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CONTACT: Kären Thompson, (312) 353-8547

F O R I M M E D I A T E R E L E A S E No. [Release No.]

EPA, DOW REACH AGREEMENT FOR DIOXIN CLEANUP

CHICAGO (July 12, 2007) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has
reached agreement with Dow Chemical Co. to clean up three dioxin-contaminated hot
spots on the Tittabawassee River downstream of its Midland, Mich., facility. On June 27
EPA required that terms of three administrative consent orders for the cleanup be
finalized by Friday, July 13.

“This settlement puts Dow on track to get priority work in these areas completed this
summer,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Mary A. Gade. “This expedited remediation
schedule is an important step in protecting human health and the environment in the
Midland area.”

The EPA-ordered corrective action will include three segments of the river between
Midland’s Tridge and Imerman Park in Saginaw Township:

• Reach D includes a discharge channel containing approximately 15,000 cubic


yards of dioxin-contaminated sediment. The channel goes 1,200 feet
upstream from Dow Dam on Dow plant property and is bounded by old sheet
piling along the northeast and east banks of the Tittawabassee River. Dow
had historically used this channel to dispose of wastes with dioxin levels up to
69,000 parts per trillion. Dow will isolate this area from the river and remove
the dioxin-contaminated sediment.

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EPA, DOW REACH AGREEMENT FOR DIOXIN CLEANUP-Page 2

• Reach J-K is located 3.6 miles downstream of the confluence of the


Chippewa and Tittabawassee Rivers. There are two areas of focus – levee
deposits adjacent to the bank of the Tittabawassee River and flood plain
terraces, including wetlands subject to sediment deposition during floods.
Dow will remove approximately 32,000 cubic yards of levee deposits with
dioxin levels up to 84,000 ppt, the riverbank will be stabilized, sediment
deposits removed and disposed of and bank areas will be revegetated with
native plants. In addition, an area of dioxin-contaminated soil in the floodplain
will be capped and another area will be fenced off as an interim measure.

• Reach O is a 1,300-foot-long sediment deposit extending 50 to 100 feet into


the Tittabawassee River about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the
Chippewa and Tittabawassee Rivers. It is adjacent to property owned by Dow
and contains 10,000-14,000 cubic yards of dioxin-contaminated sediment.
Dow will isolate this area from the river and remove the sediment.

The Dow facility is a 1,900-acre chemical manufacturing plant located in Midland, Mich.
Dioxins and furans, chlorobenzenes, metals and other materials were byproducts from
the manufacture of chlorine-based products and other chemicals. Past waste disposal
practices, fugitive emissions and incineration at Dow have resulted in on-and off-site
contamination. Dioxins are a family of chemicals that have been linked to some forms of
cancer, reproductive problems and weakened immune systems.

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