Wednesday, October 13, 2004
JEREMIAH STETTLERTHE SAGINAW NEWS
Dow Chemical Co. is sinking a half-million dollars into the Tittabawassee River.
The Midland-based chemical company has donated $496,000 to Tittabawassee Township to build a floating dock, two levels of decks and a walking path skirted by a cobblestone wall through Freeland Festival Park.
"It's a big addition," said Supervisor Kenneth Kasper, who voted in favor of the project Tuesday.
The park stretches over two acres northwest of the Freeland Road bridge.
But a look at the construction summary hints at something more than recreation. This project also is about dioxin containment.
The state Department of Environmental Quality has found dioxin levels more than 10 times the cleanup standard in the park. The toxin, a byproduct of combustion, is linked to some forms of cancer and other health problems.
Dow officials have included the Festival Park project in a state-mandated plan for reducing dioxin exposure along the river.
The company plans to pour a fresh layer of topsoil over the park to insulate passers-by from the pollutant. Officials also will include a 30-inch cobblestone wall to keep people from venturing into areas of possible exposure.
Kasper said Dow also committed to paying for any repair or reconstruction if the dock is damaged by ice flows or floating debris.
Township officials provided no time frame for construction. v
© 2004 Saginaw News.
For additional articles like this one, go to the Tittabawasse River Watch web site www.trwnews.net for complete coverage of the Tittabawassee River Dow Chemical dioxin contamination saga. . The Newspaper / Media page of our site contains an extensive archive of media articles dating back to January 2002. The source organization's web site link is listed to the right of the article, visit often for other news in our area. The Newspaper / Media page may be accessed by scrolling down to the bottom of the CONTENTS section and clicking on the Newspaper/Media link.