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

Site Updates

June 29, 2009

Negotiation Update #1: Negotiations Resume

EPA is resuming negotiations with Dow Chemical for a Superfund "administrative order on consent." On Friday, June 26, 2009, EPA notified Dow that the offer the company submitted to EPA on February 13, 2009, is sufficient to continue the negotiation process. EPA's fact sheet "Superfund Process and Negotiations at the Dow Site" provides more details about the topics that will be discussed.

EPA is tentatively scheduled to meet with MDEQ and Dow to begin discussions in mid-July. EPA will provide an update on the negotiations after this meeting. The negotiations will continue at least until August 25, 2009. EPA may extend this deadline if progress is being made during the negotiations.

EPA's June 26, 2009, letter to Dow(PDF) (1pp, 82k) June 26, 2009
EPA fact sheet "Superfund Process and Negotiations at the Dow Site"

June 24, 2009

West Michigan Park update

About 17, 310 tons of contaminated soil has been removed from West Michigan Park and transported it to People's municipal Landfill in Birch Run Michigan for disposal. The removal was carried out by The Dow Co. with oversight by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As of June 24, 2009, 100 percent of the park has been excavated and backfilled. As part of activities,the stream bank has been given a more gradual slope and the new bank has been stabilized using native plants. During resloping, two trees were removed at the riverbank and stone was placed at the toe of the slope to prevent erosion. Gravel access paths and pads have been placed to allow access to the riverbank for park users. Six trees were replanted throughout the park and the park has been reseeded. When vegetation is re-established the playground equipment will be re-installed and the park will be reopened to the public for use. The area in which the playground equipment will be replaced has been raised one foot from its original height. The gravel driveway and parking lot have been excavated and backfilled with certified clean fill. The parking lot driveway will be paved with asphalt. Implementation of the barrier control plans associated with the Elevated Contamination Areas 1-6 are continuing and are expected to be completed by July 1.

June 19, 2009

Fact sheets and presentations from the June 17, 2009, public meeting:

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
June 17, 2009 Presentation (PDF) (27pp, 491K) June 2009
Newspaper Advertisement announcing public meeting (PDF), (1pg, 51K) June 2009

May 26, 2009

Following a series of stakeholder meetings in March, on May 26 EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced the approach EPA will take in its ongoing effort to address dioxin issues in the Tri-Cities area. Details are in a news release issued by EPA Headquarters, a letter to residents and a document on the reinvigorated dioxin reassessment.

April 24, 2009

On April 1, EPA and the Michigan Department of Community Health launched a partnership with the Saginaw County Public Health Department and three other local organizations to make sure that vulnerable populations are better informed and more aware of any potential risks associated with fish consumption. Vulnerable populations include women of childbearing years, children and those who rely on local fish for sustenance. EPA provided $75,000 for the “Fish Smart, Eat Smart” program, which will be more than matched by in-kind contributions from local partners. EPA and MDCH officials will participate in the next Tri-Cities Dioxin Community Meeting on May 6 and will discuss this outreach program in more depth with interested residents.

For more information: www.mi.gov/fishandgameadvisory/

April 10, 2009

To address concerns about EPA's current approach at the site, Administrator Lisa Jackson dispatched a high-level team from her office and EPA Region 5 to meet with groups and report back about concerns and options for addressing the site. EPA has suspended the negotiation process. Administrator Jackson will make a decision on how to proceed.

EPA Administrator Jackson letter re: dioxin contamination in Saginaw Bay Watershed (PDF ) (2pp, 92K)

March 2009

Dow Chemical will start cleanup at Saginaw Township's West Michigan Park and nearby properties in April. West Michigan Park is located three miles upstream from where the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers flow together. As a result of flooding, dioxin contaminated river sediment has settled in the area. Cleanup and restoration activities are expected completed with the park re-opening in June.

Dow will give EPA a detailed work plan by March 13 and if EPA approves the plan, it will oversee Dow's cleanup of the 5-acre park. Cleanup actions will include digging up 12 inches of soil, backfilling with clean soil, paving the park's driveway and parking lot, and elevating playground equipment. Cleanup work will also address contaminated “hot spots” at River Forest Condominium complex to the west and several residential lots east of the park.

Additionally, as part of the agreement, Dow will perform a limited study on how residents use the southern portion of their property in the floodplain of the river and near the shoreline. Results of the study will be reviewed by EPA, the Agency for Toxic Substances, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and the Michigan Department of Community Health. If EPA and partners determine that the southern portion of property exposes residents to dioxin-contaminated soil, a barrier control plan will be developed and put in place to minimize this pathway of exposure.

January 2009

EPA, MDEQ and The Dow Chemical Company are involved in negotiations to investigate and then clean up dioxin and other contaminants lying in sediment in and along the banks of the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers and in Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron.

EPA issued a Special Notice Letter (PDF) (9pp, 152K) December 15, 2008, calling on parties to negotiate a process that can be used to develop a comprehensive cleanup for the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers as well as Saginaw Bay. The talks will be taking place over the next 60 days, but the timeline can be extended by an additional 30 days if progress is being made.

EPA and MDEQ hosted an open meeting on Thursday, January 15 at Saginaw Valley State University as an opportunity for the public to learn more about what is being done about contamination in the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers and in Saginaw Bay.

Tri-Cities Dioxin Cleanup Presentation, Saginaw Valley State University (PDF) (33pp, 339K) January 15, 2009
New Talks Will Explore Dioxin Cleanup Process (PDF) (2pp, 141 K) December 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

Top of page

Background

The Dow Chemical Company began operations in 1897. The facility covers approximately 1,900 acres. It abuts the Tittabawassee River, with the majority of the plant located on the east side of the river and south of the city of Midland. Past waste disposal practices, fugitive emissions, and incineration at Dow have resulted in on and off-site contamination. Off-site contamination extends over 50 miles downstream of the Dow Midland facility through the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers and into Saginaw Bay. (more...)

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