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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
Saginaw Field Office
111 S. Michigan Ave.
Remedial Project Manager
Diane Russell (russell.diane@epa.gov)
989-790-5200, ext. 6667
Community Involvement Assistant
Mary Breeden (breeden.mary@epa.gov)
989-790-5215
Chicago Office
Toll-free: 800-621-8431
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)
Alice and Jack Wirt Public Library
500 Center Ave.
Bay City, MI
Grace A Dow Memorial Library
1710 W. St. Andrews St.
Midland, MI 48640
Hoyt Main Library
505 Janes Ave.
Saginaw, MI 48607
Links
Midland/Tittabawassee
River Dioxin Information Page from Michigan Dept. of Environmental
Quality 
EPA Superfund Home Page
Region 5 Superfund
Superfund Frequent Questions
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Community Involvement Guidance
General EPA enforcement information
EPA memo: Enforcement First for Remedial Action at Superfund Sites (PDF) (3pp, 121K) Septbember 2002
EPA memo: Restrictions on Communicating with Outside Parties Regarding Enforcement Actions (PDF) (4pp, 1.5MB) March 2006
Table of Contents
Site Updates (view all updates)
February 4, 2010
MDNRE Seeking Input on Proposed Change to Dow RCRA License
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE) is seeking public comment on a proposal to change the Dow Chemical Co. RCRA license. The proposed "major license modification" is part of the January 2010 agreement between EPA, MDEQ (now MDNRE) and Dow. The changes would allow Dow to meet some RCRA obligations by carrying out work specified in the 2010 agreement. The notice specifies how the public may provide comments. EPA is helping MDNRE with distribution of this notice to reach as broad an audience as possible. A public meeting is scheduled for March 11, 2010.
- Public Notice: Hazardous Waste Management Facility Operating License Major Modification (PDF) (2pp, 100K) February 3, 2010
January 28, 2010
Compilation of written comments (PDF) (116pp, 8.5MB) (redacted to protect commenters' privacy) received during the comment period on the AOCJanuary 15, 2010
EPA/MDEQ Approve AOC, Continue Enhanced Community Engagement
EPA and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality held a 60-day comment period which ended on December 17, 2009, on the proposed Superfund administrative order on consent with Dow Chemical Co. and received comments from more than 60 people and organizations. The majority of the comments were supportive, and many made suggestions on how the agencies should implement the agreement. Because the comments are primarily related to implementation of work under the settlement agreement, rather than to the agreement itself, the agencies decided not to reopen the settlement. Instead, in approving the agreement the agencies have committed to a number of community involvement activities, detailed in the fact sheet below.
- EPA and Michigan launch comprehensive Superfund evaluation of area dioxin contamination January 15, 2010
- EPA/MDEQ Approve AOC, Continue Enhanced Community Engagement (PDF) (2pp, 147K) January 2010 fact sheet - describes community involvement commitments and provides an overview of the sorts of comments received
- Responsiveness Summary (PDF) (50pp, 1.5MB) - provides both a summary of the public comments received and EPA's and MDEQ's responses to those comments.
- Final AOC (PDF) (65pp, 1.3MB)- the final administrative order on consent, approved January 14, 2010
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)
- Signed AOC Appendix B: Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River & Bay Site Superfund Memorandum of Agreement between U.S. EPA and MDEQ (PDF) (20pp, 363K) January 14, 2010
- 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)
News Releases (view all news releases)
- EPA and Michigan launch comprehensive Superfund evaluation of area dioxin contamination January 15, 2010
- EPA Seeks Public Input on Interim Guidance for Dioxins in Soil Cleanup Goals December 31, 2009
- EPA: No dioxin contamination in samples from Saginaw, Midland and Bay City water supply systems November 18, 2009
- EPA extends comment period on proposed Dow Chemical agreement; meeting Nov. 5, 7 p.m. November 3, 2009
- EPA and MDEQ seek comment on proposed Dow Chemical Agreement; public meeting Nov. 5 October 16, 2009
- EPA: some water samples from Saginaw, Midland and Bay City unusable due to lab contamination; retesting for furans to begin October 5, 2009
- EPA reviews Univ. of Michigan dioxin study; finds limited application to Tittabawassee River and Saginaw River and Bay September 30, 2009
- Dow negotiations conclude; proposed cleanup pending September 28, 2009
Fact Sheets
- EPA/MDEQ Approve AOC, Continue Enhanced Community Engagement (PDF) (2pp, 147K) January 2010
- Proposed Settlement for Superfund Cleanup Process (PDF) (8pp, 455K) October 2009
- Proposed Community Involvement Activities (PDF) (2pp, 62K) June 2009
- Superfund Process and Negotiations at the Dow Site (PDF) (2pp, 65K) June 2009
- Timeline for Achieving Comprehensive Cleanup (PDF) (2pp, 255K) June 2009
- New Talks Will Explore Dioxin Cleanup Process (PDF) (2pp, 141 K) December 2008
Presentations
- June 17, 2009 Presentation (PDF) (27pp, 491K) June 2009
- Tittabawasee River Residential Floodplain Sampling (PDF) (13pp, 559K) August 2008
- Presentations from community meeting in Saginaw, MI, January 31, 2008
- Tittabawassee River Dioxin Interim Response Activities (PDF) (6pp, 393K)
- Tittabawassee/Saginaw River and Bay Chemical Contamination & RCRA Corrective Action (PDF) (25pp, 1.2MB)
- Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay Watershed (PDF) (30pp, 1.8MB)
- EPA Presentation, Tri-Cities Dioxin Community Meeting, Nov. 28, 2007
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 |
Maps
- West Michigan Park Area (PDF) (1pg., 1.5MB)
- Overview map (PDF) (1pg, 128K)
- Reach overview aerial photo Upper Tittabawassee River Project (PDF) (1pg, 213K) June 1, 2006
- Reach overview aerial photo Middle Tittabawassee River Project (PDF) (1pg, 135K) June 2007
Letters to the Editor
Legal Documents
2010
- Responsiveness Summary (PDF) (50pp, 1.5MB) - provides both a summary of the public comments received and EPA's and MDEQ's responses to those comments.
- Final AOC (PDF) (65pp, 1.3MB)- the final administrative order on consent, approved January 14, 2010
- Signed AOC Appendix B: Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River & Bay Site Superfund Memorandum of Agreement between U.S. EPA and MDEQ (PDF) (20pp, 363K) January 14, 2010
2009
- Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent (AOC) 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)
- 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") (1pg, 977)
- SMOA Attachment B (PDF) (1pg, 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)
- Administrative Order on Consent for Exposure Unit 002 (West Michigan Park and adjacent properties) (PDF) (39pp., 597K) February 2009
- Enforcement Action Memo for Exposure Unit 002 (West Michigan Park and adjacent properties) (PDF) (28pp., 979K) February 2009
- Administrative Record Index and maps and photos for Exposure Unit 002 (PDF) (44pp., 4.8M) February 2009
2008
- Special Notice Letter for the Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan, Tittabawassee River Dioxin Spill Site (PDF) (9pp, 152K) December 15, 2008
- Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent (PDF) (58pp, 1MB) December 15, 2008
- Statement of Work for Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study (PDF) (55pp, 1MB) December 15, 2008
- Administrative Settlement Agreement And Order On Consent For Removal Action - Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI (PDF) (51pp, 2.0MB) July 15, 2008
- Attachment A: Site map EU 001 Properties - residential floodplain sampling (PDF) (1pg, 11"x17", 3.3MB)
- Attachment B: Site areas map of EU 001 Areas - residential floodplain sampling (PDF) (1pg, 11" x 17", 3.3MB)
- Attachment C: Enforcement Action Memorandum: Determination of an imminent and substantial threat to public health and the environment at the Riverside Boulevard Area of the Tittabawassee River Dioxin Spill Site, Saginaw County, MI
(PDF) (34pp, 1.18MB) July 2008
- Attachment 3: Site areas map of EU 001 Areas - residential floodplain sampling (PDF) (1pg, 11" x 17", 3.3MB)
- Attachment 4: Map of final TEQs for EU 001 (PDF) (1pg, 145K)
2007
- Confidentiality Agreement (PDF) (6pp, 615K) Oct. 23, 2007
- Special Notice Letter for The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan Tittabawassee River Dioxin Spill Site (PDF) (9pp, 273K) Oct. 10, 2007
- Requests for Information Pursuant to Section 104 of CERCLA:
- to Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr, and Huber (PDF) (13pp, 534K) Aug. 31, 2007
- to Miller Canfield, Paddock, and Stone, P.L.C. (PDF) (13pp, 531K) Aug. 31, 2007
- to the City of Midland, MI (PDF) (13pp, 538K) Aug. 31, 2007
- to the Dow Chemical Company (PDF) (38pp, 2.0MB) Aug. 13, 2007
- to the Dow Chemical Company (PDF) (16pp, 873K) Aug. 10, 2007
- General Notice of Potential Liability to the Dow Chemical Company (PDF) (3pp, 244K) Jun. 27, 2007
Technical Documents
- The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has a draft version of the Areas of Concern report available on its Web site. The full title is: Public Health Implications of Hazardous Substances in the Twenty-Six U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern . In 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, EPA contributed expert review comments which are also available on ATSDR's Web site.