Tuesday, December 07, 2004
REBECCA DIFFINTHE SAGINAW NEWS
There were many questions but not enough answers about plans to dredge the Saginaw River, participants at a public hearing said.
Nearly 100 residents from Saginaw County's Zilwaukee Township and Bay County's Frankenlust Township attended a hearing the Department of Environmental Quality hosted Monday at Saginaw Valley State University.
State officials are seeking comments on a proposed water quality certificate for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Saginaw River Dredged Materials Disposal Facility.
Plans call for piling silt dredged from the river on the site, which straddles the two counties.
Residents spoke passionately about a project one participant called "irresponsible" and "ill-conceived" because of contamination concerns.
Several participants repeatedly complained that not enough information was gathered to reach a decision, while others demanded to know what role Dow Chemical Co. would play in the project.
Dow is negotiating cleanup of dioxin along the Tittabawassee River, which flows into the Saginaw River.
Zilwaukee Township resident Howard Steinmetz accused the DEQ of kowtowing to corporate interests, concealing the real impact of the dredging project with promises of jobs.
Patricia Bradt, Zilwaukee Township clerk and president of the group Citizens Against Toxic Substances, said the hearing didn't help anyone gain a clearer understanding of the impact of the dredging project.
"They're just throwing out bits of irrelevant information to appease us," she said. "No one here is against dredging, but we know there's a more responsible way to do this."
The certificate would allow for the disposal of dredged materials and set guidelines for monitoring contaminated materials.
Shortly before the hearing was to begin, the Lone Tree Council issued a news release saying that via a Freedom of Information Act request, the environmental group had obtained results from 50 of Corps of Engineers sediment samples from the Saginaw River.
Some showed dioxin concentrations as high as 11,812 parts per trillion, far exceeding similar samples from the Tittabawassee River, the group said.
Gerald Saalfeld and Diana Clemens, officials with the DEQ's Water Bureau, tried to answer questions but directed several inquiries to the Corps of Engineers.
Many residents wanted to know why Saginaw County taxpayers are footing the bill, even though the project will affect both Bay and Saginaw counties.
Others asked why the Corps of Engineers has consistently refused to conduct an environmental impact study.
The Water Bureau will continue to accept written comments through Monday, Dec. 20.
Those interested should mail statements to Gerald Saalfeld, Water Bureau, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 30273, Lansing, MI 48909. v
Rebecca Diffin is a staff writer for The Saginaw News. You may reach her at 776-9682.
© 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.