CHICAGO, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Acting immediately on
 information received from Dow Chemical Co. of Midland, Mich., U.S.
 Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan Department of Environmental
 Quality and the company have begun preliminary emergency removal activities
 at a previously unknown dioxin hot spot on the Saginaw River.
 
     Late Friday, Dow notified EPA and MDEQ of preliminary, unvalidated
 results of over 1.6 million parts per trillion (ppt) of dioxin in one
 sample of sediment taken from the Saginaw River. This concentration is 50
 times higher than a 32,000 ppt level, previously the highest found in the
 Saginaw River. It is 15 times higher than any dioxin levels found at hot
 spots in the Tittabawassee River. This new Saginaw River sample came from a
 location a half mile below the confluence of the Tittabawassee and
 Shiawassee Rivers, roughly adjacent to Wickes Park in Saginaw.
 
     "EPA has determined that this emergency work should be performed under
 an EPA Superfund order," said Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade. "EPA and
 MDEQ are working closely together on a thorough and appropriate plan to
 remove this hot spot. Moreover, we must be very cautious to make sure,
 through laboratory tests, that we determine the extent of this high level
 of contamination. It may be only one additional hot spot or it could cover
 a larger area."
 
     Dow discovered the latest hot spot during sampling done according to
 its own Sept. 14, 2007 work plan, which has not been approved by either EPA
 or MDEQ.
 
     As a result of EPA Superfund orders in June 2007, Dow is now wrapping
 up the cleanup of three dioxin hot spots in the Tittabawassee River and
 should be done by year's end. Those dioxin hot spots along the first six
 miles of the Tittabawassee River were contaminated at levels up to 87,000
 ppt, far above state and federal action levels. The area is prone to
 flooding and erosion which can spread contamination.
 
     Dioxins are highly toxic compounds that pose serious risks to human
 health and the environment. EPA's reassessment of the most recent
 scientific findings on dioxin indicates that it is a more potent chemical
 than previously understood.
     For more information about the health impacts of dioxin and eating fish
 from the Saginaw River system, members of the public may call the Michigan
 Dept. of Community Health at 800-648-6942 and the Agency for Toxic
 Substances and Disease Registry at 312-886-0840.
 
     Dow's Midland facility is a 1,900-acre chemical manufacturing plant.
 Dioxins and furans come from the production of chlorine-based products.
 Past waste disposal practices, fugitive emissions and incineration at Dow
 resulted in dioxin and furan contamination both on- and off-site.
 
     In separate legal actions last week, EPA cited Dow for air and
 hazardous waste violations at its Midland facility. These involve
 preliminary findings of violations and Dow has 30 days to discuss
 resolution of the allegations.
 
 
 
 

SOURCE U.S. Environmental Protection Agency