"Keeping the Heat on Dow Chemical"

Residents Meet with Governor, DEQ; Oppose Weaking State Cleanup Standard for Dioxin

By Rebecca Meuninck
August/September Issue, 2004

In a June 21 meeting with Governor Jennifer Granholm, Lieutenant Governor John Cherry, and Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Chester, residents of Midland and the dioxin-contaminated Tittabawassee River flood plain urged the governor to protect public health, and in particular the region’s children, from dioxin contamination.

Residents voiced concerns about recent attempts by Dow Chemical and several Midland-area legislators with ties to the company to delay, and in some cases prevent, cleanup of their neighborhoods and homes.

“I told the governor that I was worried about the health of my young children, and concerned that we can no longer use our yard without worrying that we are putting them at risk,” said Marcia Woodman, river resident and mother of three.

“The developing baby is most at risk from dioxin’s toxicity,” said Michelle Hurd Riddick, of the Lone Tree Council. “Even tiny amounts can threaten a baby’s development. Weakening our standard will just put more children at risk. Public health must come first in any cleanup. That is the state law, and that is the ethical and right thing to do.

Dioxin is a known human carcino-gen, 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 the risks.

Residents called recent legislative attempts to weaken the state’s dioxin cleanup standard an outrage, and urged the governor to be guided by the mountain of scientific evidence that details dioxin’s hazards. Michigan’s standard is similar to other states that have dioxin cleanup standards. They are based on well-established scientific methods to protect public health.

“Cleanup decisions must be out in the open, and with full public participation,” said Diane Hebert, a Midland resident who wants the right to have her property tested, and cleaned up if necessary. “Midland-area legislators don’t represent me and my interests, even though I live in Midland. I am absolutely outraged that they are working to eliminate my right to get my yard cleaned up.”

Residents also objected to the plan to use taxpayer dollars that are meant for cleanup to fund a study that Dow is already conducting on dioxin. The legislators have proposed using $800,000 to do a bioavailability study, a study not likely to resolve uncertainties.

“Dioxin has been studied for more than ten years by dozens of scientists writing hundreds of papers. This is yet another delay tactic to confuse people and make them think that there are major questions about dioxin’s toxicity,” said Hurd Riddick.

“There is a massive amount of misinformation circulating about the dioxin cleanup efforts,” said river resident Gary Henry. “Dow has done a good job of completely confusing people about the issues. But the facts remain: Dow contaminated the whole region, and that contamination continues to sweep through the watershed, contaminating our backyards and fisheries and wildlife, and poisoning people who are exposed. It’s time, after all these years, to finally clean up.”

“This is just like the Hudson River cleanup in New York,” said Tracey Easthope, MPH of the Ecology Center. “The industry fought for years, and continued to claim that PCBs weren’t toxic, and that people weren’t exposed. But in the end, PCBs are still toxic, and the company was forced to clean up.”

Rebecca Meuninck is part of the Ecology Center’s Environmental Health Project and a member of Justice for Bhopal.

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