Clean Watershed Campaign

Where is the outrage?

Here is an outrageous video of contaminated sediments being pumped into the Army Corp of Engineers/Saginaw County dredge site. Currently, there is no coordination on this site among the agencies who have all expressed concern about the site integrity, wildlife contamination, lack of permits or long term implications of this dump site.

Dow Chemical is (should be?) responsible, cradle to grave, for their dioxin contamination. However, EPA has made an exception in this case to take a hands off position for the time being on Dow’s responsibility and obligations on the Saginaw River and to people that live and play on and in it. A delay is always a win for Dow and their shareholders, yet is once again a loss for the people that live in their spoils.

Region V taking their sweet time

In an e-mail the end of June, EPA Region V said recent sampling showed sediments migrating toward Lake Huron were not highly contaminated. Lone Tree Council has requested the data twice and have yet to receive the information even though EPA’s Superfund Director said it would be forthcoming in two weeks (August 5th e-mail)

EPA responded to our second request for the data with a detailed account of EPA activities in the region since 2007 - but no data or acknowledgment that we even asked for the data.

We hold EPA to its word and again today sent an e-mail requesting for the third time the data referenced in their June 26th e-mail to Lone Tree Council.

There is a hesitation on the part of Superfund to require sediment traps to stop the migration of Dow’s dioxin to Lake Huron. Not sure if it’s based in science or the omnipresent politics which has engulfed this contamination for decades.

EPA to Lone Tree Council 6-26