June 7, 2004

Dear Governor Granholm,

We are writing to seek a meeting with you to strongly urge your

administration not to weaken the State's cleanup standards for

dioxin. We are residents who actually live in the contaminated

region of the state, and are concerned about our health and the

health of our children.

Dioxin is a known human carcinogen, and has been linked to a variety

of health effects including endometriosis, diabetes, cardiovascular

disease, decreased testosterone, immunotoxicity, altered sex ratio,

delayed breast development, developmental insults including altered

thyroid status and neurobehavioral impacts, auto-immune disorders,

birth defects, and many other health problems. There is more

evidence on dioxin's hazards than almost any other pollutant ever

studied. While some areas of uncertainty remain, there is widespread

scientific consensus that dioxin is toxic in tiny amounts, and that

any additional exposure to dioxin increases our risks. We believe

our health has already been harmed by exposure to dioxin.

Dow Chemical has sought to mislead the public about the hazards of

dioxin. They have consistently made public statements that misinform

the public about the toxicity of dioxin. In part because of this, the

public continues to be confused about the amount of science that is

actually available demonstrating dioxin's hazards.

Recently, several State Representatives, who receive large campaign

contributions from Dow Chemical and the chemical industry, have

introduced legislation to weaken the state's dioxin cleanup standard.

They have argued that 1,000 ppt would be a more appropriate standard.

They have not produced the scientific evidence to back up this

contention. In fact, the 1,000 ppt standard is not meant to be a

cleanup standard, does not represent a safe level of the chemical,

and is based on an outdated understanding of dioxin's known cancer

risk. While using the cloak of sound science, these legislators are

trying reduce protections for Michigan citizens by misusing science.

The press release from the legislators also suggests that a health

study is underway. There is currently NO health study being

conducted on those who live in the region. The University of

Michigan has launched an exposure investigation which will attempt to

determine whether residents have dioxin in their blood. This IS NOT

a health study, nor is it intended to be a health study.

There is a lot of misinformation being forwarded on behalf of Dow

Chemical, so the company can escape their legal duty to clean up the

contamination they have caused. We are outraged that the company

continues to be able to distort the truth and bully the State,

putting our health at risk, and again delaying cleanup of this

contamination.

We request equal time with the Governor in order to present the view

of real residents who are forced to live in this toxic contamination,

and will suffer the consequences if our state standard is weakened.

The protection of public health must be the number one priority of

our Governor and the state agencies charged with protecting us. We

believe public health protection is a foundation of a healthy state

and a healthy economy. We look forward to your timely response, and

an opportunity to discuss these issues in person.

Sincerely,

Terry Miller, Michelle Hurd Riddick

Betty Damore, Gary Henry

Marcia Woodman

Curt Dalton

Barb and Howard Steinmetz  

Residents of Midland Michigan