BAY CITY, MI — The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting public comments on the proposed cleanup plan for contaminated soil from some residential properties on Middleground Island in Michigan's Saginaw River. The proposed plan is part of the ongoing cleanup of the Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River & Bay Superfund Site.

Historical operations at Dow’s Midland Plant caused the release of toxic chemicals known as dioxins into the Tittabawassee River, which moved downstream and mixed with sediment in the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay. The historical use of dredged materials from the Saginaw River as fill on Middleground Island is believed to have caused the soil contamination found in some residential yards there.

The proposed cleanup plan outlined in an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis document requires removing the contaminated soil and replacing it with clean soil to restore the yards.

EPA will present the cleanup plan and take comments at a public meeting from 6:30 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, at the Boys and Girls Club, 300 W. Lafayette Ave., Bay City, MI. Comments will also be accepted via mail until March 30, 2020, and should be addressed to Diane Russell at [email protected] or via US mail to:

Diane Russell, U.S. EPA Region 5, 1300 Bluff St. Flint, MI 48504

To review the Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis document, or for more information about the proposed cleanup, visit: www.epa.gov/superfund/tittabawassee-river.