Tittabawassee River Watch Editorial          Back to editorial page  

Michelle Hurd Riddick  12/2/02

There is a very serious problem: Dow has persuaded our government regulators that this dioxin isn't dangerous as many independent scientists have said it is. 831ppt is unheard of for residential soils. Buying political favor and influence is nothing new, only now it's right here in our backyard. We are not pawns or puppets on DOW's political game board. This must be about protecting public health and not about political expediency. We have a health study, funded by DOW that is going to raise dioxin standards in this watershed. A health study that was placed in a consent order unbeknown to the Michigan Department of Community Health toxicology or medical staff. Adding insult to injury, the Michigan Department of Community Health, to date,  is not being allowed to comment on this health study. Everything is very tightly controlled by the Dow Chemical puppets in Lansing.  Locally, our Health Departments and units of government have chose to stick their collective heads in the sand and do nothing. Everyone has been reassured, after speaking with Dow officials, that there is no problem.Yeh, right!

Michelle Hurd Riddick
Lone Tree Council 

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