Detroit Free Press

High dioxin levels found along Tittabawassee River

Sunday, August 14, 2005

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAGINAW -- The majority of the soil samples taken by Dow Chemical Co. from along the Tittabawassee River show dioxin levels higher than what the government considers safe, officials said.

The recently released results of the sampling show dioxin levels as high as 8,700 parts per trillion at a location in Midland and 8,200 parts per trillion at a park in Saginaw County's Saginaw Township.

About 71.5% of the 144 samples exceeded the state standard of 90 parts per trillion and about 35% were above 1,000 parts per trillion, the Saginaw News reported Saturday.

"We're seeing incredibly high numbers throughout the floodplain," said Robert McCann, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Quality. "As far as we're concerned, this is further evidence that we need to move forward."

Midland-based Dow wants to use the sampling to determine how far and how wide contamination stretches downstream of its Midland plant. The testing is required as part of a remediation plan between the state and Dow.

State officials said the highest dioxin levels appeared at elevations that are most prone to flooding.