Tittabawassee River / Saginaw River / Saginaw Bay Cleanup

Site Information

Bay City, Carrollton, Essexville, Freeland, Midland, Saginaw, Shields and Zilwaukee, MI (Bay, Midland and Saginaw Counties)
EPA ID# MID000724724
Alias(es): N/A
Photos
Overview Map

Contact Information

Community Involvement Coordinator
Patricia Krause (krause.patricia@epa.gov)
312-886-9506 or 800-621-8431, ext. 69506, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CST

Community Involvement Coordinator
Don de Blasio (deblasio.don@epa.gov)
312-886-4360 or 800-621-8431, ext. 64360

Remedial Project Manager
Mary Logan (logan.mary@epa.gov)
312-886-4699 or 800-621-8431, ext. 64699

Repositories

(where to view written records)

Grace A Dow Memorial Library
1710 W. St. Andrews St.
Midland, MI 48640

Hoyt Main Library
505 Janes Ave.
Saginaw, MI 48607

Public Comment Opportunity

EPA is interested in your comments on the proposed cleanup plan for the Tittabawassee River/Saginaw River/Saginaw Bay Cleanup site. The comment period runs from Oct. 19 - December 17, 2009.
EPA held a public meeting November 5, 2009.

Site Updates (view all updates)

Latest Update: November 10, 2009

Materials from the Nov. 5 Public Meeting

Here are materials from the Nov. 5 public meeting at Saginaw Valley State University:

"Proposed Settlement for Superfund Cleanup Process" presentation delivered by EPA's Richard Karl, Robert Kaplan and Wendy Carney and MDEQ's Frank Ruswick.
The fact sheet distributed by independent technical advisor Dr. Peter deFur.

Presentations from Oct. 20 meeting

These are the presentations used by EPA staff at the Oct. 20 public meeting:

"U.S. EPA Review of the University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study," delivered by Peter Preuss and Jeff Frithsen (PDF) (22pp, 592K) October 2009
"Plan for Interim Preliminary Remediation Plan for Interim Preliminary Remediation Goals for Dioxin in Soil," delivered by Betsy Southerland (PDF) (1pp, 45K) October 2009

October 16, 2009

EPA & MDEQ SEEK COMMENT ON PROPOSED DOW CHEMICAL AGREEMENT; PUBLIC MEETING NOV. 5

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality said today that they are seeking comments from the public on a proposed settlement with the Dow Chemical Co. The settlement involves the next steps in a comprehensive Superfund evaluation of dioxin contamination in the Tittabawassee River and Saginaw River and Bay and their floodplains. All three organizations have approved the proposed settlement. A public comment period runs Oct. 19 to Nov. 17.

Proposed Settlement for Superfund Cleanup Process (PDF) (8pp, 455K) October 2009 fact sheet
Administrative Settlement Agreement And Order On Consent For Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study And/Or Engineering Evaluation And Cost Analysis And Response Design (PDF) (65pp, 4.5MB) October 2009

Appendices to the AOC

AOC Appendix A: Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study and/or Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis, and Response Design SOW (PDF) ( 73pp, 4.7MB)
- SOW Exhibit D: General Location of Exposure Units (PDF 17" x 11") (1pp, 594K)
- SOW Exhibit E: General Location of Segment 1 (PDF) (1pp, 216K)
AOC Appendix B: Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River & Bay Site Superfund Memorandum of Agreement between U.S. EPA and MDEQ (PDF) (20pp, 740K)
- SMOA Attachment A (PDF 17" x 11") (1pp, 977)
- SMOA Attachment B (PDF) (1pp, 220K)
AOC Appendix C: Map of the Site(PDF 17" x 11") (1pg, 962K)
AOC Appendix D: Map of Respondent's Midland Plant(PDF) (1pg, 220K)
AOC Appendix E: License Modification language(PDF) (3pp, 182)
AOC Appendix F: List of Sampling, Analysis, Studies, and Orders(PDF) (4pp, 175K)
AOC Appendix G: Map of the Saginaw Bay and inner Saginaw Bay areas of the Site(PDF) (1pg, 147K)
AOC Appendix H: Corresponding Obligations of the License and Settlement Agreement(PDF) (4pp, 174K)

EPA and MDEQ will not sign the proposed agreement until after the agencies have engaged the community and fully considered public comment. The proposed agreement -- contained in a legal document called an administrative order on consent -- could be revised based on comments received. A public meeting will be held Nov. 5, 7 p.m., at Saginaw Valley State University, Curtiss Hall, Banquet Rooms A&B, 7400 Bay Road, Saginaw. EPA will hold a question-and-answer session and accept public comments at the meeting.

October 15, 2009

EPA Plans to Develop Interim Preliminary Remediation Goals for Dioxin in Soil

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a plan to develop interim preliminary remediation goals (PRGs) for dioxin in soil at Superfund sites. The plan includes a review of current dioxin cleanup guidance that has been established by the EPA, states and other countries, including the latest fully peer-reviewed dioxin toxicity assessments. EPA will release the draft interim PRGs for public comment in December 2009, and anticipates issuing the final interim PRGs in June 2010. EPA is currently undertaking a reassessment of dioxin, the results of which are expected to be released by the end of 2010.

Interim Soil Dioxin PRG Outreach - More information on the plan and how to comment

Top of page

Superfund Removal Actions (Cleanups)

In 2007 Dow cleaned up four dioxin hot spots in the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers downstream of Dow's plant in Midland. In July 2008 Dow began cleaning up dioxin contaminated yards, homes, and paving road surfaces in the Riverside Boulevard neighborhood of Saginaw. Both cleanups were done with EPA oversight. Residential yards were dug up and backfilled with clean soil, interiors of homes were cleaned, and surfaces on Riverside Boulevard were paved.

Tittabawassee River Cleanup					Saginaw River Cleanup
Reach D in progress	Reach JK complete	Reach O complete	Riverside Boulevard complete	West Michigan Park	Wickes Park - Saginaw River complete