Maybe it has been too long coming and maybe some will say it is not enough but Dow Chemical Company has agreed to a cleanup of dioxin contaminated properties surrounding its Midland, Michigan, industrial site that sets a high standard for cleanup of contaminated neighbouring third party sites. Dioxin contamination in the city of Midland is the result of airborne emissions from historic waste management practices at Dow.

The Michigan (State) Department of Environmental Quality has announced an agreed cleanup plan for lands around the Dow Midland plant that includes the following:

• residential and residential-like property within the ‘Resolution Area’ will get remediated if dioxin contamination levels exceed 250 ppm
• the plan includes an agreed soil sampling methodology
• the cleanup will be the removal of 12 inches of soil and replacement with clean soil including a new lawn and landscaping. Specific details, including preservation of trees and shrubs, will be worked out with each property owner.

Dow has gone beyond the agreement to offer owners of approximately 50 properties near the Michigan Operations manufacturing site a voluntary property purchase program. Dow will donate acquired properties to Midland Tomorrow, the nonprofit economic development entity serving Midland County.

Michigan DEQ information on this agreement is available at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/2012-2-15_Final_FACTSHEET_w_Map_376932_7.pdf

The Dow information is available at http://www.midlandpropertyprogram.com/