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River Residents Demand Their Own Meeting with the Governor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- June 7, 2004

Residents living in the most contaminated regions of mid-Michigan called on the Governor to meet with them in response to recent attempts by some state representatives to weaken the state's dioxin standard.

"We are outraged by these attempts to weaken our cleanup laws, and to dismantle the Agency that is supposed to protect our health. We actually have to live amid the dioxin contamination, and wear masks when we mow our lawn. Our children are threatened by playing in our backyards. We demand that the state officials protect our health, as they are sworn to," said Marcia Woodman, nurse and mother of three.

This past weekend, Republican representatives from the Midland area met with Governor Granholm to press their case to weaken state cleanup standards, thus potentially exposing all Michigan residents to higher levels of dioxin. River residents, represented by the Tittabawassee River Watch and the Lone Tree Council, and residents from area townships and the City of Midland sent a letter to the Governor today asking for equal time to discuss the need for the state to uphold its cleanup standards in the face of pressure from Dow Chemical and some legislators to put citizens at risk.

The groups highlighted the overwhelming number of scientific studies that demonstrate that dioxin is a serious health hazard. They also highlighted the misuse of science by Dow Chemical and elected representatives who receive major campaign contributions from Dow. At issue is a state cleanup standard that is set in order to prevent health impacts. Elected representatives from the Midland region are suggesting that harm must be demonstrated before cleanup should take place. They are further arguing that cleanup standards should be set at a level where health effects might be seen.

"Setting cleanup standards at a level where there may be harm defies all of the principles of public health protection that are the basis of our environmental and public health laws. This is a terrible precedent and should not stand," said Michelle Hurd-Riddick of the Lone Tree Council. "The whole point of our environmental laws is to PROTECT public health."

"We have a vision of our community where children can play safely, and residents can grow food in their garden, and we don't have to worry about mowing our lawn or swimming in the river. Our vision is one where our community prospers and the future continues to be bright. To realize this vision, we need to get this issue behind us, and finally clean up this mess," said Betty Damore of James Township.

"Dow is flexing its political muscle and throwing money around so they don't have to clean up their mess. If we make environmental laws based on the wishes of big polluters, no community and no cleanup efforts are safe," said Curt Dalton, a former recreational user of the Tittabawassee River.

Last week, the Michigan House of Representatives voted to cut the DEQ's budget, eliminate an entire program, and cut the Director's salary in retaliation for the DEQ doing their job and defending the laws of the state.

"This is a desperate strategy and a shameful one. This is corrupt politics at its worst," said Ward Hodge, a Midland resident. "These lawmakers are big recipients of political contributions from Dow and the chemical industry. They are working for Dow instead of the citizens of the State of Michigan. If the legislature doesn't stand up to these tactics, Michigan will become the new capital of hazardous wastes. That could be the biggest threat to the economic health of the state yet."

For More Information Contact:

Michelle Hurd-Riddick   (989) 799-3313

Marcia Woodman   (989) 695-5693

Curt Dalton  201-5539 (pager)

Ward Hodge  (989) 495-9203

 

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Letter to the Governor:

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
For the Lone Tree Council

Betty Damore, Gary Henry
For the Tittabawassee River Water Watch

Marcia Woodman
Tittabawassee Township

Curt Dalton
Thomas Township

Barb and Howard Steinmetz
Saginaw Township

Diane Hebert
Ward Hodge
Residents of Midland, Michigan

 

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