EPA: Dow's dioxin study of little use
Government cites gaps in who was analyzed
By Jeff Kart | The
Bay City Times
More than $17 million has been spent on a dioxin exposure study in areas
downstream of the Dow Chemical Co. plant in Midland, and more money is likely be
spent before the research is complete in the eyes of federal regulators.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to say that the study,
conducted by the University of Michigan with an unrestricted grant from Dow, is
of limited value in assessing the risks of human exposure to soils contaminated
with dioxins from historic operations at Dow.
David Garabrant, who conducted the research, says his results should be used to
develop a risk assessment for the level of dioxins in soils. From that could
come a decision on cleanup levels for contamination in the watershed.
About 80 people came out to hear about the study, and the EPA's evaluation of
it, at a public meeting Tuesday at Saginaw Valley State University's Curtiss
Hall.
The study, the largest of its kind, concluded in part that age and diet were
major factors in the levels of dioxins in people's blood in the Midland and
Saginaw area.
The study only found a weak association between dioxin in soils and dioxin in
people's blood. But the EPA says that was in part because not enough soils with
high concentrations of dioxins were sampled, and no children were sampled.
“The study results, we believe, have some limited applications because it's
looking at the general population,” said Jeffrey Frithsen, an EPA official and
one of those who evaluated the U of M study.
“We also look at those sensitive and vulnerable populations, so it is a lacking
of the study that we don't have information on children.”
Frithsen said U of M scientists have been cooperative in the EPA's evaluation,
and the agency plans to work the Garabrant and others to help answer some of the
agency's concerns, which also include studying more anglers.
“I think this is a work in progress,” said Peter Preuss, director of the EPA
National Center for Environmental Assessment.
Garabrant came Tuesday to defend his study.
“We designed the best possible study that could have been conducted,” he said,
adding that the study design and other factors were disclosed beforehand.
Residents who live along the river also spoke out, saying they think the EPA
should use the study results to move the cleanup process forward in the
watershed. A 30-day public comment period started Monday on a verbal agreement
that Dow, the EPA and DEQ have reached outlining a process to proceed in the
cleanup from 2011 to 2014.
Leonard Heinzman, 62, of Tittabawassee Township said the study results resolved
a lot of fears for residents about the health threats of dioxin, since the study
found that soil was “almost a noncontributor.”
Heinzman thinks the EPA's recent involvement in the dioxin issue is just
creating more unanswered questions.
“I just see this thing dragging on and dragging on forever,” he said.
Terry Miller, chairman of the Lone Tree Council, a Bay City-area environmental
group, said his members are “very concerned” about holding Dow accountable for
contamination in the watershed and seeing that an adequate cleanup is completed.
“This study has provided cover to suggest there's no need to radically address
contamination in the river,” Miller said. “It's not a health study. It's not a
cleanup study. We would like to see the task of the cleanup occurring, that's
the only way this issue is going to go away.”
Heinzman said people who accept the study results are not trying to “use it as
cover.”
He said the Saginaw Bay region is one of the few growth areas in Michigan, with
solar technology investments by Dow Chemical and other companies.
“We don't need this hanging over our head,” Heinzman said.
He believes the study results could be used to move the area toward a resolution
to the situation, and allow Dow to move ahead with a cleanup of only those soils
that exceed the 1,000 parts per trillion residential cleanup level set by
current EPA standards.
The EPA is revising those standards, which they say are outdated, and agency
officials expect to release a draft of their recommendations by Dec. 31. The
evaluation will look at the cancer risk and other potential health effects from
dioxin exposure.
Garabrant said he thinks the meeting was helpful.
“The best part to come out of this is (the EPA) wants to work with us to answer
the questions, and we want to work with them,” he said.
Mary Draves, a Dow spokeswoman, said her company agrees with the EPA that the
study was well-conducted, and also believes it has value.
“We believe the study has direct relevance to understanding the situation,”
Draves said.
http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2009/10/usefulness_of_dow_dioxin_study_1.html
TRW Note: Bay City Times online article title was "Usefulness of Dow dioxin study still under debate, but updates are coming" The title of the same story appearing in the 10/22/09 Saginaw News print edition was changed to "EPA: Dow's dioxin study of little use"
For additional articles like this one, go to the Tittabawassee River Watch web site www.trwnews.net for complete coverage of the Tittabawassee River Dow Chemical dioxin contamination saga. . The Newspaper / Media page of our site contains an extensive archive of media articles dating back to January 2002. The source organization's web site link is listed to the right of the article, visit often for other news in our area. The Newspaper / Media page may be accessed by scrolling down to the bottom of the CONTENTS section and clicking on the Newspaper/Media link.