemical’s cleanup of the
Tittabawassee River and possibly the Saginaw River and Bay.
Michelle Hurd
Riddick
Lone Tree Council
2421 Kipling
Saginaw, MI
48602
989-7993313
michdave@aol.com
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