Dow, environment agencies could sign Saginaw, Tittabawassee river clean-up plan in October

By Justin L. Engel | The Saginaw News September 29, 2009, 6:32AM

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Quality representatives say the talks, which wrapped up Friday, “will likely result in a proposed agreement on an administrative order on consent to comprehensively address dioxin and other Dow Chemical contamination along the Tittabawassee River and Saginaw River and Bay.”

Officials say they could sign an agreement by Thursday, Oct. 15.

The news follows months of delays.

Talks with the Midland chemical giant were to conclude Aug. 25, but negotiators decided to extend them through Sept. 25. The entities suspended dialogue in March and resumed in May under the federal Superfund process.

Officials say the public will have an opportunity to chime in on any agreement.

“In June, EPA outlined our non-negotiables to the community at a public meeting and we have held firm,” said Bharat Mathur, acting regional administrator with the EPA’s Region 5 office in Chicago. “EPA listened to the community before the negotiations began and we won’t sign off on any cleanup agreement before public concerns have been discussed and considered.”

DEQ Director Steven E. Chester said cleaning up the Great Lakes Bay Region’s river system “is crucial.”

“We are looking forward to hearing from the public during the upcoming comment period and getting their insights and opinions on this proposed agreement,” he said.

If Dow signs an agreement, the environmental organizations will make it publicly available, followed by a public participation process which includes a 30-day comment period and a public meeting, officials say.

Then the EPA and DEQ will have the option to sign the pact or make changes.

Details on the topics that have been negotiated are contained in a June 2009 EPA fact sheet posted online at www.epa.gov/region5/sites/dowchemical/pdfs/down-negotiation-fs-200906.pdf.

A Public Health Consultation on the cleanup, “Dioxin Contamination on Residential Property in the Tittabawassee River Floodplain Saginaw County, Michigan” is available at www.michigan.gov/mdch-toxics.

The Saginaw News could not contact Dow officials late Monday.

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2009/09/dow_environment_agencies_could.html

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