LANSING – Lieutenant Governor John D. Cherry today released the following statement regarding the ongoing talks between the Granholm Administration and Dow Chemical Company to address the dioxin contamination in the Midland, Saginaw, and Tittabawassee River region:

"We continue to have productive talks with Dow, and have made progress toward an agreement, which is much more important than a deadline. We will continue to hold talks as long as progress is being made toward an outcome that all parties concur addresses the dioxin contamination. There will be no new deadline set as we move forward with our talks. We fully intend to keep the public informed of progress in these discussions, and any potential agreements reached through the discussions will be available for public review and comment before being finalized."