Dioxin trace found near Saginaw Bay
Tuesday, December 9, 2003
THE SAGINAW NEWS
Tests show trace amounts of dioxin in the mouth of the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay, a suburban official said.
But state officials haven't traced the source of the dioxin to Midland-based Dow Chemical Co. or anyone else because different industrial sources have dumped into the waterways over decades, Saginaw Township Manager Ron Lee said.
Lee said a state Department of Community Health toxicologist told him this month about the state's findings. A state official confirmed today dioxin was found at levels that exceed state guidelines. She declined further comment.
The state Department of Environmental Quality has ordered Dow to organize a remediation plan to clean the Tittabawassee River after tests showed dioxin levels up to 80 times higher than the state standard.
Dow also faces a lawsuit from dozens of landowners who claim the chemical giant contaminated residents' properties with dioxin downstream of the company's Midland operations.
Meanwhile, Dow has started a wildlife study along the river to determine if deer, rabbits and turkeys have traces of dioxin. Next month, the state Department of Community Health will take blood samples and examine dust in the homes of 25 residents to measure dioxin levels in their bodies.
The state may expand the review to hundreds of people along the floodplain. t
© 2003 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.