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THE Poisoning Old Man River here are skulls along the Mississippi. cattle skulls. and one hangs at a ranch near Baton Rouge. Another is nailed to the garage of Dave Haas Ewell. Jr, who used to hunt the swamps. "lt's unreal what they done to the water here." he says. nodding to the refineries and chemical plants that crowd the banks. ?And ya know what? Our children will pay for it." The Angus herd was poisoned by chemicals that had deluged the area years ago. These toxicants?among the most poisonous science can Conm'buting editor Michael Brown the entire length of the Mississippi to research this piece. He wrote Science Digest ?5 April cm.- er story on last foods quantify?linger in an adjacent swamp today. scalding the cypresses. turning alligators belly-up. When the sun is hot. a black sludge pushes to the surface and oil slicks float on a bayou toward America?s most impor- tant river. From Minnesota. where it starts, to its conclusion at the Louisiana delta. the Mississippi's waters are often trou- BY MICHAEL H. BY JOEL STERNFELD 56 JUNE t986 DIGEST bled ones. Though it is anything but dead. able in fact to refresh itself for much of its 2.348-mile length. the river is nonetheless seriously disrupted by agricultural practices. sewage. ground pollution. toxic rain. industrial pipe- lines and the hundreds of miles of lev- ees along its shores. And though it receives scant national attention in this regard, the Mississippi flows through?? and in the end is greatly affected by?a terrain that almost certain- ly is more contaminated than the Love Canal or anywhere else. It is transformed into a chemical soup beyond scientific understanding. in Louisiana. oil-field pits litter the landscape. spilling onto other swamps and pastureland along the river's course. Pumped into deep wells. potent hydrocarbons. the residue of technology. can last for eons. in New Orleans. the cancer rate is such that Velma Campbell. an occu- pational medicine physician. says that drinking the water in that city is tanta- mount to ?a massive human experi- ment conducted without the consent CAUTION HAZARDOUS WASTE ?5 DIOXIN - suv You: can - .3 - mama: Tuvn. . a in KEEP moons muoT - an on ramm- . new: SLOILY 1 ?an at the entrance to Times leach, lust ouuldo 8t. Louls. The town, on I tributary, stands vlrtually ompty. of the experimental subjects." In the cemetery tombs. above ground because of the flooding and the state?s high water table. there are other skulls. These. of course. are hu- man. Epidemiologists have not yet proved any of them the result of what man does along the waterway. but certain evidence is falling into place. The Mississippi's source is in Clearwater County. at a small lake known as Itasca. not far from wildlife refuges and an Indian res- ervation. This is Minnesota's North Country. a five-hour drive from Minneapolis and St. Paul; surmounting the region's count- less small lakes are elegant stands of pine. As I headed there for a ioumey SCIENCE MIST JUNE 1986 B7 along the Mississippi's entire length. tornado warnings came over the radio and lightning darned an ominous sky. It was spring: several lawns scattered into the foliage as my car approached. In a general store on a lonely back road about a mile from the lake, I found Katzenmeyer, an old beaver trapper wearing a cap and worn over- alls. his jowls bristly. his eyes crossed. Al took me into the hilly for. est of balsams and aspens. a state park plentifully inhabited by partridge. woodpeckers. grackles and meadow- larks. Nearby was a nest for bald ea- gles. He led me down a path out of the thicket. and there it was. a brook gur- gling as it tumbled over field rocks at the outlet of Lake Itasca's northern arm. It was less than knee-deep. and crouched to stick my hand in the wa- ter at the very point. 1,477 feet above sea level, where the river so modesz begins?a river that eventually will drain 41 percent of the mainland Unit- ed States. carrying more than 100 m?l? lion gallons of water a year to the sea. THE MISSISSIPPI AT HBST MOVES IINBLEMISIIEIJ PAST IDYLLIS FARMS. On the other side of the rocks. two loons ?oated on the lake and wild rice poked up. The water was cool and clear. The rice attested to its purity, for the reeds cannot germinate in waters with a sulfate-ion concentration great- er than IO parts per million. Al tumed to me as I let the water drip off my arm. ?Must be about thirty feet across." he observed. 58 JUNE 1986 ICIIHCI mm TIEHAMALSWII Fed by springs and a cluster of smaller lakes to the south, Itasca (a shortened version of the Latin writes and capur. or "truth" and ?head?) was scoured by glaciers during the Pleistocene, more than 10,000 years ago. As we walked the infant watercourse narrowed to a width of only 10 or so feet. thick with saw grass and cattails, hardly qualify- ing for its name, which is derived from i; the Chippewa words mr'ssr' and sr'pi', meaning ?great river." It buttonhooks about 30 miles north and moves through another lake?Bemidji?be? fore beginning its journey south. It passes nine other states along the way, ending. when its tributary the Missouri is counted, as the third lon- gest river in the world. hough some of the sur- rounding lakes are threat- ened by mercury, leached from the soil by acid rain. the Mississippi at first moves relatively unblemished past idyllic farms garnished with windmills and lily ponds. Fed now by other pris- tine streams. it curls under small bridges serving fishermen, campers and flatbeds of lumber. then disap- pears behind a barnyard before reap- pean'ng next to Route 169. It is several hundred river miles south. at Sauk Rapids. that the prob- lems begin. Suddenly there are advi- sories warning against more than a meal or two of fish a month. The cul- prit: biphenyls. or PCBs. Used in electrical components. PCBs belong to a class of compounds known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. Their levels increase after the Twin Cities, and. resistant to soil bacteria that break many substances down, they may remain high through the decade. If PCBs don't enter fish through the gills, or are not eaten outright by bot- tom-dwelling catfish and carp. they find their way through river detritus to the plankton eaten by smaller fish, from there moving to predators like the walleye and pike. Their con centra- tions grow with each step up, possibly creating a potential for liver disorders and cancer at the end of the food chain. Although some PCBs result from atmospheric deposition. officials still haven't tracked their major source. an electrical insulating cool- Ialor Iron of contamination along tho ltuloolppl. Form runoff and ooll oroolon ohomloolo and ollt. This popor mill north of Baton long. trout: Innovator In I pond. thon tho dvor. Sooroo of componloo do no. #4 Waylmwomotl! ant that will haunt the river for its en- tire length. This tendency for bioaccumulation makes the chlorinated hydrocarbons particularly insidious. for they can ap- pear at high levels in fish at the same time that they are virtually untrace- able in the water itself. Since they are nonpolar. they don't dissolve well in water (water. being polar. does not at- tract nonpolar molecules). The PCBs settle onto bottom sediments. where they cling tenaciously to highly ad- sorptive soil particulates. Eventually they are taken up by fish. whose fat?? also nonpolar?provides a home for them. Chlorinated concoctions are ex- creted from animal tissue in only the tiniest quantities. if at all. Each con- taminated meal. then. can magnify these deposits to a point where. in the case of the pesticide chlordane?an- other of the chlorinated hydrocar- Oil along the riverbank ara aoallod up with special absorbent pom-poms on tha and of a 60 1986- SCIENCE DIGEST ltbons?only 2.5 parts per million in food can quickly build to 30 times that quantity in our fat. In high enough amounts they can cause convulsions. liver damage and possibly cancer. The significance of river sediments is demonstrated by another problem near Minneapolis: farm runoff. The turbid Minnesota River empties into the Mississippi there, unloading fine clay and other silts it gathered as it wound through corn and soybean fields. Attached to such soil are fertiliz- ers and pesticides. In St. Paul 1 met with James Harri- son, executive director of the Minne sota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Com- mission. As the Mississippi grows near that city. he said. ?becoming a big-time river," it also picks up toxic wastewater from metal-plating indus- tries and battery manufacturers and creosote from wood-treating facilities. . Although new treatment laws are now in effect, the ground there is polluted with a myriad of industrial solvents; and south of St. Paul. near the point where another river. the St. Croix. feeds into the Mississippi. there are large refineries and tank farms. ut. said Harrison. perhaps the major concern is hu- man sewage. Every day the wastewater-treatment plants in the metropolitan area discharge 276 million gallons. and during heavy rainfalls. overload- ing and bypasses occur. Each year 4.6 billion gallons of raw sewage and storm water flow into the Mississippi River. (In 1985. a 10-year cleanup pro- gram was started.) I crossed a narrow lift-bridge into Wisconsin, working my way back and forth across the river to a point. about 30 miles below Minneapolis. where. the Mississippi begins to widen and bled ones. Though it is anything but dead, able in fact to refresh itsell [or much of its 2.348-mile length. the river is nonetheless seriously disrupted by agricultural practices, sewage. ground pollution. toxic rain. industrial pipe- lines and the hundreds of miles of lev- ees along its shores. And though it receives scant national attention in this' regard, the Mississippi flows through? and in the end is greatly affected by?-a terrain that almost certain- ly is more contaminated than the Love Canal or anywhere else. It is transformed into a chemical soup beyond scientific understanding. In Louisiana, oil-field pits litter the landscape spilling onto other swamps and pastureland along the river's course. Pumped into deep wells. potent hydrocarbons. the residue of technology, can last for eons. In New Orleans. the cancer rate is such that Velma Campbell. an occu- pational medicine physician. says that drinking the water in that city is tanta- mount to ?a massive human experi- ment conducted without the consent CAUTION HAZARDOUS WASTE DIOXIN COHTAMINATIO - suv In You: can -. - Tum . KEEP mums emu?? . suv on ravens? . new: SLOILY Sign It the entrance to Times leech. Just eutelde St. Louis. The town. on Ilululppl tributary, stands vlrtuelly empty. oi the experimental subjects." In the cemetery tombs. above ground because of the flooding and the state's high water table. there are other skulls. These. of course, are hu- man. Epidemiologists have not yet proved any of them the result of what man does along the waterway, but certain evidence is falling into place. The Mississippi's source is in Clearwater County, at a small lake known as Itasca, not far lrom wildlife reluges and an Indian res- ervation. This is Minnesota?s North Country. a five-hour drive from Minneapolis and St. Paul; surmounting the region's count- less small lakes are elegant stands of pine. As I headed there for a joumey SCIINCI DIGEST JUNE 1986 .4 L. . .- M. vml? deepen into Lake Pepin. its only natu- ral lake. the water brown and rough. Thunderstorms still lingered in the area. and. because of the dampness. I didn't see any dust clouds sweeping from the farms. Aside from road salt left from the winter. and the leaching of chemically treated rail ties along the banks. there didn't appear to be any source of pollution for hours on end. But I was to discover that this im- pression was alarmingly wrong. Though the findings had not yet been made public. the Wisconsin Depart- ment of Natural Resources. in a pre- liminary test of fish flesh in the lake. had tracked an arcane molecule known as 2.3.T.8-telrachloro-diben- for short. An unwanted by-product. lurans can be created by industrial heating processes and often accompany PCBs. Again. no one is sure precisely Dave Ewell holds the skull of one of hie cattle. by chemical contamlnatlon of his Loulalana ranch when the rlver over?owed. i where they come from. and not much testing has been done on their toxici- ty. But a lethal dosage for a guinea pig can be 10 parts per billion. or a thou- sand times less than the PCB levels found in the fish. According to one official. lurans of this isomer. or type. are "right in line" with the toxicity of another com- pound much better known to both sci- entists and the public?dioxin. In the lake's carp and catfish?all heavily harvested by commerical fishers?fu- rans were detected at levels as high as 200 parts per trillion. a quantity which. it confirmed. will necessitate emer- gency action. Such levels seem minuscule. and. indeed. one part per million is compa- rable to a drop of chocolate in 6] quarts of milk. One part per billion is but a single drop in 1.280 barrels. and the part-per-trillion range is three or- ders of magnitude tinier. IN WISCONSIN, ARGANE MOLECULES BALLEIJ EIIHANS WERE TBABKED IN FISH. A bubble of sludge In ?The Valley of the Blobs,? the remains of rubber manufacture ln eou?iern Ilaelulppl. SCIENCE mm JUNE 1936 I1 .4 But biologists are increasingly con- cerned with the effect of trace con- taminants, often uncertain at just what level they destroy enzymes, inhibit cellular energy production or, mim- icking radiation, cause genetic muta- tions. As long ago as 1970 an ad hoi: committee's report to the Surgeon General of the United States declared that "no level of exposure to a chemi- cal carcinogen should be considered . toxicologically insignificant for man." Fortunately, in the slow-moving water of Pepin, most of the furans are pre- cipitated out. The locks and dams built by the US. Army Corps of Engineers had al- ready begun to appear, along with piles of sand dredged from the river to make way for commercial navigation. At Lock and Dam No. 8, in Genoa, Wisconsin, I learned? that an oval. broivn mussel known as Lamps?fs had become an. endangered species but. at the same. time, other aquatic life was ?ourishing in the gov- ernment?s impoundment areas, which turn much of the river into a series of ponds. IS BEING TREATED WITH CHEMICALS THAN EVER AS REPLACE WEEDINII. The rolling farms to the south, a lush patchwork of soybeans and corn in Illinois and Iowa, all but eclipse the river. Silt runoff is especially prevalent where farms are uncontoured or row- cropped and where planting reaches right to the drainage trenches. Filed in backwaters and near sloughs, muck dredged by the Corps of Engineers 62 JUNE 1986 SCIENCE DIGEST .. washes back relentlessly, choking the aquatic systems. Meanwhile,=the locks and dams have backed water over land that once was forest. Buoys wam the towboat's of tree stumps close to the surface. This is the Bible Belt, and in Du- buque, Iowa, the Holy Ghost Parish Credit Union is across Central Avenue from a beautiful brick church. Regain- ing its presence, the MiSSissippi' sweeps past the industrial port city of Clinton, where there are three Chemi- cal plants, a power company and the sweet smell of com processing. utrients from the corn plant make the catfish bigger here, claims a man in the Smith Brothers General Store. I hear the Same at Fullmer's Fish Market in LeClaire. An environmentalist for the state of Iowa later tells me that the nitrates probably promote the growth of algae, which subsequently increases the available food "for fish through the food chain. In some spots the fish population has grown because the Corps? dams pro- vide a rocky place to spawn. But Dan Fullmer, owner of the mar- ket, said farm chemicals could make eating fish hazardous in some spots here, too. Though little has been done in the way of a comprehensive study, the soils are being treated with more chemicals than ever: zinc fungicides to kill blights and leaf mold, triazines to kill weeds. and a slew of brand-new compounds to attack insects like the cutworm In an effort both to promote big- farm efficiency and to reduce erosion due to tillage, fan'ners are increasingly turning away from mechanical 'weed- ing toward a new generation of herbi- cidal chemicals, prime among them one known as atrazine. lt'is touted as far more degradable than the chlori- nated hydrocarbons of the past and much less acutely poisonous (caus- capltol Lake, next to the governor's mansion In Baton Rouge. Is consummated peas. ing only decreased hemoglobin and lower body weight in dogs led 1,415 parts per million). But there has been no determination yet on atrazine?s carcinogenicity. "There are more questions than there are answers." said Cindy Combs. at that time a state environ- mental specialist. ?We had thought the newer-generation pesticides would break down within the farming season. But what we?re finding is that the rate of decay may be different in river-bottom sediments. We also stan- ed seeing them in shallow wells. They're longer-lived than we original- ly thought." Where older, chlorinated chemi- cals such as DDT and dieldrin are eas- ily discerned at levels as low as 0.007 parts per million, the new herbicides. like those of the triazine class. would not usually be traced until they were at four or more parts per million in Hazardous-waste all. in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. known as the ?Inger oll sits." Tho refinery Its." in long defunct. 04 JUNE 1986 SCIENCE DIGEST - fish flesh?the alarming level. With 900 active pesticidal ingredients now in use. the key question is what hap- pens when they mix. ?Very little re- search has been conducted, and no- body knows anything about that." said Combs. 5 Rachel Carson warned in Silent Spring. one chemical may destroy the liver enzyme that normal- ly would render a second compound harmless, increasing the combined toxicity 50 times over. Also. chemicals may change proper- ties in the open environment. Ex- posed to the sun, one of the newer fungicides in use along the Mississippi has the potential for turning into an ethylene formation of much greater toxicity. Both Iowa and Illinois authorities have tracked the ubiquitous PCBs. Waste oil often carries them. and in Rock City. Illinois. I drove into an oil- recovery facility and spotted leaks near one of the many creeks feeding the river. the soil turned black. Near the elegantly turreted-and-spired town of Muscatine, Iowa. drums of chemi- cals seep into soil. and pink lagoons of wastewater materialize just beyond Fort Madison. Across the border in Missouri, the first tank truck appears. up from the south. Yet many of the toxicants disap- pear as the river moves downward. picking up momentum. The solvents vaporize out of the water. the metals and hydrocarbons sink with the sedi- ments. and other compounds are pho tolytically destroyed or simply diluted beyond detection. the river moving at 473.484 gallons a second. purging it- self. The Mississippi here is less toxic than many other American rivers, and because of greatly improved sewage treatment during the last IO years. it's also easier on the eyes and nose. annibal is the setting for Tom Sawyer and Huck Firm. The river near Mark Twain?s house. swift and eddying where it flows ar0und craggy islets. marks a memo- rable point. 1.0616 miles from Lake Itasca, where man?s effects are still not overpowering. But this point is one of the last. Approximately 85 miles south of Hannibal, down a forested road near the banks of the Meramec River (a di- rect tributary of the Mississippi, which itself is 14 miles to the east), a police trailer stands at the bridge entrance for a small town. Next to it is a yellow Sign: DIOXIN CONTAMINATION. STAY IN YOUR CAR. MINIMIZE TRAVEL. KEEP WIN- DOWS CLOSED. STAY ON PAVEMENT. DRIVE SLOWLY. of floodlng. tho doad oro buriod ground In Louloiana. HEMTIMLSWIJ. Once the town known as Times Beach was home to 2,242 citizens. four churches, a ballpark and 13 tav- erns. That was long before the Mera- mec overflowed and deluged this community at the far outskirts of St. Louis. It was also before authorities found dioxin in the parts-per-billion range and evacuated the town. The deserted streets and boarded-up buildings were eerie to behold. Left behind was only an older couple. the Kleins, who have refused to move. ?It hasn?t affected us." said Mrs. Klein, standing near her garden. ?And the animals. they're not bothered by it." Times Beach is one of 42 sites in Missouri recognized as having a prob- lem with dioxin, which was mixed with oil and used for dust control. It has been sprayed. dumped, or used as grading fill on roads. near a home for the aged and at horse arenas (where Continued on page 82 SEEN BLACK STIIFF IN THE HEADS OF THE ?Ir: llroo Pato flohoo noar a toxic- waato dump north of Baton Bongo, whoro tho air omolla liko othor and turtloo dlo In tho putrid orator. ICIINCI DIGEST JUNE 1986 65 A HY If Hm?! ?4 has the same titles under Swanson. Raab brings with him very definite ideas from the pharmaceutical industry. which. as he recently told the magazine In Vivo. he regards as "much less complex than people like to pretend." He thinks that there are three key people who make things happen?the scientist. the sales representative and the CEO?and that ev- eryone else is there to serve those three. He believes marketing can also be greatly simplified. as his plan for Oenentech dem. onstrates: "We have picked products where the purchase decision is within the hOSpitai environment." The economics Three key people make things happen, and everyone else is there to serve those three. hinges on how many sales reps it takes to cover a given market. Far fewer are need- ed to cover hospitals than, say. primary- care physicians. Raab notes that only 18 detail men can handle the entire hospital market for the human growth hormone. [t is clear that the new operating chiefs are all working in the same general direc- tion?identifying precise segments of the market that they are going after and devel- oping the logistics that will get them there. For most companies. this is happening none too soon. The big pharmaceutical and chemical companies, such as Pfizer. SmithKline Beckman and E. I. du Pont de Nemours. have been developing formida- ble in-house biotech capabilities. Another contender is Monsanto, which recently ac- quired broad access to pharmaceutical markets through its purchase of G. D. Searle. Last year two very visible biotech firms were swallowed up by large pharma- ceutical companies: Hybritech by Eli Lilly and Genetic Systems by Bristol-Myers. The respective price tags were $350 million and almost $300 million. Many felt that this signaled a major breakthrough. and there is much talk in the trade about "con- solidation" of biotech firms. rwin Lerner. the CEO of Hoffmann-La Roche. recently said that ?today's new drug-development time-cost scenario mns. on average. some seven to ten years and ninety million dollars for each new drug approved for marketing.? This pro- vides a sobering reminder of what phar- maceutical companies are prepared to do when they go after markets. it should also be pointed out that the umbrella of the pharmaceutical and chemical industries covers other segments of keen interest to the biotech industry. such as bioengin- eered products for agricultural. chemical and industrial uses. Lerner warns that "the shakeout must come" in the biotech industry. Competi- tion is keen. and the state of the art is now widespread?to the degree that "recombi- nant DNA experiments have become so routine that genes are actually made by in- struments called gene machines." It takes a moment for this to sink in. Here is one of the extraordinary. unintend- ed results of the massive funding of bio- medical research by the National Insti- tutes of Health, begun some 35 years ago with the initial purpose of finding cures for cancer and other chronic diseases?an in- dustry created anew by massive concen- tration of resources. not for purposes of war. but for human healing. We split the atom. then spliced the gene. The policy was to get these biomedical miracles into the marketplace?and now the unruly marketplace is where the action is. I ?tb f?a?r ?!!you need a stopper. r?ili out a pink requisition form in triplicate and drop it in the our basket. . Air. See or Air, but hurry to these fascinating countries through stamp collecting. Get this beautiful collection of genuine postage stamps depicting many different ways to travel-ships. boats. airplanes. helicopters, cars, trucks and more. Over 80 gorgeous different varieties. You?ll also receive fine stamps on approval Buy what you like. 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Some sites are near creeks that have car- ried comaminated sediment affecting wildlife in both the Meramec and Spring rivers. Predator fish carry an aver- age load of 4.3 parts per trillion and bot- tom feeders six times that much. 8 uch wanton dumping near the Missis- sippi is especially remarkable consid- ering that dioxin is about 70000 times more toxic than cyanide. Where the feder- al action level for PCBs in fish is 2 parts per million. the same for dioxin is in the 10w part-per-trillion range. Its greatest threat may be chronic disease. and the fac- tors determining its effects. or "bioavail- ability." are highly variable. including how . it is bound to an ingested sediment particle. But generally it can kill in invisible quantities: An amount approximately one- hundredth the size of a grain of salt would cause death in the average guinea pig. Dioxin is only a small part of the pic- ture. A study completed in 1982 for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District re- vealed that of the 126 pollutants consid- ered of most concern by the Environmen- tal Protection Agency (EPA). 59 were present in St. Louis's treatment plants. sewer overflows. and river water and sedi- ment?prime among them phenols. by. products of pesticide manufacturing. and copper. Though sampling is a random task. dependent on the Mississippi's capri- cious flows. the results of one test would indicate that perhaps as many as 23.920 pounds of trichloroethane move in the wa- ter and sediment on certain days. along with 20.929 pounds of trichlorobenzene? one of 11 different benzene compounds found up and down stream. Trichloro- ethane is a degreaser and dry-cleaning flu- id that can cause dermatitis. renal damage and cardiac Benzene com- pounds are proven carcinogens. Fish in the Meramec are also tainted with chlordane all the way to the Missis- sippi River. and near this heavily industri- alized Gateway to the West there are un. counted other dumps on both the Missouri and Illinois sides. sending con- taminants to the sediment and ground- water and turning Dead Creek near Sau- get. Illinois. into a smoldering bed of PCBs. phosphorus and heavy metals. .Iust north of St. Louis. the Missouri Riv- er. muddy as it rounds a wooded bend. greets the Mississippi and raises the flow to about 1.3 million gallons a second. the volumes varying widely year to year. Hav- ing traveled 2.315 miles. from foothills in western Montana. the Missouri carries its own heavy burden of farm runoff and heavy metals. and the Mississippi's load of 82 JUNE 986 DIGIST Ildwoot forms wanton. of runoff for?llzon and pootloldoo. su5pended sediments becomes about I 14 million tons a year. Since the Missouri passes at least one radioactive dump im- mediately west. it may also contribute sev- eral isotopes to the mix. And although offi- cials assert that by now the river is so huge that effluents from St. Louis have no signif- icant effect. there are. nonetheless. 2.700 large and small industries there. One of the larger ones generates an annual flow of up to 35.770 pounds of a compound that can impair the brain?the paint thin- ner and varnish ingredient toluene. Down toward French-styled Cape Gi- rardeau. the beginning of the Old South. the river makes another comeback. pro- viding plentiful fish. The barges have stopped pumping overboard there. and no more sewage froths in their wakes. At Cairo. Illinois. the Ohio River?at this point a more voluminous waterway than the Mississippi?joins forces with it at a pointed jut of land. Coming as it does from the center of smokestack America. by Pittsburgh. past cities in Ohio and Ken- tucky where famous toxic-waste abuses have occurred. it?s not surprising that the Ohio adds its own load of solvents. such as risky levels of chloroform (which causes thyroid tumors in mice). methyl chloride and trichloroethane. I moved through the small end of Ken- tucky that abuts the river. past barbecue pits and low thickets draped with vines. then across the border and into Tennes- 1 see. In Memphis I quickly learned of the spills and explosions that have occurred with regularity. one involving methyl isothiocyanate. a close relative of the com- pound made infamous in Bhopal. Workers at a wastewater-treatment plant were sick- ened by chemical fumes. and even explo- sives such as TNT have been dumped with abandon. One EPA report. issued in 1980. estimated that there were probably 112 sites in Memphis where hazardous wastes were stored or buried: at landfills. in slag heaps. behind scrapyards. near play- grounds. in recycling shops and at the fac- tories themselves. in multicolored. stench- filled lagoons. I was Memphis where many of the chlo- rinated hydrocarbons were manufac- tured. and fishing has been banned for some 30 miles of the Mississippi because of excessive chlordane. which also shows high levels in two tributaries. the Wolf and boosahatchie rivers. People who have eat- en the fish complain of skin rashes. sore throats and malignancies. Warning signs are posted at the shores. While chlordane is the major concern. technicians have also found traces of PCBs. hexachlorobenzene. DDT and three more chlorinated hydrocarbons?hema- chlor. dieldrin and aldrin. Most of these are relics of 10 or more years ago. as poi- 50nous as they are persistent A quantity of aldrin the size of an aspirin tablet is nutrwum .?iIl'llNl I I HY enough to kill several hundred quail. An- other pollutant is the closely related pesti? cide endrin. which. in some birds. is 300 times as toxrc as DDT. One year it was blamed for a massive fish kill extending to the Gulf of Mexico. Across the river. in Arkansas. officials have balked at imposing similar fishing re- strictions. arguing that levels are some- what lower on that side?and apparently believing that man's boundaries are recog- nized by the fish. There. under the bridge. in a shanty raised above the floodplain on high stilts. i found a hermit. William Ro- berge. He told me he had complained to the state of a brilliant orange chemical and other crud that used to be piped from a nearby plant directly into the river. bother. ing his cats and burning local swimmers. Southeast and into Mississippi. creeks run like a huge capillary system into the river. and north of Greenviile it is wide and fresh. In Vicksburg. where the river is half a mile wide?swirling near a bridge but in other parts a solemn 200 feet deep?the locals told me catfish sometimes grow to more than 90 pounds. They don't worry about eating the sweet meat. According to Jack Herring. chief of the state?s fisheries. catfish contain a thousand times less DDT than they did years ago: ?We've come back a helluva long ways. There?s plenty of fish." But he also said the river is "just too big" to study fully. "There?s no tech- nique to collect down there." It's a river so huge that. before the levees. it could flood for 100 miles. The river moves now at an awesome 4.435.640 gallons a second. and even a spill of 800.000 gallons of gasoline quickly disappears Most of the state of Mississippi is for- ested and agricultural. and the industrial problems have vanished, But at the south- ernmost part. near Centreville. old sludges from rubber manufacture suddenly bub- ble from the ground. it's known as The Valley of the Blobs. and Louisiana is just beyond. The signs next to the governor's man- sion in Baton Rouge are printed in both English and Vietnamese: so CA This is Capitol Lake. and once more the problem is PCBs?present at l.800 times federal water standards. ?There's a virtually unanimous Opinion that government isn?t doing enough to protect our water." according to Willie Fontenot. an environmental specialist for In one year Louisiana generated over 16,000 pounds of wastes for every person in the state. the attorney general's office who says the posted warnings have come to symbolize "the state of the stale." Because of the par- titioning levees. this tiny lake is one of the last bodies of surface water connected to the Mississippi. Another is the Bayou Monte Sano. which trends through an industrial com- plex. turning from blue to emerald olive green. ?it?s a toxic sewer." said ntenot as we surveyed the river. which is now 30 percent less in flow. part of it having been diverted to the north into the Atchafalaya River. "We don't even know what chemi- cals were dumped into the river. it's only monitored for a handful of them. and there could be thousands." nearby lakes. hexachlorobenzene has been found in the duckweed. endrin in the algae. The industrial corridor that be- gins here extends 228 river miles south. and all the major chemical firms are repre sented. Though there are 30 states larger in size. Louisiana produces roughly 25 percent of the nation's petrochemicals. Drawn there by tax exemptions. cheap energy and the proximity of the country's largest river system. industry has cranked up to the point where Louisiana in one re- cent year generated 726 billion pounds of hazardous wastes more than 16.000 pounds for every person in the state). along with several million tons of other residues said to have been "neutralized." According to a state official. of '75 landfills and waste impoundments tested recently. about 30 showed signs at seepage. Then there are the oil-field pits?be- tween l4.000 and 20.000 of them. They contain petroleum residues and salt water and can harbor acids. barium and lead. More than 400 compounds. including those of cobalt. chromium and radioactive potassium. may be found in the oil-drilling muds. Even so. fewer than one percent of the oil-field pits have been tested. They are now being counted. and up to 14.000 may RECENTLY DISCOVERED [04 194 js/efP 0F iLr cliurlr?cl" or tile Or?a? ttl'. Mtg/gag? TIM Lauri}. (Ohl(lAdhl<' 74: Provide I 'g I .. {I'm an old Cowl/sonl-f econ .CIINCI DIGEST JUNE 1986 .3 NAMALSWILL have to be closed because of leakage. Added to this are about 4.600 wells that have been drilled in the ground to dispose of brine wastes. enhance oil production or extract minerals. in addition. Louisiana re- lies heavily upon 72 deep wells to inject its most hazardous solutions into. pumping them down as far as 9.100 feet. Most states ban such wells. fearful they may leak at depths out of man's reach. Most of the Louisiana aquifers move very slowly over the years. but sand and gravel are promi- nent in the region. enhancing the move- ment. When the Mississippi is low. some of the groundwater is inevitably drawn into it. Such injection wells. in the words of a former secretary of the interior. are "a potential Frankenstein monster." the north of Baton Rouge is a notori- ous dump in which chlorinated hydro- carbons have been measured at levels up to 732.000 parts per million underground. or 73 percent of the extracted sample. It was here. where the wastes drain. that 149 cows and calves met their demise. winter- ing near a bayou. Local sportsmen who still dare to ven- ture there tell of dead loggerhead turtles and dazed fish with swollen stomachs. When they step on these fish. strange white pellets squeeze out of their mouths. As one of the fishermen. Elree Pate. drove a pickup into the backland. 1 sur- veyed this devastated wilderness. where the Mississippi's high-water marks have been left on utility poles well above both the dump and the road. There was a sweet. etheriike odor in the air. ?They won't even tell you what it is." Pate said. "Everybodys scared. I have nightmares and wake up coughing and choking. We. have to leave the house at times. i seen some black stuff in the heads of the craw- fish. and you can taste it in the fish. The smell comes right out of the frying pan." Across the highway. i stopped at a fish market and asked where they got the cray- fish they sold. The man at the counter pointed back to the toxic swamp. Three of the nation's four largest haz- ardous-waste disposal sites belong to the state of bouisiana. and in 1983 alone 305.6 million pounds of toxic wastes were im- ported. One contract was for residues from the same fin-n whose dioxin plagues Times Beach. Near another devastated swamp south of Baton Rouge. in St. Gabriel. are moun- tains of gypsum in a state of collapse. Un- It remains difficult to tell at what level a carcinogen can throw a wrench into a cell's functioning. sure what else to do with the fertilizer resi- due. which contains low-level radium and uranium. the four companies that have generated the waste propose to dump mil- lions of tons of it into the Mississippi. much to the shocked dismay of environ- mentalists as far away as Florida. Radioactivity from other sources has already been detected in the area?iodine 131 and chromium 51 in a few samples of .4 JUNE ?986 WIICI DIOIIT sediment and shrimp. But the biggest problem remains the standard toxicants. From St. Francisville to the delta. there are about 350 industrial and municipal facili- ties. hall of them with river pipelines. Though their treatment plants rarely run at actual capacity (and when they do. they are often sending out harmless cooling water). it can be calculated from a state in- ventory that they have the potential for dis? charging 13.7 billion gallons of effluents a day?nearly half the Mississippi's entire flow back up near Minneapolis. ?The Mississippi River is very polluted. but we're not going to know how much so until we do a comprehensive study that in- volves all the states along the river." said Patricia Norton. chief of the Louisiana De- partment of Environmental Quality. "The groundwater situation is so complex that we just don't have the picture. Nobody up to now has really looked at it." Norton said another major concern is the human sewage. which contaminates not just swamps but also the oysters?a big business here. Each year about l2 mil- lion pounds of them are shipped out of state. mainly to the East Coast. (indeed. Louisiana provides nearly a quarter of the nation?s seafood.) Though Norton and other officials have almost no data on what chemicals might be collecting in the shellfish. she told me that at any given time hall the state's oyster beds are closed because of fecal colilorms. Although there are no hard data connecting the oyster beds with river pollution. many oyster beds are in swamps and bayous vulnera- ble to groundwater seepage. nd New Orleans. she said. needs a new drinking-water source. During 1975. in the midst of complaints about the water's phenolic taste. the EPA concluded a study that found 94 organic compounds in the lower Mississippi. including a few so ar- cane that scientists had no names for them. Eventually the total number of iden- tified pollutants would exceed 200. among them the solvent dibromochloromethane. aldrin. endrin and DDE (a metabolite of DDT). along with the popular Midwest corn herbicide atrazine (which. in the stomach. it it mixes iust right with amino acid by-products. can translonn into nitro- samine. another carcinogen). The most recent sample I could obtain from the Sewerage Water Board of New Orleans was taken in 1984. Though limited in scope. it did show a number of the chlori- nated compounds?especially chloro- form. which can form spontaneously when chlorine reacts with river detritus. Most pollutants are traced in the parts- per-billion range. however. A person who consumes two liters of water and 6.5 grams of fish containing 9.4 parts per bil- A CARTOON HY El HUMAN .im-t will Mil I l- l'Irr t- Four companies propose dumping their redloectlv gypsum weete Into the river eouth of Baton Rouge. lion 0 l.2-dichloroethane. a colorless. sweet-tasting chemical. has only a one in 100,000 chance of contracting canCer over the course of in years. according to a De- partment of Natural Resources report But it remains difficult to tell at what level a carcinogen can throw a wrench into a cell's functioning Laboratory ani- mals may die from other organ damage before they are given enough of a low-fey- el carcinogen for clear cancer results that can be extrapolated to man Furthemiore. the compound as one example. IS a potent bladder carcinogen in man but not in guinea pigs and mice. The Louisiana Chemical Association has announced that as new treatment plants have gone on-line. toxic discharges have decreased dramatically, indeed. the massive fish kills of the last decade are no longer a common occurrence. But in l982 local newspapers were filled with stories about a single refinery that in some cases was discharging 500 pounds of phenol a day above its limit. A second plant was fined for ?spilling" 23 tons of phenols and other chemicals the year before. In a river so dynamic and complex as the Mississippi. where hot spots appear and vanish. where contaminants show up one day but not the next?at the center of the river but not near the shore. in tap- water but not the river itself~where the toxicants dip with the currents and de- scend into the sediments only to be resur- - rected by dredgers or bottom-feeding fish. it is very difficult to grasp the implications of all that man contributes. especially what new. and perhaps undetectable. compounds may be forming as the chemi- cals mix. There is also the problem of detecting . compounds once they burrow into human tissues But in New Orleans one research? chloride?which cross the placenta to col- lect within a fetus?in human blood So it may be relevant that the lower Mississippi regularly finds itself a black dot on the cancer maps. As long ago as 1949. data were accumulating that showed New Orleans to have the third- highest death rate from kidney cancer among 163 metropolitan areas that were surveyed and 3.5 times the national aver- age mortality rate for certain cancers of the mouth. The most likely organ to be affected by water-borne carcinogens. said Marise Gottlieb of the Tulane University School of Medicine. is probably the rectum. since its contact with water is compounded by its task of reabsorbing fecal liquids. Mortality data from 1960 to 1975 show up to a three- fold increase in rectal cancer among peo- ple who drank from the lower Mississippi as compared with those drinking from wells. and Gottlieb thinks the overall con- nection between rectal cancer and Missis- er has found benzene and carbon tetra- same" for In New Orleans the lifetime risk of developing cancer. accord- ing to 1984 data. stands at 33.1 percent. The Mississippi finds its conclusion 95 riyer miles from New Orleans There. on the narrow strip of silt and clay compiled by ancient floodings. it branches into three smaller channels through the marsh and into the Gulf of Mexico Homes are raised on stilts throughout the delta. and shrimp trawlers head for the backwaters Young boys pole-fish from a skill on the bayou. There are hawks kiting. the smell of sulphur in the air. At Venice. the last town accessible by land. helicop- ters lift off from petroleum stations. head- ing for the offshore rigs Out in the Barataria Bay. conservation- ists are trying to sustain a small colony of brown pelicans imported from Florida. Twice the population was extirpated by chlorinated hydrocarbons. and?since the pelican is the state?s official bird?Louisi- anans want them back. I climbed a levee and. as I had at Itas- ca. stuck my hand in the water. now chop py and dark. When it dried. my arm felt sticky. Clearly we must develop a technology that gauges more thoroughly what the Mis- sissippi has gone through. Then perhaps we can undo the damage that may now have turned these waters?for so many millennia the continent's lifeline?into an water "probably will remain the agent of untimely death I SCIENCE DIGEST .. 1986 85 Java/?lm Mt DIOXIN: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND POTENTIAL HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS ISSUE BRIEF NUMBER AUTHOR: Michael H. Simpson Science Policy Research THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE MAJOR ISSUES SYSTEM DATE ORIGINATED 04/18/83 DATE UPDATED 11/30/83 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL 287-5700 1130 cns? 1 IB83079 ISSUE DEFINITION . Animal studies indicate hat dioxinlis a highly toxic 'compound; however. there have been no human deaths attributed to exposure to dioxin. Current concerns about dioxin center around the potential adverse environmental impacts as well as the possible harmful human health effects of trace dosages encountered as environmental contaminants. The environmental impact and human health effects of such exposure to dioxin are not clear at this time. Conflicting statements regarding the effects of dioxin exposure .are found in both scientific and popular journals. This controversy stems from the lack of conclusive findings from well-defined exposure studies. Policymakers are consequently confronted with deciding whether or not to take regulatory or other action to address fears about the threat to health and the environment, in the absence of confirmed findings on_ the risks Jassociated with dioxin. This issue brief presents a short jbackground on the' physical/chemical properties of dioxin, describes several existing sources of possible human? exposure, and highlights what is currently knOWn about its environmental impacts and human health effects. Congressional interest is intense at this time because of large numbers of Vietnam veterans' claims for benefits associated with use of herbicides in that war as well as because of certain incidents of potential significance to health involving disposal of wastes containing dioxin. (See also 1383043 4? Agent Orange: Veterans' Complaints and Studies of Health Effects.) BACKGROUND AND POLICY ANALYSIS The compound dioxin was identifiedrwhen it was by a research technician in the mid-19505. The technician was exposed to the dioxin and subsequently developed a severe case of chloracne which required hospitalization. This event provided'the first clue as to the potential human health effects of dioxin exposure. There are many different forms of dioxin: the form most commonly referred to as dioxin is 2, 3 7 (TCDD). Dioxin is a contaminant that occurs in the production of TCP When TCP is used to make other compounds, a dioxin contaminant may be passed along to the new substanceJ The compound TCP is used in the production of several compounds. including the herbicide (2 4 5.?trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and the compound hexachlorophene (bis- -trichoro- 2- -hydroxyphenol methane), which is used in soaps and disinfectants. The level of dioxin contamination in until 1970 averaged l?5 parts per million (ppm) with a few samples as high as 47 ppm. After" 1370, levels of dioxin contamination were required:to be reduced to less than 0.1 in The U.S. Pharmacopeia has established a maximum detectable limit of 0.05 dioxin for hexachlorophene; the actual content measured in hexachlorophene has been less than 0.005 ppm. (A physical/chemical description of the compoun dioxin is provided in the appendix.) Policymakers have often been called upon to make risk?regulating decisions CRS- 2 IB83079 in the absence of sufficient scientific data. Frequently such data as may be available are conflicting. In making such policy decisions, Congress considers a number of factors in determining allowable risk to public health and the environment, as well as the economic impact and net social benefits involved. Policy decisions about the regulation of dioxin may affect the general population, several industries, and foreign trade._ At present, there are several organizations, activities, agencies, and interest groups concerned about the issue of dioxin. Their positions are reflected by their individual policy statements. 0 The Veterans Administration (VA) has. a long-standing and continuing concern over the effects of dioxin exposure, stemming from the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam. The VA's review of available literature and ongoing studies indicates that, as yet, no consensus exists within the scientific community concerning the causal relationship between dioxin exposure and those health problems experienced by some Vietnam veterans. Dow Chemical company acknowledges that dioxin is highly toxic and produces ill health effects in laboratory animals; however, at concentrations found in the environment, the company believes dioxin does not pose a health hazard to humans. The American Medical Association (AHA) has not confirmed any chronic adverse human health effects related to environmental exposure to dioxin other than chloracne, but has encouraged further research in this area. 0 As a result of studies conducted at sites contaminated with dioxin, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has established a safe exposure limit for dioxin in the environment at 1.0 part per billion The CDC's position is that below 1.0 the individual is not at risk; above 1.0 ppb, inadequate data exist to determine if any risk is present. The exposure limit is both site and condition specific this limit may vary from location to location, depending upon the level of dioxin Icontamination, and the condition of exposure. CDC is presently conducting research on Vietnam veterans exposed to dioxin (phenoxy herbicides) to better define the health risks from exposure. 0 The National Institute for 0ccupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) claims that evidence is increasing to support a link between occupational exposure to dioxin and soft tissue sarcoma. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), in its concern for the health of veterans in general, finds that although no confirmed relationship has been established between dioxin exposure and specific adverse health effects, there are sufficient trends reported in the scientific journals to suggest some health risk. The VFW is seeking compensation for any veteran suffering from specific conditions reported to result from dioxin exposure. 0 Also supporting the idea of compensation is the Vietnam Veterans of_ America (VVA). The VVA maintains that scientific evidence supports the association of adverse human health effects and dioxin exposure. 0 The Sierra Club and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) have taken stronger positions against dioxin. The Club and EDF believe dioxin presents a health hazard and recommend further research to determine the degree of hazard to man. They call for the removal of all uses of chemicals contaminated with dioxin and stricter control over production of chemicals that could have dioxin as a contaminant. I CRS- 3 IB83079 The diversity of these policy positions reflects the- lack of conclusive scientific data. i Dioxin Research I Dioxin research is presently being conducted in several private and Federal research facilities. Federal.agencies have budgeted over $10,000,000 for dioxin research during fiscal year 1983 (FY83) and more than $50 million is scheduled to be spent on dioxin research in FY84. The major purpose of this research is to determinate the human health effects and environmental impacts associated with dioxin exposure. In addition to Federal expenditures, the Dow Chemical Company has made to identify the human health effects resulting from dioxin exposure. Concern has been expressed concerning the coordination and control of research efforts by individuals, interest groups. researchers, and Federal agencies. 1 i Superfund At present. funds used to temporarily or permanently relocate residents living in dioxin-contaminated areas come from the Superfund budget. If the trend of buying these contaminated areas continues. additional funding of the Superfund. program will become necessary. (See I883064 -- Superfund: Hazardous Waste Clean?up for details of the complete issues associated with the Superfund.) . I I Sources of Exposure to Dioxin Public concern about exposure to dioxin has been heightened as a result of increased awareness of several sources of proven or possible exposure: 1) the use of the herbicide "Agent Orange" in aerial spraying operations during the Vietnam conflict (there were also occasional uses of herbicides such as for brush control in civilian applications until 1979. Since 1979; uses of have been limited toi rice crops and rangelands; 2) the Seveso, Italy, chemical plant accident; 3) emissions from municipal incinerators and some fossil fuel power plants; 4) the; spreading of 'dioxin contaminated oil for dust control in Missouri. and 5) _3nknown sources _of dioxin in Michigan, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Oregon. l. Herbicide Aerial Spraying. From 1962 to 1971, herbicide aerial spraying operations were conducted by the U.S. in the Republic of Vietnam. The peak periods of spraying were 1968 and 1969. According-to the U.S. Air Force, the herbicide most'often sprayed was "Agent Orange," a half?and-half mixture of the herbicide 2, (2,4?dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and (2,4,S?trichlorophenoxyacetic acid). Dioxin is a contaminant of Average dioxin levels in "agent orange" were estimated at 2 with a high of 47 and a low of 0.02 ppm. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since recommended the limit for the contaminant dioxin in 2.4.5-T at 0.1 (Hay 1971). Both U.S. air and ground forces were subjected to possible dioxin exposure while in specific CRS- 4 -IB83079 regions of the Republic of Vietnam (see IB83043 -- Agent Orange: Veterans Complaints and Studies of Health Effects). 2. Seveso, Italy, Chemical Plant Accident. The Seveso, Italy, accident (July 10, 1976) involved? an explosion at a chemical plant where TCP was manufactured. A 'cloud of TCP with the contaminant dioxin escaped from the chemical plant as a result of the explosion. The cloud, estimated to contain roughly 3 grams of dioxin, was dispersed by the wind across a residential ?area adjacent to the plant. Several hundred people were exposed to the chemical cloud. Within the first year after the accident 18? cases of chloracne were reported; 164 were children and 23 were adults. Eight of the children with chloracne also had severe chemical burns; eleven other children had chloracne and mild chemical burns. Several other children that did not develop chloracne did develop erythema (red skin patches). Very few adults developed chloracne or chemical burns. Studies are still being conducted on the exposed population to determine the chronic health effects. 3. Power Plant and Incinerator Emissions. Dioxin has also been identified as an emission from some fossil fuel power? plants and municipal incinerators. The dioxin is produced during the incomplete combustion of fuel or waste that contains such compoundS? as chlorophenols, chlorinated benzenes, and biphenyl ethers. The amount of discharge (smoke stack emiSsions) is dependent. upon incinerator operation, fuel, and combustion temperature. 4. State of Missouri Contamination.- Dioxin contamination of soil in Missouri dates back to 1971, when dioxin?contaminated waste oil was applied to the soil for dust control. At a horse arena where the dioxin-contaminated waste oil was applied several horses died. Several other sites in the State also were sprayed with the dioxin-contaminated waste oil for dust control. Not all sites have been' positively identified or tested. DioXin contamination sites in the State have been identified to have levels between 1.0 ppb-l,800 ppb. Some estimates for suspected dioxin contamination sites are as high as 1.0 ppm. The problem of dioxin site identification and cleanup has been complicated by rainfall, surface run?off, and flooding which spreads the dioxin contaminated soil. At present, efforts are underway to identify all dioxin sites in the State and either clean up the site or possibly relocate the residents. As a result of the soil being contaminated with dioxin, the EPA has requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to permanently relocate the residents of Times Beach and ll families of Imperial, MO. . The EPA has also requested FEMA to temporarily relocate three St. James, MO Families. 5. Michigan and New Jersey Contamination. Certain sites in Michigan and New Jersey have recently been identified' as having been contaminated with dioxin. Dioxin has been detected in rivers- around the Dow Chemical'Plant in Midland, Michigan, and at three sites_ near the Diamond Alkali Corp. plant in New Jersey. Both plants are reported? to have produced Agent Orange contaminated with dioxin during the Vietnam EWar. At present only one site has been identified in Michigan. 'In New Jersey there are 50 additional sites that are scheduled for dioxin contamination CR5- 5 IB83079 testing. The specific source or sourCes of dioxin contamination remain to be determined in both States- Further investigations will be conducted in each State to identify any additional dioxin contaminated sites. 6. Identification of Sites Possibly Contaminated with Dioxin. I 1 In 1980, the Environmental Protection Agency compiled a list of sites in 33 States possibly contaminated with dioxin. These sites will be tested .to determine if they are actually contaminated. Has sachusetts is one of the suspect States. Several ponds and' lakes in the State Will be tested during the summer of 1983. The ponds andIlakes may have been contaminated when herbicides were sprayed on them to control water weeds in the 19505 and 19605.; It has been reported that dioxin-contaminated sites also exist in Oregon, with dioxin concentrations up to six times greater than those at Times Beach, Ho. The source of the dioxin in Oregon is unknown at this time. Environmental Effects 1. Biological Accumulation and Elimination. Studies have demonstrated that accumulation and elimination of dioxin occurs in many animal species. It has been reported that dioxin, at concentrations found in the environment' does not accumulate in animal tissue to-any significant degree. It would appear that the rates of accumulation and elimination are dependent upon the environmental concentration, conditions of exposure, and animal species. - 1 I I I Few studies have been conducted to determine whether dioxins are accumulated in plants. Those studies that have addressed this question- appear to indicate that very little dioxin accumulation occurs in plants. When accumulation did occur the- lowest levels were recorded in the fruits and leaves with the highest levels found on the surface of roots._ It is interesting to note that when plants were transplanted from dioxin?contaminated soil to uncontaminated soil, the dioxin levels accumulated in the plant disappeared.1 i 2. contamination. Some studies have been conducted to determine if dioxin is persistent in mest types of soils. Those studies that evaluate dioxin persistence in soil found that over 90% of the dioxin could be detected in the soil one year after the original contamination occurred. This would indicate that a strong bond is established between dioxin and most soils. The persistence of dioxin in the environment has been attributed to these strong bonds. 3. Water Contamination. - Dioxin is not very soluble in water (highly insoluble). The greatest danger of contamination of the rivers and streams is from dioxin?contaminated' scil runvoff. The eroded dioxin?contaminated soil particles could settle on the bottom of the stream or could be carried with the flow of the stream. CRS- 6 1383079 Disposal Methods . il? Small quantities of dioxin can be disposed of by physiochemical, chemical, and microbiological means. Physiochemical means include: ultraviolet light} gamma rays; or hydrogen donation.? An ultraviolet light treatment was developed recently for commercial disposal of dioxin-contaminated liquid wastes. The treatment is 98% efficient. Chemical disposal is possible utilizing alkaline dehydrochlorination, reduction" with iron chlorides, oxidation with ruthenium tetroxide, Chloridides.rand?chlorolysis. Alkaline dehydrochlorination alkali..metal" salts of alcohols to remove the dioxinsl This is accomplished by mixing dioxins, solution of any (alkaline) metal hydroxide. A -. -- Reduction of dioxin with iron chlorides i5"being studied; this method has had limited success. - 3 -, -. I 3"?u . 1- I. Oxidation with ruthenium tetroxide is an acceptable method for destroying small amounts of dioxin. This method is ?usually: used to destroy dioxin produced in the laboratory. a Chloriodide research is being cdhducted.innthe hopes Sfjusing chloriodides to destroy dioxin in contaminated soil.- Midella? are used_ un the process. - .-.I. -. .. -- 1. Chlorolysis is a process currently Final research results remain to be determined. Microbiological means depend on microbes to - destroy the dioxin. This method has beenxfieldmtested with limited success; due to its high cost it may not be considere?.p?actical for bulk disposal. Research is underway tO'develop a better microbial degradation method. Such degradation has not proven successful to date. Larger quantities of dioxin can be disposed of using more traditional means such as: a) incineration; b) perpetual repository storage (not true disposal); c) secure landfill. (presently permitted but may still present an environmental hazard' later); and d) entombment (concrete mixed withr?dioxin this is not actually disposal). L: 'Jwagh '7 Dioxin is easily destroyed by natural sunlight in a very short time. The difficulty in this form of disposal results'frbm the fact that natural light; destruction of dioxin is only surface active it destroys only the layer on the surface directly exposed to the natural sunlight.) - General EXposure Standards ?is 3; .x .22. - Two agencies have established exposuredstandards for dioxin and a third has recommended a maximum exposure limitsbr The Environmental Protection Agency's Scientific Advisory Panel in 1980 .established the "no observable effect level" (NOEL) for dioxin at 0.001 micrograms dioxin per kilogram *of. body weight per day (mg/kg/day). The NOEL is defined as a dose below which no carcinogenic, teratogenic, or reproductive effect is observed. Tr The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set the dioxin levels' in- edible fish as not to exceed a limit of 50 (parts per trillion). It -has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. (CDC) that' individuals not be exposed to levels of dioxin greater than 1 in soil for any_ CR5- 7 1B83079 extended periods of time. The chemical industrial exposure limit for dioxin of 0.000? mg/kg body :weight was set by the EPA to protect wquers in the chemical industry and related fields. . . 1 Biological Effects Animals . Experiments on laboratory- animals show interspecies differences no two species react in the same way) in response to a high concentration acute exposure to dioxin. This response would indicate that dioxin has axdifferent acute toxicieffect in?each?animakuspecies. However, when exposure levels are high enough to :length of time between exposure and death (the latent period) is similar for each species. How the dioxin causes death in experimental animals is not known.. When laboratory animals are exposed to lower concentrations of dioxin; where death is not expected to occur, two sets of are generally observed. The first set of common to all species, includes: a) Chloracne; and b) the development of horny skin layer (hyperkeratosis). The 'second set of which is specific to each individual species includes: a) in pregnant female mice,? dioxin exposure results in the production of some abnormal (teratogenic effect); b) in pregnant female mice and some other species, dioxin exposure causes the? death of some of the unb?orn (fetotoxic effect)- c) in chickens a unique lesion is developed r(hydropericordium); d) in some animal species an infiltration of tissues with fluid occurs (edema); e) in rabbits liver disturbances are common; f) in monkeys conversion of the meibomian gland occurs (the gland in the?eyelid,changes from a sebaceous fluid producer to a keratin producer); and g) in guinea pigs suppression of the immune system occurs. Although reproductive-disorders were observed in female mice. no reproductive disorders wereiobseryed in male mice exposed to dioxin at identical - Biological Effects -- Manda.? No human deaths have been reported after an acute exposure to dioxin. The most prominent effect observed in man from an acute or chronic exposure to dioxin is chloracne. Chloracne can range in severity and extent. The more severe cases may 'involve Iextensive: acne-like eruptions of blackheads, abcesses, and initially on_the face, giving the appearance of grayish sheets. The most severe cases may involve the total body. Chloracne is not a condition that?is'unique to? dioxin exposure; it may also occur from exposure to many other chlorinated compounds. The chronic effects _of exposure to dioxin (other than chloracne) are not well understood.b Although several diseases, and conditions have been described by individuals chronically exposed to dioxin, there is not sufficient information to establish a The diseases or conditions that have been reported include:wu l) enlarged liver; 2) 'liver function abnormality; 3) neuromuscular effects; 4) deranged (a disturbance in production of natural pigment produced by the :body): 5) spontaneous abortion; 6) congential malformation: 7) cancer;: and 8) Chromosomal aberrations. l..Liver Enlargement. Enlargement of the liver hasabeen reported in some exposed individuals. However, mortality among-the: dioxin?exposed individuals who displayed an CRS- 8 IB83079 enlarged liver was not statistically different from that of non-expose individuals (individuals with normal livers). Any relationship between dioxin exposure and the liver enlargements is unclear at this time. 2. Liver Function Abnormality. Liver dysfunction has been observed in some individuals who also were accidently exposed to dioxin. Individuals exposed to low levels of dioxin may have an abnormal liver function, yet no temporary or permanent damage may occur. Exposures to very high levels of dioxin may cause an abnormal liver function with some signs of permanent damage. Any relationship between dioxin exposure and liver function abnormality is unclear at this time. 3. Neuromuscular EffeCts. Some individuals exposed to dioxin report a weakness in their lower limbs. This effect has not been observed in any animal trials. The impairment reported seems to be slight, affecting muscular coordinat'on without any other apparent side effects., Any relationship between dioxin exposure and the neuromuscular effect is unclear at this time. 4. Deranged derangement, which may result in spotting of the skin, is known to have a genetic as well as an environmental cause environmental exposure to hexachlorobenzene, biphenyls and dioxin). Any relationship between dioxin exposure and the effect is unclear at this time. 5. Spontaneous Abortions. Spontaneous abortions have been reported as a possible adverse health effect of dioxin exposure. A review of recent studies indicates that there appears to be no difference between the rate of spontaneous abortions within the dioxin-exposed populations and the non-exposed populations. 6. Congenital Malformations. It has been reported that as a result of dioxin exposure congenital malformations have occurred. There appears to be no difference in the number of congenital malformations occurring in dioxin exposed and non-exposed populations. This was confirmed in a comparison made between the rate of congenital malformations observed after the Seveso, Italy, accident and the estimated world rate. 7. Cancer. Cancer has been suggested as an effect of dioxin exposure. It is difficult to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between dioxin exposure and cancer. There appears to be no difference in the overall cancer death rate between the dioxin-exposed and the non-exposed populations. According to some studies, there does appear to be some increase in the incidence of soft tissue sarcoma in dioxin-exposed populations. NIOSH claims evidence is increasing to support a link between occupational exposures to dioxin and soft tissue sarcoma. Other studies, conducted both in this country and overseas, have shown no increase in soft tissue sarcomas rates as a result of dioxin exposure. cns- 9 1883079 It has recently been reported that an association may exist between stomach cancer and dioxin exposure. Evidence yin support of either association is not sufficient to make a positive confirmation of cause and effect. 8. Chromosomal Aberrations. Cytogenetic studies (those relating to the function and structure of the cell) to date do not indicate an increase in the frequency of chromosomal aberrations as a result of dioxin exposure. When the prevalence of chromosomal aberrations is compared between the dioxin-exposed individuals and the total population at large no significant difference is observed. Summary Studies indicate that dioxin is a highly toxic chemical that may persist for many years in the environment. Plants do not appear to accumulate great amounts of dioxin. Animals appear to accumulate and eliminate dioxin at different rates depending on environmental conditions and animal species. Bodies of water generally become contaminated from dioxinecontaminated soil run-off as a result of erosion. Soil forms a strong bond with dioxin which is mainly responsible for the persistence of the dioxin in the environment. Dioxin may be disposed of by traditional methods such as incineration, perpetual storage. landfill, and entombment. Dioxin molecules are destroyed by sunlight on exposed surfaces. Animal exposure studies demonstrate species differences for the effects of dioxin. Chronic exposures appear to result in specific health effects for each animal species. Chloracne is the most consistent condition of dioxin exposure in humans. Other have been reported. yet no cause?and-effect association has been confirmed. Points for Further Consideration Future issues which may confront policymakers include: identification of cause?effect relationships with regard to the human health effects of dioxin exosure; proposed establishment of dioxin industrial discharge requirements; establishment of final dioxin disposal requirements (changing the chemical character of dioxin); initiation of further chronic exposure studies with animals; development of new waste discharge methodologies; requirement for extensive acute and chronic testing of new chemicals prior to marketing; (9) identification of one Federal agency to coordinate all dioxin and Agent Orange research efforts; examination of the need for some form of a victim compensation program, based upon a chosen level of acceptable risk, to protect the individual from environmental sources of dioxin (a hazard insurance program); and examination of the need for the development of a risk analysis program for all hazardous waste sites. - IB83079 HEARINGS U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Defining health emergencies under the superfunded statute: _recent PCB and dioxin cases. Hearing, 97th Congress, id session. Nov. 19, 1982. Washington. U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1983. 370 p. - U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Agent orange: exposure of Vietnam veterans. Hearing, 96th Congress, 2d session. Sept. 25, 1980. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1981. 249 p. Involuntary exposure to agent orange and other toxic spraying. Hearings, 96th Congress. session. June 26-27, 1979. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1980. 256 p. . U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Veterans Affairs. Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Current status of agent orange studies. May 6. 1981. Washington. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.. 1981. 385 p. U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Veterans Affairs. Subcommittee on Medical Facilities and Benefits. Scientific community report on agent orange. Hearings, 96th Congress, 2d session. Sept. 16. 1980. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1981. 145 p. Oversight hearing to receive testimony on agent orange. Hearing, 96th Congress, 2d session. Feb. 25. 1980. washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1980. 121 p. Oversight hearing to receive testimony on agent orange. Hearing. 96th Congress. 2d session. July 22. 1980. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off.. 1981. p. 459 p. U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Veterans Affairs. Ad Hoc Subcommittee. Status of Vietnam veterans in the Bay area. Hearing. 96th Congress. 2d session. Apr. 10, 1980. Washington. U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1980. 64 p. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 10/20/83 -- U.S. EPA confirmed the presence of dioxins and ?1 furans in municipal incinerator emissions. 07/00/83 Contaminated sites reported in Massachusetts 1 and Oregon. 06/00/83 -- Soil contamination with dioxins found in Michigan and New Jersey. 02/00/83 11/19/82 12/03/80 10/21/76 10/11/76 07/10/76 07/19/75 12/16/74 10/18/72 00/00/71 12/31/70 1960-70 00/00/55 Unknown IBB3079 Missouri clean up Of dioxin spills begins. Hearings held by Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy_and Commerce. Hearing on the hazards of dioxin. P.L. 96-510, Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act 1980 (CERCLA), "Superfund" -- clean up of hazardous waste sites. P.L. 94-580, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), control of hazardous wastes. P.L. 94?469, Toxic Substance Control Act, the control of all toxic substances not covered by other toxic substances control. Seveso, Italy chemical plant explosion, dioxin contaminant spread over local region. P.L. 94?56. Hazardous Material Transportation Act. (Amended 1976 to cover the transport of toxic materials.) P.L. 93-523, Safe Drinking Water Act. (Amended 1977 to eliminate contaminants from discharge or entry into water sources.) P.L. 92-500, Clean Water Act. (Federal Water Pollution Control Act.) (Amended.1977 to cover discharge of toxic pollutants into water.) Missouri sites were contaminated with dioxin. P.L. 91-604, Clean Air Act. (Amended 1977 to cover discharge of hazardous pollutants into the air.) Agent orange contaminated with dioxin used in Republic of Vietnam for aerial spraying operations. Dioxin identified. Incinerator production of dioxin. ADDITIONAL REFERENCE SOURCES Axelrod D. Dioxin exposure report to the Governor and - legislative April 1982. New York State Department of Health. 1982. Barnes, D.G. Human health aspects of accidental chemical exposure of dioxin 9? strategy for environmental reclamation and community protection. International Academy of Environmental Safety, International Society of Ecotoxicology and-EnVironmental Safety. Oct. 5?7, 1981. CRS-12 Bartleson, F.D., Harrison, D.D., and Morgan, J.D. Field Studies of Wildlife exposed to TCDD contaminated soils. U.S. Air Force report, Mar. 1975. Beljan, J.R. (Council of Scientific Affairs, JAHA), Health effects of agent orange and dioxin contaminants. Journal of the American Medical Association, v. 248, no. 15, Oct. 15, 1982. Blain, E.H. Chlorodioxins -- origin and fate. American Chemical Society Washington, D.C. 1973. Cocucci, S., DiGerolamo, F., Verderio, A., Covallaro, A., Colli, G., and Gorni, A., Invernizzi, G., and Luciani, L. Absorption and translocation of tetrachlorodibenzo-p?dioxin by plants from polluted soil. Experientin, v. 35, Fasc 4, May 79: 482-484. Crosby, D.G., Wong A.S. Environmental degradation of Science, v. 195, Mar. 25, 1977: 1337?1338. Crow, K.D. Chloracne. Seminars in Dermatology, v. 1, no. 4, December 1982: 305-314. Esposito, H.P., Tierman, T.O., and Dryden, P.E. Dioxin. . Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH. EPA-600 2-80?197. November 1980. Franelli, R., Cheabrando, C., and Bonaccorsi, A. TCDD contamination in the Seveso incident. Drug Metabolism Reviews, v. 13, no. 3, 1982: 407?422. Kimble, B.J. and Gross, M.L. Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin quantilation in Stack?Collected coal fly ash. Science, v. 207, Jan. 4, 1980: 59-61. Kriebel, David. The dioxins--toxic and still troublesome. Environment, v. 23, no. 1, Jan./Feb. 1981: 6-13. Kociba, R.J. and Schwetz, B.A. Toxicity of tetrachlorodibenzop?dioxin (TCDD). Drug Metabolism Review, v. 13, no. 3, 1982: 387-406. Reggiani, G. Toxicology of (TCDD): short review of its formation, occurrence, toxicologY, and kinetics, discussing, human health effects, safety, measures, and disposal. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacoloqy, v. 1, 1981: 211?243. un, Marjorie. Missouri's costly dioxin lesson. Science, 6. 219, Jan. 28, 1983: 367?369. masson, w.A. Deadly legacy: dioxin and the Vietnam veteran. The Bulletin, v. 35, no. 5, May 1979: 15-19. send, J.C., Bodner, K.M., Van Peenen, P.F.D., Olsen, R.D., and Cook, R.R. Survey of reproductive events of wives of APPENDIX 1 Structure-and physical/chemical characteristics of: Structure 1.0 c1 0 Cl 3 9 (TCDD) Physical Characteristics molecular weight melting point, decomposition point, Chemical Characteristics Solubility, grams/liter ortho-dichlorobenzene chlorobenzene Orange Herbicide benzene chloroform acetone normal-OCtanoI lard oil methanol water REFERENCE: Young, A.L., Celcegni, J.A.. Thelken. The toxicology?envirounentel fete on orange and its eeoocieted dioxin. TCDD or dioxin. 3 C1 Cl=Chlorine O=Oxygen 7 C1 @=Benzene 322 303 - 577 4 900 - 1.00000 1796 - 1.40 0.72 0.50 0.57 0.37 0.11 0.05 0.04 0.01 2 10'7 0.5., and Ire-blay. J.H. hulen risk of herbicide 0.8. Air lorce leport, GIRL 11-78-92, October 1982. page 1?22 1383079 employees.exposed toichlorinated dioxins. American Journal of Epidemiology, v. 115, no. 5: 695-713. 'Young, A.L., Calcagni, J.A., Thalken, C.E., and Tremblay, J.W. The toxicology environmental fate and human risk of herbicide, orange and its associated dioxin. U.S. Air Rorce Report, October 1978. OEHL The Saginaw omm.msqmum.umum . - . .. ,i -. . . . . Wednesday, November 28, 1984 Mostly sunny Thursday 25? Report on rare cancer in Midland not due until 1990 BY KEITH NAUGHTON and EILEEN LEHNERT News Staff Writers Midland County residents will have to wait until 1990 to find out why four times more of them died from a rare form of cancer in the last 20 years than people in the rest of the nation. Scientists will not finish the 5250.000 study until four years later than the original completion date 1986, The News has learned. Confirmation of the delay follows by two days the state Department of Public Health?s deci- sion not to probe higher-than-average rates of some birth defects in the county from 1970 to 1975. The county?s soft-tissuecancer death rate was four times higher than the US. average between 1960 and 1978, state researchers say. During the 18-year period, 20 county residents died from the rare disease. Environmentalists blame Dow Chemical Co. They claim the chemical giant polluted Midland with dioxin and that the toxin is responsible for occur- rences of soft-tissue cancer and birth defects. Dioxin was an unwanted byproduct of a herbicide Dow used to make. In June 1983, Dow offered the state $250,000 for a study of soft-tissue cancer in the Midland area. Health department officials accepted the cash to study the alarmingly high rate of that kind of cancer. Soft-tissue cancer usually occurs in just five out of every 100,000 people per year. The first draft of the study plan estimated it would take two years to determine why the rate of soft- tissue cancer was high. But John Hesse, acting director of the health department's Center for Environmental Health Sci- ences, said a revised proposal pegs the completion date at 1990. The original probe was to review past soft-tissue- cancer cases in an eight?county area, including Midland, Bay, Saginaw, Isabella, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot and Arenac counties. Under the revised plan, officials will study the same eight counties, but the report will take five years to complete. The study will follow the cancer as it occurs rather than track old cases. ?It?s been extensively rewritten and rewritten and rewritten," said Dr. Daniel E. Williams, study director. Williams said he is frustrated at how long it is taking to get the study contracted out to laboratories. . know it's been a long and dragged-out process," admitted Hesse, one of Williams? bosses, Hesse pledges the study will begin by Jan. 1. He claims the project will end up better, even though it will take longer to finish. ?We?re not trying to void the time period when dioxin was manufactured," Hesse said. ?We?re look Please see CANCER. Pane A-2 Unl?Vhl I Nov . Continued from Page Ad . ing at people now who were possi- bly exposed 15 to 20 years ago." The health department will re- lease interim findings in two years. Williams said. Some environmentalists view the . later date as a whitewash. ?This is outrageous. If a decision is not being made for cause and effect. it's consistent with every . decision the Department of Public Health has made for the last 10 years. They don't want to find . anything." said Diane Hebert. di- rector ot the Environmental Con- . gress of Mid-Michigan. Hesse had promised. she said. that his department would consult 3 .her group before changing the do. sign of the study. Hebert said she .had not heard of the changes until The News contacted her. ?We need some kind of over- sight." Hebert added. Obtaining researchers to con- and the study is the main sticking point in getting the cancer study started,Hessesaid. State officials had slated experts . from two Michigan universities to conduct the study. but one of the specialists backed out because he . was retiring. Hesse said. The state agency has refused to identify the - researchers. Now. Williams said. the health 1 department wants the study done by the Detroit-based Michigan Cancer Foundation; Raoul 29 '3 LaPage. a ichigan State Univer- sity statistics manager; and Dr. John Gillespie. director of surgical pathology at Lansing?s Edward W. Sparrow Hospital. The researchers won?t have to set up their own ?control group? under the revised plan. For com- parison purposes, the study will use Michigan Cancer Foundation data on soft-tissue cancer in De- trolt, Williams said. That will ease the probe?s cash- ?ow problems. Williams said. Dow, the study?s financial back- er, does not receive formal reports from health officials on the progress of the probe. said com- pany representative Sarah Opperman. But the health department has kept the chemical giant up-to-date in an informal manner. she added. Dow is not surprised at how long the initiation of the study is taking. ?We'd all like to have answers immediately, but scientific studies take time. That is the reality," Opperman said. Time also was one of the factors that led to the demise of a proposed study on the higher-than-average birth-defect rate in Midland Coun- ty between 1970 and 1975. Hesse said looking at cases from almost 15 years ago would present difficulties. A statistical oddity not a result of environmental contamination could account for the surge in the birth-defects, Hesse added. Records indicate that between 1970-1975 county newborns had twice as many cleft palates a congenital opening in the roof of the mouth and cleft lips than infants in other parts of the state. Children born in the county dUr- ing that period also experienced higher-than-average rates for oth- er birth defects. including hip dis- location and hypospadias. a congenital opening in the urethra. Hesse said the decision to shelve the study was based on a recom- mendation from Dr. Vernon Honk of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control. Houk noted that a historical look at records may not produce the cause of the skewed statistic. Houk recommended monitoring birth defects in the county for fu- ture fluctuations. Moreover. the Michigan agency would have had to embark on a timeoconsuming proce~ dure to request money for the study from the US. Environmental Protection Agency. Hesse said. And. approval of the grant hinges on the Atlanta agency ac- cepting the proposal. he added. ?Without CDC approval. there is no reason to pursue it at this point.? he said. Environmentalists. who had urged the department to conduct the study. are less than pleased with the department?s decision. ?Those are not sound reasons for not doing the study.? Hebert said. certainly think enough evidence has been provided" pointing to dioxin contamination as a possible cause for the defects. J. Milton Clark of the ESPN: Toxic Materials Branch at Chicago agrees that environmental con- tamination could be a factor. In a letter to the Michigan agen- cy. Clark noted that the sporadic increases in birth defects ?could be due to a large release of dioxin- containing materials or other pro ducts to which workers or the general public were exposed.? Dr. Ralph Cook of Dow's epidemiology department asserts no proof of a connection exists between dioxin and birth defects. ?The 809an News? ?nun: 126th Year. No. 166 Published weekday evenings. Saturday and Sunday mornings by Booth News?. pars. Inc.. at 203 8. Washington. Saginaw. Michigan. mos. Circulation (5171mm News Diaptey Advertising mas-11 rt Classified Advertising (51 Isa-stat Suwrintion Rates: by mail tn Michigan where news carrier service is not available - mm per year. ?6.00 for six months. use per month. Outside Michigan. ".80 Wmth. Second class postage paid at Saginaw. Michigan Postmaster; Please send tom 35?! to 203 8. Washington. Saginaw. MI eases. EPA scientist to continue push for birth defects study By JULIE MORRISON Daily News staff writer A US. Environmental Protection Agency scientist will continue to push for a study of birth defects in Midland County in the early 19705. despite rejection of it by other health agencies this week. J. Milton Clark, EPA health effec- ts specialist. said he will evaluate data available so far to demonstrate the study needs to be done. ?I?m still of the opinion there?s suf- ?cient evidence to warrant looking at these historical defects,? Clark said. The Michigan Department of Pub- lic Health Monday announced it would not do the study after the fed? eral Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta did not recommend it. Both agencies said it would be difficult to collect accurate data so many years after the birth defect increase oc- curred. Midland County led the state in 1971-74 in the number ofbabies born with cleft palates, which are splits in the roof of the mouth. But Clark said there also were a rise in other birth defects, especially urogenital prob- lems, that should be studied. The Michigan health department and CDC said because data would be difficult to collect for a study. it makes more ?sense to allocate staff and ?nancial resources to studies of more recent events. While Clark agreed a birth defects study would be difficult, he added research could be set up to work around those prob- lems. ?There?s certainly difficulties in getting that kind of information. but ldon?t think that should preclude the study,? he said. ?You can always con- trol for those kinds of problems stat- 1 ?6 "Dow Chemical just gave the state a quarter of a million dollar grant for a study of soft tissue sarcoma," he added. ?They could have made ar- rangements to study birth defects." The information Clark said he will evaluate to try to prove the need for the study includes "very-pre- liminary? studies done in 1979. 1980 and 1983. Dow Chemical Co. also did a study in 1980 which Clark said in- dicated wives of Dow employees who gave birth in the early 19703 showed a higher rate of birth defects than did women not married to Dow employ- ees. Clark would not say if he thought exposure to the dioxin isomer 2.33.8 -TCDD could have caused the birth defect increase. . ?I'm unwilling tojump to any con~ clusions." he said. ?It needs to be looked at.? Dioxin is an unwanted byproduct of other chemical production. Dr. Ralph Cook, an epidemiologist with Dow, said the 1980 study com- pared wives of Dow workers who. were exposed to dioxin with wives of Dow workers who were not exposed to the chemical. The study did not show any difference in the number of birth defects between the two groups. Cook said. Dow also ?was bending over back- wards? to identify any abnormalities at birth. Cook said. including prob lems physicians probably would not have identified as birth defects had a study not been done. Cook said evidence does not indi- cate dioxin could have caused the birth defects. Cook also agreed with the state and CDC that a birth defect study ?is one of a multitude of studies?hthat could be done if the 1n dispute By Dudley K. PiersonlUC? Susan Benkelman 3i 4 and Ann Cohen News Lansing Bureau Temporary measures may not be adequate to contain high concentra- tions of the toxic chemical dioxin found at Dow Chemical Co.'s Mid- land facility. some state of?cials say. But there is probably no immedi- ate danger to workers at the Midland plant, according to both company and state of?cials. A Dow executive said one contaminated area has been put off limits to workers and another covered with asphalt to keep the dioxin contained. These assessments yesterday fol- lowed revelation that dioxin levels up to 50 times the amount considered dangerous by the federal government were found in soil on two sites at the Dow complex. THOSE DISCLOSURES were contained in a draft of a proposed consent agreement, written by the US. Environmental Protection Agency, under which Dow would clean up the contaminated sites. Dow of?cials, who have not seen the pro- posal, said the company informed the EPA about the dioxin levels and will negotiate with federal regulators about long-term remedial actions. ?Sooner or later we?ll have to come to grips with how to deal with that," said Dow environmental official Vern T. May. "We don?t know what to do with it. There are no established procedures for decontaminating and tearing down such a facility (where the dioxin was found)." David Dempsey, environmental adviser to Gov. James Blanchard. said, don?t think we have any emblems with the proposed consent erer. We believe there is minimal Jut some danger to the workers.? Other of?cials said Dow should dig the contaminated soil and neutral- as the dioxin, either through inciner- Ition or burial in a proper landfill. iowever state and company of?cials aid they need more speci?c informa- ion about the sites where the high evels of dioxin were found before hey can determine what types of lealth hazards may exist. DOW IDENTIFIED two sites rhere the level of dioxin exceeded 1 art per billion, the level considered otentially dangerous. One is a former reduction area for 2,4,5,-Trichloro- henol (TCP), an ingredient formerly ied in herbicides, including the defo- int Agent Orange that was used :tensively in the Vietnam War. That building sits in the center of 1,500-acre Dow complex and was ped off and restricted to workers ien test results showed several )nths ago that soil in the area ntamed about 36 parts per billion, ay said. Continued on Page 15A I 1Ifred Oyen Dioxin spills covered Toxic peril in dispute Continued from Page 1A Workers who had been dumping construction debris in that. area now have been restricted from the site and the area has been roped off. The other area. where. 5'2 parts per billion were found. already has been covered with asphalt. he said. That site is a 20-liy-4tl-foot area near rail? road tracks and May speculated that the dioxin there could have been the result of a spill some years ago. LEE JAGER. chief of environ- mental and ocrupational health with the state Department ot I?uhlit is (onterned that the protective clothing. and are not likely to he close to the dirt like kids would he." Ms. 0310:] said. May. who is manager of agricul- ture chemicals production in the com~ pany's environmental services divi- sion. complained that the health standard for dioxin is based on a ?model" in which a child plays in dioxin-contaminated dirt Lil-hours a day for 70 years and eats it. Then. there's a one in a million Nov. 3. 1934 chance for a health effect. HE SAID that construction Workers - employee of both Dow and its contractors had been dumping construction debris in the area now covered since 1979 when the company halted production of 2.4.5-TC P. ?Oh- viously some folks have walked on it and they've driven trucks down it." said May. But; he stressed that there is no health danger for those workers. MONDAY NOVEMBER 26,1984 The Saginaw NEWS State will not seek Midland birth defects study funds BY EILEEN LEHN ERT News Staff Writer MIDLAND -- The Michigan Depart- ment of Public Health today announced it will not seek money from the U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency to fund an historical study of elevated birth defects found in Midland County infants in the early 19705. In 1979, it was discovered that the rates of some birth defects, including cleft pal- ates and cleft lips, was twice as high in Midland County newborns as it was for other Michigan infants. A cleft palate is a congenital split in the roof of themouth. John Hesse, acting director of the health department?s Center for Environmental Health Sciences, said today that in review- ing a Nov. 14 letter from the Dr. Vernon Houk of the Center for Disease Control, the department decided a study is not advisable. In his letter, Honk said, ?If there were a more sustained increase in incidences, we think there would be a greater likelihood ot? finding a link for the observed cases.? The increases could have been caused by chance or ?an exposure occurring in the early 19705 that no longer exists, wrote the director of the Atlanta? based Center of Environmental Health. case?control study would be very difficult to do, and it is unlikely such a study would find a cause," Honk said. He recommended continued surveil- lance and an annual review of the Midland County birth-def rates. Today, Gloria . Smith, director of the Michigan health (?partment, is drafting a letter to the EPA. saying the agency is adopting Houk?s recommendation. Birth defects in Midland County are not an active, current public health problem, Hesse said today. ?If something shows up out of the ordi- nary (in the future), we can look at the current situation,? he said. In letters to the Michigan agency, Milton Clark of the Toxic Materials Branch at Chicago had urged the Michi- gan department to proceed with a histori- cal look at the problem. Clark noted that the Sporadic increases in birth defects in the 19705 ?could be due to a large release of dioxin-containing materials or other products to which work- ers or the general public were exposed.? Environmentalists. including Diane He- bert of the Environmental Congress of Mid-Michigan, have blamed dioxin con- tamination by Dow Chemical Co. for the higher-than-average rates of birth defects. Dioxin is an unwanted byproduct of some herbicide production. Considered one of the most toxic substances known to man. it has caused cancer and death in tests on laboratory animals. Federal and state regulators have iden- tified Dow as a source of dioxin contami- nation in Midland and the surrounding area. Dr. Ralph Cook, director of Dow?s epide- miology department, disputes the theory that dioxin contamination is responsible for the elevated birth-defect rates. ?I?m not aware of any study that links birth defects with dioxin, he said. Hebert was dismayed by the depart- ment?s decision today. certainly think enough evidence has been provided," she said. Clark and Charles Poole, formerly of the EPA. have said chance is the least likely reason for the increased birth-defect rates during the 19705, she said, reiterating that Poole and Clark contend there is a strong indication contamination is a key factor. il ?I?oxin peril (In) ws focus to Midland in Dudley K. Pierson M0 and Ann (?ohcn News [musing ul cxlt'tl tests Iur dioxin contamination at How (llieniicnl (To. will he released the. month and major health studies in! Midland residents are lit-int: pree port-ll as the area becomes the lows of ?alumni concern over luxii' pollot ion. the sprawling llow ('lli'mli'nl l'o. in Midland Wilt-i Inst m-u-k Iii-stilts of a longer will I.monulion survey are about in be ill. used And. turn high run-s ol i-i-rloin rumors and dill-rt. in Midland ('ounty ori- i-xper' ml to start soon. though it may Iii- il is mt proli- I. o. . .Illtl luxtt? pullul ion Mulloml In the ml. tl llt'bt? Willi Illixi'tl uptll I'vttx uliilt- pulilii- ull'ii?inls and lan Wl?l'Hllt'tl Iln- trn-kv .Iiun ol him to churn up tainted tln- .. il"'ll not. .m -. I . .lnl 4. my ('onlinued on Pug.- IHA Continued from Page 1A beyond Midland. Scientists said this mid-Michigan city will prove to be a textbook example of a complex indus? trial environment with numerous sources of potential contamination. ?We have a unique opportunity in Midland County to study ifany possi- ble relationship exists with chemical manufacture. ?sh consumption." oth- er toxic exposure and birth defects, said J. Milton Clark. a US. Environ? mental Protection Agency (EPA) of- ?cial, in a recent letter toJohn Hesse. environmental health science chief for the Michigan Department of Pub- lic Health. Whatever connections may be made can eventually he applied to ?industrial areas across the nation." said Marilyn Fingerhut. an epidemi- ologist at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Until now. studies of dioxin elicits were limited to work Will] lalmratory animals Health alt Midland could wt new for DOW AND state of?cials empha- sized the need for those standards in reacting to a new EPA document that showed dioxin levels up to 50 times the amount considered dangerous by the federal government were found in soil samples taken by Dow on its property. The document is an EPA draft of a proposed agreement with Dow on how to clean up the contami- nation. Another agreement was reached earlier governing waste-water dis- charge by Dow into the Tittabawasee River. According to the EPA. Dow has put dioxin and 40 other chemicals into the river alongside its 1.500-acre complex. The EPA found that ?ve of33 carp samples from the river contained or exceeded 50 parts per trillion of diox- in. The highest contained 530 parts per trillion. The Food and Drug Ad- ministration recommends ?sh. with 25 to 50 parts per trillion should. not he eaten more than twice per month. Fish with higher levels should not be consumed, the agency warned. The US. Centers for Disease Con- trol has established 1 part per billion of dioxin in soil as the danger level. Dow of?cials point out the standard applies to residential areas rather than industrial sites. A health standpoint. there's no problem.? said Dow envi- ronmental of?cial Vern May of the two sites where contaminated soil has been discovered. He said no workers have complained and that one area has been covered with asphalt and the other cordoned off. May said workers in one area. where herbicides were made, were required to follow stringent hygiene practices. including changing clothes before and after they entered the work area. Dow and the EPA now must de- cide how to remove the dioxin soils. "We don't know. what to do with it. There are no established procedures for decontaminating and tearing down such a facility (where the dioxin was foundl.? said, May. The EPA's draft agreement warn- ed that wind and movement of soil during clean-up, ?risks exposure pri- marily to the residential population near the Dow plant site.? .ld-r?L l_l_l_l Ill hiunlm. Tall?V. l. l?Jtt-l_ Major health studies planned MORE WILL be told this month about dioxin contamination at Dow. May said. Since July. 1983. Dow has studied more than 240 samples from soil, water. air and its own sewer pipes to determine the source of dioxin in the river. Environmental activists have long called for extensive studies on human cancers, birth defects and other ail- ments. possibly associated with diox- in exposure at Midland, where reports of contamination date back to 1947. llioxin in the soil at Times Beach. Mo. led to the town's permanent evacuation in 1982. The chemical has caused concern at other sites around the nation. Dio'xin. contained in the defoliant Agent Orange. has been blamed by veterans groups for health problems of soldiers who served in Vietnam. . The state?s highest rate of cleft palates in children were reported in Midland County durin the periods 1970-75 and 1976-79. ?didland also has 2% times higher than the national average rate of soft tissue cancer. Hesse said. But a study completed last year by the Health Department said it will take more research before scientists can prove a link between toxic pollu- tion and cancer rates in Midland. ONE NEW study will begin with- in several weeks. Hesse said. Funded by a $250,000 grant from Dow, scien- tistswill evaluate soft tissue cancers in Midland. Also the Health Department has asked for a federal inquiry into birth defects in Midland County. ?There is sufficient cause to suspect that the rise in total birth defects observed during 1970 to 1975 could have been caused by exposure to environmental uixins.? said J. Milton Clark, an EPA health defects specialist. . I I 0 Midland toxic data being readiec Diane Hebert, Midland house- wife and environmental activist, be- lieves dioxin has caused adverse health effects. ?You've got it in the air. it's moving in the soil and'they're putting it in the river,? she said. The new findings. she said, ?Will add weight to our request for broad? llilht?tl epidemiological studies throughout this area, including Bay and Saginaw counties." IN A of a dozen 'small houses just of Dow?s plant, some residents Worry that dioxin found near the plant'h east could be windblown over Saginaw Road and into their neighborhood. think about it every day. but the rent is so cheap," said Janice McPherson, ?25. ?Before we ever plan on having a family, welre going to move." Some of her neighbors along Cor- ning Lane, a dirt road surrounded by Dow facilities, bars and small tool shops, dismissed the findings. "It's a Iact of living over here. We don't glow in the dark yet. anyway," said Bob Schisttone. a 39-year-old unemployed truck driver. ?Nothing is wrong," said Lydia Kln?li. "I've lived here for 50 )?t'nra l'ln Hlill okay." l'otential health problems for workers at Dow were more on the minds of state of?cials evaluating the findings last week. But. Dow workers interviewed seemed unconcerned. Tom Bauer, :1 production worker at Dow. said he wasn't worried: spent two years in Vietnam, and my attitude is that when my time?s up, my time's Up.? a; no: :14 O'b- ?Mud: and.? if . ?zit News staff writer: Michael A. Lewis and Susan Benkolmu eon- trlbutod to this report. PHOTOIDALIQYM DIANE HEBERT: 'You've gotit in the air. It?s movlng in the soil and EPA to -. resample water MORRISON Daily News staff writer Laboratory contamination will force the US. Environmental Pro- tection Agency to take new samples of water from the Midland area for dioxin analysis. And while an EPA of?cial said the resampling should not result in different findings than earlier samples would have. a local envir- onmentalist fears recent industrial practices may give the federal agen- cy an inaccurate picture of water contamination in Midland. Gar)r Amendola, EPA project manager for the Michigan dioxin study. said the original samples taken by the agency in August must be redone because contaminants were found on equipment used by Midwest Research Institute. a St. Louis organization hired to do the analysis. The samples. including water from private residential wells and brine operations of the Dow Chemi- cal Co., were taken as part of the dioxin investigation in the Midland area. A second set of samples was taken in November and was not affected by the con- tamination, Amendola said. ?It is fortunate the problem was found by the lab so samples could be retaken and we can have accurate results." Amendola said. The problem with the samples started when the Midwest Research Institute rana"blank"watersample through analysis, Amendola said. The ?rst sample. to be used as a com- parison for water taken from the Midland area. was found to have some unsuspected contaminants in mce NOAA. US Dept of Commerce this afternoon. Winds becoming south 10 to 20 knots tonight. Scat- tered light snow showers ending today. Waves 2 to 4 feet. - THE NATION WEATHER By The Associated Press Most of the nation had a cold but dry night and was warming up today under fair skies. but snow-prompted travelers' warnings were posted for parts of California and Nevada. Follow your My Mom? Gourmet Chocoloh We mail order Holiday Ala/Manila: I29 Ashman. Ashmon Squ Downtown Midland 835 Store Hours: M. T. W. 8- Th. 8-7. Sat. 9-5 miss MEMORANDUM Stewart H. Freeman, Assistant Attorney General in TO: Charge. Environmental Protection Division, Department of Attorney Gene al ?rhpveuber l. 1984 DEPARTMENT Lee E. Jager, P.E., Chief'f OFPUBUC Bureau of Environmental an cupational Health HEALTH SUBJECT: "Working Draft" Dow - Dioxin Order In response to your memorandum of October 23. 1984. our "assorted hats? have reviewed the working draft Consent Order concerning a proposal response to finding dioxin in soils in Midland. and we have the following comments for your consideration: . . l. Division of Occupational Health staff have reviewed the proposal and find no problems with the proposed order from an occupational health perspective. The order appears to adequately address the "track-out issue".l 2. Center for Environmental Health Sciences staff(have the following minor suggestions: - a. On Page 7, lines l2 and l3. we suggest wording to read, . . and that the east parameter area be isolated from public contact and tem raril covered" (emphasis denotes new-Tanguagei. #his added wording would then be consistent with similar 'language on the bottom of Page 9 and the top of Page l0 of the document. - b. Some workers of the construction team whose operations trailer is stationed at the edge of the contamination areas may express_concerns about_theirwpast exposures prior to clean-up actions taking place. _If we are 'contacted about this. we expect we will be able to request an evaluation by CDC and/or NIDSH. If y0u have any questions regarding these comments. feel free to contact me. we appreciate the opportunity to review this Draft Order. i? A I . @5633? muss ?xerr'i-i ma Staff Writer ion moat htglil'y' to?? ?tannin? knowntomaa. cdeth?t?'y -I- - gala-mime Wu, ?aim '73? u) I mum-mayvalid anytwo aatd torturing-rot cm ,calaproduc [u - .- services. . May admitted that Dow?s ma ?Obviously tact-a anaer- um as 1-14th than dime '13? chemical mum . f' . . ,But in 1973. tattle; were gotn tot-write - at Fire" authd" . ?Some that done 11 our pesticide tion 1a: much otthe wuftfund "ma - . Cantu-ea my as- An Itstate'slarg? . putt- eat environmental also said steak or Inokel a claarette. It Dinah is constant! on. at In. ctde manufacturing facilities? are Dow's 1978 study no longer_ l, 1984, Midland, Michigan Area groundwater. study grad-Up formed By JULIE MORRISON Daily News staff writer The shutdown of Dow Chemical Co.?s brine system and the e??ect it could have on groundwater supplies in Midland County will be the focus of a committee meeting for the ?rst time Wednesday. The group. comprised of various agencies within the state Depart- ment of Natural Resources. a rep- resentative 'of the governor?s of?ce and environmental organizations, was formed at the request of envir- onmentalists after Dow announced in October it would phase out the brine operation. Wayne Schmidt, of the Michigan United Conservation Club, said he is concerned contaminants could be sealed inside brine wells when the system is shut down. He also wantsto compare data the DN said it has about chemicals found in the brine wells with that the local Environ- mental Congress of Mid-Michigan has. A'ln "We need to clear the air about what is there and what isn?t." Schmidt said. "I'm not going to vouch for the credibility of allegations made there locally by ECOMM. but the questions are there and need to be addressed. I think we should meet and get it all out on the table.? Diane Hebert. director of EC- OMM, said she requested the meet- ing after a DN of?cial gave the sys- tem a clean bill of health regarding toxic contamination. - ?No one disputed there?s been a problem,? she said. ?I've documented it, I've carbon copied everyone. They could see there could be some action down the road." Mrs. Hebert said she believes not enough testing was done and that the DN should not have excused the presence of some chemicals such as benzene, a known carcinogen. The meeting, which Mrs. Hebert hopes will be the ?rst of several. in- cludes representatives of ?ve DNR 25c Per Copy departdzents. David Dempsey, en- vironmental advisor to Gov. James Blanchard and the local Townships Against Pollution group. Dow has not been invited to attend the meet- ms- . ?There?s no reason for them to be there," Mrs. Hebert said. ?They've had all these meetings we weren't invited to.? Dan Schultz, of the DNR's Sag- inaw of?ce, said the goals of the group will be ?nalized Wednesday. but added the main focus of it will be on Midland County, expanding to Saginaw and Bay counties because of Dow?s brine system. . - Dempsey. who approved form ation of the group, could not be reached for comment today. Dow spokeswoman Mary Beth Curtiss said the chemical company is not aware of the new group. but said it seems similar to other agencies - already in existence. "We will continue to cooperate with these agencies.? she said. - EWmmr to speed up staff writer . 1ical Co. plans to tdown of its brine idland area fol- spills. tlready has shut lane to shut down .iddle of December gni?cant speed up In in 1985," said esman Phillip :h announced it :s brine operation ginaw and Bay aying it no longer ep it running. The recent spills, which about 80,000 gallons were spilled near the expressway on Midland?s south side and another 30,000 on private prbperty, has prompted the chemical company to speed up the phase outto minimize damage to the environment, Schneider said. The accelerated phase-out will re- sult in 28 percent of the total lines leading from wells to main trans- mission lines and 10 percent of the main lines being out of operat1on by mid- December. Dow?s brine system, containing about 63 production wells, 36 re- injection wells, purge wells and about 150 miles of pipeline was cited My ?ll-I'm im-FW" brine Shutd0wn Me 2 1 I act with a notice of violation by the De- partment of Natural Resources in April. The DNR told Dow it would have to improve the system or face a possible ?ne or state-ordered shut- down of it Allen Crabtree, assistant deputy of the geological survey div- ision, said he is "pleased we are having some rapid action? about the brine system. Before Dow can plug wells, though, it must receive a per- mit from the DNR. Dow is required to plug wells ?from topto bottom with cement,? Crabtree said. and has to have permission to do each well individually because des- igns may vary somewhat on each I unit. The larger of the two recent brine spills occurred as a result of the shut- down procedure when a lead line broke open. Crabtree said there is po- tential for that to occur again as the system is phased out. ?Your going to have to worry any- time you have the potential for over-pressurizing the lines,? he said. ?But there should be no problem if it's done right.? Ifthe level changes it will be a sig- nal to the company a problem may exist, Schneider said. Some of the fa- cilities now have automatic shutoff controls which will stop production if a leak occurs. I Em ?10 LEPA I. . "firms of unsafe? a. in H436.- accuses 3159' PM In mg Midland toxic data being readiet Diane Hebert. 21 Midland house- wife and environmental activist. be- lievea dioxin has caused adverse health effecta. "You?ve got it in the air. it's moving in the soil and'they're putting it in the river.? she said. . The new findings. she and. ?Will add weight to our request for broad- lull-it?d epidemiological studies thin area. including Bay and Saginaw counties." IN A of a dozen 'amall housea jual cod of Dow's plant, nome residents Worry that dioxin found near the plunt'a cast boundary could be windblown over Saginaw Road and into their neighborhood. think about it every day. but the .3 rent in so cheap,? said Janice i McPherson. 25. ?Before we ever plan on having a family. weire going to move." Some of her neighbom along Cor- ning Lane. a dirt. road surrounded by Dow facilities. bars and small tool shops, diamiaaed the ?ndings. ?It'a a fact of living over here. We don't glow in the dark yet. anyway." said Bob Schiattone. a 39-year-old unemployed truck drlver. ?Nothing is wrong," aaid Lydia Klir'h. ?I've lived here for 50 yearn and I'm okay." l'oleotial health problems for workera at [low were more on the minds of state of?cials evaluating the findings last week. But. Dow workers interviewed seemed unconcerned. Tom Bauer, :1 production worker at Dow, said he wasn't worried: . spent two years in Vietnam, and my attitude is that when my time's up. my time-?3 up-.--: s. we? alas-.1? ?er?w? New: all" writers Mlchul A. Lewis and Susan Bonkolm con- tributed to this report. HIM PHOTO I DALI O. YOUNG DIANE HEBERT: ?You've got it In the air, It's moving in the soil and LL- . No. ?rm. .54 November 6.16? Dioxin Levels in Midland Below Federal Levele Concern Dioxin levels found in Midland, both within the community and inside the Midland plant site of The Dow Chemical Company, are below federal levels of concern. These findings are based on 15 months of externally- audited scientific testing by Dow, the results of which were released by the company November 5. in the city of Midland, analyses found surface soil dioxin levels to be below one part per billion (ppb). One part per billion is the guideline set by the United States Department of Public Health Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for levels of 2.3.7.8-TCDD (dioxin) in residential areas. This level was set conservatively by the CDC, to insure protec- tion of infants who might play in and eat soil. The study also identified two small, isolated industrial sites containing levels of dioxin higher than background levels for the plant. Dow and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are presently working out a consent agreement to determine the course of future action at these sites. The sites came to - EPA's attention after Dow notified the agency earlier this year of the results of the company's testing. Levels at the two sites peak at 34 and 52 ppb. At one site, temporary action initiated by Dow to contain the soil has already taken place. The intensive 15-month study that generated these findings was the result of a pledge by the company to "look under every stone" in order to identify sources of dioxin emissions from its Midland facilities. This point source investigation is? one of several initiatives announced by Dow'tn lune 1983 to address concerns sboutdioxtn. To insure objectivity in the Investigation, an external scientific-auditor, Dr. Henry Freiser, was an? active participant throughout the course of the study. Dr. Freiser. a chemistry professor from the University of Arizona and an expert in trace chemical analysis. had full access to all data andDow facilities. He also chaired a fourmber scientific peer review of the final report. As a result of the investigation, Dow resear- chefs have identified limited sources of dioxin inside the plant site. They also have laid the foundation for technology to reduce the trace levels that still exist within the plant. In terms of major soil findings. dioxin levels in residential Midland ranged from 0.0006 to 0.073 ppb. well below the CDC guidelines. These levels decrease as distance from the plant site increases. Within the plant site, general Wand levels of dioxin fall below None of the present sources of dioxin located by the investigation in the Midland plant site were large enough to account for these soil levels of dioxin. This includes the plant's waste incinerator. which was identified by the investigation as the largest current dioxin (over) DOW COMMUNICATIONS 0 THE DOW CHEMICAL 0 MIDLAND. MICHIGAN MEL.) sci L. No DEEP c.0116 .. IP- ?Track out? of Dow dioxin worries EPA BY KEITH NAUGHTON NOV 3 Dioxin considermne of?h News Staff Writer MIDLAND Federal regulators will meet soon with officials from Dow Chemical Co. to figure out a way to clean up two areas at Dow?s Midland plant that are laced with highly toxic dioxin. A top Dow official today con- firmed that dioxin has been found at the plant at levels more than 50 times higher than what is deemed acceptable for residential areas by the federal Centers for Disease Control. The high levels of dioxin have existed at the plant for at least five years. said Vern May, Dow?s ma- jor manager for agricultural chemical production and environ- mental services. May said Dow plans to asphalt over the top of the two contaminat? ed plant areas in order to contain the dioxin. The US. Environmen- tal Protection Agency will have the final word on how Dow will clean up the sites. ?We would certainly have to sit down with the company and deter- mine what has to be done. . . You can expect that to happen immi- nently.? said David Stringham, of the dioxin task force. I 193% most toxic substances known to man, is an unwanted byproduct of some herbicide production. In tests on laboratory animals it has caused cancer and even death. effect on humans is not fully known. Dow is quick to point out that although the dioxin levels found would be considered high in resi- dential areas, the criteria for in- dustrial facilities is much more lenient. "There is no reason for concern among any (Dow) employees," May said. But Stringharn said the levels found at the Dow plant would be ?a serious problem? if found in resi- dential areas. And the EPA is concerned the dioxin may have been tracked out of the plant on workers? boots into residential areas. ?One must be concerned with track out. Stringham said. The dioxin contamination was found at the site of a closed herbi- cide production facility and at an area where railroad cars were loaded and unloaded. May said. Both sites are centrally located within the huge Dow chemical complex in Midland. is tainted EPA says levels of dioxins pose threat to workers By Dudley K. Pierson and Ann Cohen . News Lansing Bureau Copyright. 1984. The Detroit News LANSING Several soil samples taken at Dow Chemical Co.'s Midland plant show dioxin levels up to 50 times the amount considered danger- ous by the federal government. Government and company offi- cials said yesterday there is no immi- nent threat to public health in Mid- land and stressed that the samples were taken in a limited-access indus~ trial area. I ?I?i However. in a document obtained by The Detroit News, the US. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) warned that Dow workers and area residents may already have been ex~ posed to the dioxin?contaminated soil. In addition, the EPA said con- taminated soil could possibly seep into the city's ground water supply. DIOXIN, A byproduct of some types of manufacturing processes, is one of the most toxic chemicals known. The government used a cutofl level of 1 part per billion of dioxin tc determine that residents of Times Beach, Mo., faced a serious health hazard in 1982. The government evacuated the town after ?nding sci samples with as much as 330 parts pei billion in the soil. Later tests showed as much as 1.200 parts per billion ir Times Beach. ?The Centers for Disease Centre (in Atlanta) has advised the EPA that a concentration of 1 part per billion 2.3.7.8-TCDD (dioxin) in residentia area soil may present an imminenl and substantial endangerment to tilt health of those living in the area particularly children.? according tr the document. Levels as high as 52 parts pe: billion were found on Dow property but of?cials say possible dangers fron dioxin must be evaluated according tr the speci?c type of exposure involved Continued on Paze 8A Thursday, November 15, 1984 Speaker: ['11in News staff writer PLEASANT The Dow Chemical (id's contention that two dioxin "hot spots" found on its Mid- land plant site are no threat to the public is "baloney." an who lived in the art-a til?Nt-w York said Lois Marit- who became president oi?tht- Low (?anal Associaton near Niagara Falls includlnedioxm. found to lit-leak- mg into water supplies. said Dow is ininimwincr the danger of the chemical because of its ?vested interest.? in selling products. "Dow?s claim of no threat. to the neighborhood is baloney." rs, (iihhs said at ('entral Michigan l'n'i'w-r- sity, "ll?IJow is correct. then why does Midland have a two and a hali?tnnes higher than national of' soft tissue cancer? ?That inlorn'ial'ion 'i that there 1r-- no health threat . put outlay people whohare said ?That is the sale ottheir product. . t1.? nmr?iaiwmt-HI Midland Daily News, Midland, Michigan are rtlert-rs. it's have a vested shu continued. not l. want to make money And as we know. money istht- root ot'all mil 'l'wo spots otdioxin contamination. measuring 334 and :31! parts per billion. were found on the Dow plant site as part ot'a dioxm point source investigation the chemi- cal con'ipany. The levels the level at concern otl established by the federal for ltiseasetkintrol That standard includcsa provision as- suming: a person would cat 1? gram? soils every day for years The dioxin found was the 13.16511701) isomer. the most hazardous known. The chemical is an unwanted byproduct ol'other chemical processes. Dow claims the dioxin levels are not a health threat not. workers. The also said one site has llt't'lt crit-w-rc-ktl with asphalt. which Mrs. (l-ilihs said does not reduce he health 1 hreat. "l?w heard [item-urine it up. but tinny-"re making.I it a hit obvious." she said. addinpr the contaminant can he carried through soilblown in the Wind and is lJt-ingsent rlm. Ti: Rit?r?t?. Do ?5 dioxin assurances are tfiihbs. who now lixcs in Virginia. founded the (?it .rens tllca-ii'inghousc for Hazardous Wastes in Ar? lini'ton and said she decided to ht-lp other communities tat." ng chemical contaminatitm after her experience in New York. Her son and daughter both experienced health problems. she said. and her daughter has been diacnOSt-d as having leukemia. Fifty-six peccnt ot' the babies horn in what became known as the Love t'anal area had birth defects and the area had the highest rate and cancer in tht- state. said. {\irs. (iihhs' ctilnn'ients ahout Dow and Midland set otl' an angry exchange between her and a Dow employee nding the lecture. Cathy Schaner contended the niical company leads the nation in developing tech- nolt'ag' to reduce dioxin contamination. "l'm inst trying to state the facts." Ms. Schaner said. ish she tMi-s. Hibhs! had done that. through her whole speech." It] rs. tiibhssaid Midland and Times Beach. Mo. . a city era: uatcd because of dioxin contamination. ?are run-- nm: neck and neck" as areas with the highest levels of bectiinr? Page 3 ?baloney? the chemical. Ms. Schaner argued Times Beach had di-- oxin levels 2,000 times higher than here "She'suhriously very hitter about what's happened to her and refuses to see both sides," Ms. Schanersaid after the speech. Ms. Schaneralso accused Mrs. Gibhsot"'bcl- ittling" data she presented. Also attending the speech was John Davidson. 21 Dow retiree nicknamed "General Davidson of for his work developing the BAIL-T herbicide. That herbi- cidcwas combined with anotherto make Agent Orange. \'iet nan. War. Diane Hebert and Andrea Wilson. founders of the Environmental Congress of Mid-B'Iichigan. also at~ tended the speech and were praised by Mrs. Gibbs for their efforts in publicizing dioxin. She said more ot'the public will have to act against the chemical con- tamtnation. ?'l?he EPA IEnvironmental Protection Agencvt hud- get has been cut to almost nothing." she said. "and under this administration. unfortunatelv. the EPA is the Dow Chemical Co." i Midland toxic peril in dispute By Dudley K. Pierson NO Susan Benkelman 3 3 and Ann Cohen News Lansing Bureau Temporary measures may not be adequate to contain high concentra- tions of the toxic chemical dioxin found at Dow Chemical Co.?s Mid- land facility. some state of?cials say. But there is probably no immedi- ate danger to workers at the Midland plant, according to both company and state of?cials. A Dow executive said one contaminated area has been put off limits to workers and another covered with asphalt to keep the dioxin contained. These assessments yesterday fol- lowed revelation that dioxin levels up - to 50 times the amount considered dangerous by the federal government were found in soil on two sites at the Dow complex. THOSE DISCLOSURES were contained in a draft of a proposed consent agreement, written by the US. Environmental Protection Agency. under which Dow would clean up the contaminated sites. Dow of?cials. who have not seen the pro- posal. said the company informed the EPA about the dioxin levels and will negotiate with federal regulators about long-term remedial actions. "Sooner or later we?ll have to come to grips with how to deal with that.? said Dow environmental of?cial Vern May. ?We don't know what to do with it. There are no established procedures for deoontaminating and tearing down such a facility (where the dioxin was found).? David Dempsey. environmental adviser to Gov. James Blanchard. said. ?i don't think we have any problems with the prepoeed consent order. We believe there is minimal - but some danger to the workers." Other of?cials said Dow should dig up the contaminated soil and neutral- ize the dioxin, either through inciner? ation or burial in a proper land?ll. However state and company of?cials said they need more speci?c informa- tion about_the sites where the high I I DOW IDENTIFIED two sites where the level of dioxin exceeded 1 part per billion. the level considered potentially dangerous. One is a former production area for 2.4.5.-Trichloro- phenol (TCP), an ingredient formerly used in herbicides. including the defo- lisnt Agent Orange that was used extensively in the Vietnam War. That building site in the center of the 1,500-acre Dow complex and was roped off and restricted to workers when test results showed several months ago that soil in the area . contained about 36 parts per billion. May said. i .43 Wlnitred Oyen Lee Jagor I . Continued on Page 15A Ins-Arna? - Saturday, l_\lov 21.1mm Continued from Page 1A Workers who had been dumping construction debris in that area now have been restricted from the site and the area has been roped off. The other area. where 5'2 parts per billion were found. already has been covered with asphalt. he said. That site is a 20-by-4tl-foot area near rail- road and May speculated that the dioxin there could have been the result of a spill some years ago. LEE JAGER, chief of environ- mental occupational health with the statc Department of Public Health. said he is concerned that the asphalt cover Dow placed over one contaminated site ?might not he sat- isfactory." However. be emphasized that his current "understanding is that the highest levels are highly inaccessible to workers. The greater danger would be a long range problem i rather suspect the problems are not immi- nent, for Workers." Winifred ()yen. director of the Midland (?ounty Department of l'ub- lic Health. said she believed is ?no reason to be concerned. in an industrial area. people arc wearing protective clothing. and are not likely to be close to the dirt like kids would be." Ms. Uycn said. May. who is manager of agricul- ture chemicals production in the com- pany?s environmental services divi- sion. complained that the health standard for dioxin is based on a ?model" in which a child plays in dioxin-contaminated dirt 24-hours a day for 70 years and eats it. Then, there's a one in a million chance for a health effect. HE SAID that construction workers employes of both Dow and its contractors had been dumping construction debris in the area nowl covered since 1979 when the company halted production of ?Ob- . viously some folks have walked on it and they've driven trucks down it." said May. But he stressed that there is no health danger for those workers. SB LANSING STATE JOURNAL Thursday, Sept. 27. 1934 v? Michigan News Environment board urges halt' In brine use I 3, ?mm Ions: White Writer The Michigan Environmental ReviewBoam guys the state can avoid It potential robiem by now to make lure brine used to control or ice on roads ?decent contain "In. ?'01 a letter ask&fm ii i v. James the?use of brine until a study can be done Board Chairman Wil- liam Cooper said e. "What. we have here is a situation where a lot of 39mm in going on and nobody bothered to look into itin detail C00per said although he added._? e're not notsa ?ying they' re out there poisoning everyone in no em Michigan." THIRTY-EIGHT COUNTIES mostly In the northern part of the state - spread the brackish, salty solution on their roads to control dust In the summer and get rid of ice in the winter. Brine often is used as. an alternative or addition to rock pitfgm said Cooper, I Michigan State. University on! But recent studies indicate some brine wells cumin entrations .oi benzene. eth ozone. toluene xylone potential] rdoua ?chemicais which could work I way into undwater or the atmOSphere. Traces of met- sis also have been lound. he said. Only about 2 percent of the brine found in Michigan is actually set aside for road use Coo- per noted. CONCERN IS that the state not get into a situation where one day the headlines read 'Michigan is spraying benzene on roads, Coo rsaid. Environmental Review Boon! is main? mending a study that Md net' I hie levels for chemicals in brine and then it 'which wells loll within those 5:1 ?meeting the stewards could on he't??ndri on roads Under the board' 8 proposal, the study would be done by y?nrts from the state departments of Public ii Natural Resources and ?Agn culture. it would be coordinated by the state Toxic Substance av THE PROPOSAL ?is comistent with the whole oi our to protect ground water," said Dave ompsey.- Blanchard' adviser ior environmental motions But the governor won' receives the letter. Dem ition until he peclal panel within also sched- uled to discuss the problem is week. Coo- A 5 per said. uuw 5m dioxin no threatf?w ?3 Iss4 MORRISON Daily News staff writer Dioxin concentrations at the Dow Chemical Co. plant can be attributed to past incineration practices, com- pany officials said today. The sources of 2,3.7,8 TCDD di- oxin contamination. one of the most hazardous compounds known. at the plant and within the community were studied by Dow last summer. The dioxin levels found in soils were deposited before technological methods and emission controls now in use at the site. the company said. The results of the source study were released after Friday?s public disclosure that Dow found two areas of dioxin contamination at the plant tube as much as 50 times higherthan federal safety standards. Vern May, major manager of Agricultural Chemicals Production and Environmental Services, said today the study indicated levels of the chemical compound in 99 percent of the plant and throughout Midland ?are well below? safety standards set by the federal Centers for Disease Control. ?The good news is no one in Mid- land or at Dowineed be concerned about his health,? May said. The study indicated levels of di- oxin in residential .areas of the com- munity range from 20006 to .073 par- tsper billion.below the 1 concern level set by the CDC. The CDC stan- dard assumes a child would play in and consume 10 grams of the dioxin. contaminated soil everyday for 70 years. Dioxin levels within the plant ranged from .0006 to .073 inside the plant. and dr0pped as the dis- tance from the plant increased. said Mike Rio, chairman of the company?s dioxin task force initiative. The study also located two sites within the plant where dioxin levels measured 34 and 50 ppb, Rio said. The sites are believed to be related to a chemical spill and former tri- chlorophenol production, which was ended bv the company in 1973. Rio said one of the sites already has been contained with an asphalt cover. The federal Environmental Protection Agency Friday presented Dow with a proposed plan for con- taining the two sites, which will be subject to public review after the two agencies negotiate terms of the plan. EPA spokeswoman Judy Beck would not comment about the plan or Dow?s results because it is not alized. But she said the EPA expects to have results of its test in Midland within a month. Rio said Dow has developed ethods to further reduce the am- of dioxin released to soils and the Tittabawassee River as a result of the source study. An addition to its ,wastewater treatment facility should be operational within a year at a cost of$5 million. Dow a By JULIE MORRKSON recent spills, in which about 80,000 with a notice of violation by the De? unit. DailyNewssta?w?ter gallons were spilled near the partment of Natural Resources in The larger ofthe two recent-blue The Dow Chemical Co. plans to expressway on Midland's April. The DNR told Dow it would accelerate the shutdown of its brine South side and another 30.000 on have to improve the system or face a down procedure when a leadline: system in the Midland area fol- private property, has prompted the possible ?ne or state-ordered shut- lowing two recent spills. chemical company to speed up the down of it. tential for that to occur again as the The company already has shut phase outtominimize damagetothe Allen Crabtree, assistant depnty systemisphasedout. ?ve wells plans to shut down environment, Schneider said. of the geological survey div- . ?Yourgoing to have to worry any?. n'inemorebythe? middleof December The accelerated phase-out will re- ision, ?id be i? ?pleased we ar tune you fkf?fe the potential (or. and could see a ?signi?cant speed up sult in 28 percent of the?tothl lines some rapid action about the Ever-debzhnes, said of wells shut down in 1985," said leading from wells to main trans- bnne system. _Before Dowocan plug thug/33 no pro em 11' company spokesman Phillip mission lines and 10 percent ofthe 1 enough. Schneider. main lines being out of operation by from the DNR- If the level changes it will be a sig- Dow last month announced it mid-December. Dow isrequjredtoplugwells?fr0m nal to the company a problem may would phase-out its brine operation in Midland, Saginaw and Bay counties by 1986, saying it no longer is economical to keepltrunning. The Dow?s brine system, containing about 63 production wells, 36 re- injection wells, purge wells and about 150 miles of pipeline, was cited . topto bottom with cement,?Crabtree said.and has tohave permissiontodo each well individually because des- igns may vary somewhat on each ., speed up brine shutdown; exist. Schneider said. Some of the fa- cilities now have automatic shuto?' controls which will stop production if a leak occurs. Cleanup Planned . For 2 Dioxin Sites?? At Dow Chemical By DAVID EVERETT Free Press Slaff erier State and federal officials are devis- ing a cleanup plan for two dioxin hot spots that have been found inside Dow Chemical Co.'s Midland manufacturing complex. officials said Friday. The hot spots of 2.3.7.8-TCDD. the most toxic type of dioxin. were found by Dow tests of soil samples and reported several months ago to the Environmental Protection Agency. Dow and EPA officials said. The contaminated areas were con- firmed by EFA soils tests that are part of a major dioxin Investigation in the Midland area. Despite identification of the Dow hot spots, results of the EPA study would be released only after ?all of the data comes in." EPA spokeswoman Vanessa Musgrave said. That is at least a month away. she said. ENVIRONMENTAL and public health officials caution that the hot spots do not seem to present any health dangers for most Midland residents. The major concern. officials say. is for workers at the Dow plant. who may have been exposed to the contaminated areas and who could track contaminat- ed debris home on their shoesor in their clothes. "if the soil is disturbed or if the contamination is on the surface and - there are workers in the area. then we would have concern." Dr. James Me- lius. a program chief at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati. said Friday. The EPA's Musgrave said the agen- cy has not analyzed Dow? soils test yet and can make no statement on possible health risks. ?it dependson who's exposed and i the frequency of exposure." she said. The contaminated areas. both out- doors. include a 20-by-40-foot area near a railroad siding and another area about the size of a house lot near a former Dow herbicide plant. according to Vern May. at Dow major manager in Midland. Both areas have little worker Nov autism-'1. have been contaminated a spill of chemicals that contained dioxin. he' said The larger area probably was c0ntaminated because the herbicide: plant made 2.45-T. a product contained dioxin. The plant was shut . down five years ago. The highest contamination level - found 52 parts per billion - was . near the railroad site. May said. The herbicide plant area had a maximum reading of 34 parts per billion. There are no accepted safety limits? for dioxin contaminatioh in industrial - areas. A one part-pe r-bitllon limit for? residential areas takea into account the need to protect children who could live . and play there. EPA officials have said that prelimi- nary results of their tests have found no dioxin levels in the parts per billion range in Midland residential areas. if Dow officially will disclose the re- . suits of its soils tests in Midland on Monday. a spokeswoman said. - .THE TWO hot spots at the Dowf complex were found after Dow exam- lned soils in about 200 areas. May said. The tests also found an area near a Dow waste incinerator with 2. 3. 7. 8- TCDD contamination of about two parts per billion. he said. - Citing ti many samples with low dioxin levels. May said. ?i think that'sa genuine good news story." The EPA and state officials are considering a proposed consent order requiring Dow to clean up or contain the hot spots. The consent order would require Dow to decontaminate or remove dioxin-laced soils. Before the cleanup. the sites would be covered to prevent off-site contamination by wind. rain or vehicles' tires. May said both hot spots have been cordoned off and the rail. road site has been covered temporarily with asphalt. Dow released a study in 1978 that found dioxin levels of about 100 parts per billion at one site. Another study released last year found a maximum DOW CHEMICAL U.S.A. November 17. l984 MIDLAND, 48540 Dear Neighbor: Last month we wrote to you and other property owners along our brine system about the planned. orderly phase out of our entire brine operations by the end of 1986. Our intent was to open a line of communication with you which you would allow us to use periodically. 1n the past week we had two brine spills which we reported to the Department ofNatural Resources. One occurred on November 9 and the other on November 13. In each case Dow responded by shutting down the two wells and launching clean up efforts at the sites. Much ofthe site restoration work is completed and our efforts will continue until the situations are recti?ed. We will not start up the two wells involved in these incidents until we are con?dent we have solved the problem. We have spent more than $4 million in brine system improvements since we announced our brine initiatives to you in April, and we are exploring other options to take which will help to minimize the potential of brine mishaps on your property. Currently, we are evaluating all 50 miles of pipeline in our brine system. seeking to analyze data which could help us determine areas of potential concern. We also plan to signi?cantly increase our surveillance of our pipeline system, both at the wellhead and along the lead lines to our main pumping lines. Additionally, we are considering ways we can accelerate the orderly phase out of our brine pumping system before the scheduled completion of that program in 1986. Please be assured. we take our responsibilities seriously. But, we also need your help. Dow's brine system is spread over a 250-square mile area. lf you see anything at all that looks abnormal along a brine line on your property. please notify us immediately by calling the toll free number 1-800-828-4764. We thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation in this matter. {liar a gage VBzoz Man er. Brines Department AN OPERATING UNIT OF THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY Dioxin hot spots at Dow contained, officials tell Tpress NW ?518 Li MIDLAND - On the heels of recent reports that show levels of toxic dioxin at Dow Chemical Co.'s Midland plant as being as much as 50 times higher than federal health and safety guide- lines. company officials struck back today. In a hastily-called press con- ference this morning. Dow offi- cials downplayed those findings. saying the Midland community and "99 percent" of the Midland plant are within federal guide- lines. The press conference was de- signed to offset the publicity of the high dioxin comtamination levels. Dioxin. considered one of the most highly toxic substances known to man. is an unwanted byproduct of some herbicide production. in tests on iabratory animals. dioxin has caused cancer and death. Its affects on humans are not compleiiy known. One of the two dioxin hotspots discovered at the plant already has been contained with a layer of asphalt. said Vern T. May. Dow's manager of agricultural chemical producation and envi- ronmental services Both areas have been cor- doned off since the discovery of high dioxin levels last summer. May said. Because of Dow?s ?industrial hygene" practices. the company does not believe workers were exposed to dangereous levels of dioxin. May said. Highly toxic dioxin has historically Spewed from the in- cinerator smokestacks for dec- ades before contr.ois took effect in the late 19605. he said. and Dow began incinerating its waste in the 19305. but pollution devices installed in the late 1960? have eliminated the BFN C1 1 ME3 US. Environmental Protection Agency to work out further ar- rangements for containing the hotSpots. Dioxin in the air and in the soil a the plant and in the com- munity were caused by past in? cineration practices. Rio said. The incineration practices that created dioxin have not ex- isted since the late 19605. Rio said. "The answer of the source is not found in the Midland plant of today. but rather in the inciner- ation practices of the past.? Rio said. Midland was targeted in 1983 by the EPA as a community with potential for high dioxin contamination. The federal agency has been conducting testing of city and the Dow plant for more than a year. the results of those tests are expected to be announced this month. Dow officials told the EPA of their discovery of the dioxin hot- spots at the plant last week. said EPA spokesman Vanessa Musgrave. "Based on our understanding of Dow?s data. we began negoti- ations with them on actions to minimize human exposeure to dioxing at the plant site." Mus- grave said. Contamination of the Tit- tabawassee River which is off limits for fish eating because of dioxin contamination - has also been an issue. The contamina- tion came from dioxin sticking to water particles in the wastewater from the inciner- ator. said Michael Rio. chair- man of Dow?s dioxin initiatives team. Dow plans to clean up that source by installing a $5 million filtration system by the end of this year. Rio said. Reduced levels of dioxin due to that filtration system will be- m-ioni hu summer: No The federal government says it - will have nowamingsoradvice for Dow Chemical Co. workers about dioxin in Dow's Midland plant un? - til it analyzes Dow's data on the I contamination. Dow sampling found dioxin in - soilat50 and34partsperbillion at Itwo locations in the plant. Both :have been restricted to prevent .worker exposure to the con- itaminant. The government's suggested 'safety level for dioxin in soil is 1 :ppb, and state health of?cials :have said Dow workers should . avoid the two contaminated areas. I - ?We can't give any advice be- ;cause we have to evaluate the - data." Environmental Protection iAgency spokeswoman Vanessa 'Musgrave said Friday, "We can?t '.to Mleasonable" compared to :what EPA expected. she added. ?We want to reaf?rm with the icommunity that we are still com- :mitted to releasing soils data only vwhea the complete studyhas been Zdorrs'." Ms. Musgrave said. She :aaid ?naldata areexpectedwithin -a month. The study will then be Ireviewed and checked by the :Ce ters for Disease Control at At- -la . Ga. 1 Agill then conduct a public a ?33" 'Mi?land to present and 'n tl: results, Ms. Musgrave -ex :said. 1 Diane Hebert. director of the rEnvironmental Congress of :Mid-Michigan. noting that Dow :has'restricted workers access to 'th??lzl?isoots. said ECOMM asked :Dow last year to not disturb :cori?i-m those numbers, but seem. advice Efor dio?ximconta inated areas in its plants to avoid spreading dioxin. ?We asked Dow to stop con- struction last year and they acted like we were wierd. That was an absolutely proper request.? Mrs. Hebertsaid. She claimed dioxin from Dow's incinerator poses an additional . risk to workers and the com- munity. Meanwhile, EPA and state of?- cials are negotiating with Dow on how to clean up the two dioxin con- taminated areas. Dow discovered the con- taminated areas and reported them to the EPA several months ago. The EPA con?rmed the con- tamination through tests of its own as part of a major dioxin in- vestigation in the Midland area. Dow will of?cially release the results of its soil tests on Monday. a company spokeswoman said. Meanwhile. of?cials said Fri- day that a cleanup plan was being devised. Environmental and public health officials said the con- taminated areas do not seem to present any health dangers for most Midlands residents. The major concern. of?cials say. is for Dow workers who may have tracked contaminated debris home on their shoes or in their clothers. Contamination from 2.3.7.8-TCDD. the most toxic type of dioxin. was found at the Dow complex near a railroad siding and a plant shut down ?ve years ago that had made herbicides con- tainingdioxin. FMidiand birth-defect decisio due today County awaits word on whether scientistst?ill probe high abnormality rate BY EILEEN LEHNERT News StaffWriter MIDLAND The rate. of some birth defects among children born in the early 197ns in Midland ("oun- ty was twice as high as that for other Michigan infants. Today. Michigan Department of Public Health officials will decide if the community will ever find out why. Officials expected to decide whether the benefits of a study to find out outweigh the time and et- fort to complete the complicated process of getting the federal gov- ernment to pay for it. Since the discovery of the higher- than-average rates of cleft palates and cleft lips in 1979. state and federal officials. and environmen- talists have wrangled over what caused those problems. Environmentalists have pointed the finger of blame at Dow Chemi- cal (10.. alleging contamination of the community with dioxin. The state Department of Public Health contends that records don't support that allegation. Dr. Ralph Cook. director of Dow?s epidemiology department. agrees. ?Transient elevations Clusters like that are not unusual,? L?ook said Tuesday. ?I?m not aware of any study that links birth defects with dioxin," he said, Data from the (.?enter For Dis- ease in Atlanta show: that between 19711?1975 tune ?is infants in Midland county were born With cleft palates and t'li?fi lips as health officials would have expected. .31 cleft palate is a ci.:ngcnital split in the root of the mouth. Midland County tilt-I) Ll his-h- er rate infants born dislocated hips than children born in other part; ofthe state. After a look at those statistics. staie health officials in was sug- ge.~.tcd that a case-control study of palates anti cleft lips. "should l'tt? to any cm-zmon factors that conv trghiite to the occurrence of these defects." "he lcnit?li of time thl- oc- may ham- per a study. the: tiepartn?nxnt noted. Liane fiche-r: of the Environ- Please see DEFECTS. Page As2 Birth defects in Midland babies on 3-6 types of olrth detects for M!d!ond County Infants Source. Michigan Department of Public Health I mo 4600 8- .1400 I- 4200 0 .1000 Year of birth Midland Michigan 11 News Graphic - Pamela Pena Kolth hole in the box. looked inside and confirmed the box contained a bad- ly decomposed body. Pathologists The high court ordered a new trial. based on another legal entan? glement in the case. WRITEINS Continued from Page A?t On average, only a few names appear as presidential writeins, far less than this year?s group of 15. she said. The canvassers will send the. compiled write-in votes to Lansing with the rest of the election data. The boards write-in vote tallies show that some Saginaw County voters apparently were not satis? fied with the ballot's selection of candidates in races from the presi- dency to the county Board of Commissioners. By far the most popular write-in candidates were on the Populist Party?s presidential ticket. Populist presidential candidate Bob Richards. a former Olympic Games champion and Wheaties ce- real spokesman. grabbed 10 write- in votes and vice-presidential hopeful Maureen Salaman grabbed 11. North Carolina Sen. Jesse A. Helms was the second most popu- lar write-in presidential candidate with three votes. llelms is a conservative Republican. The Rev. Jesse Jackson. Massa- chusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, former president Gerald Ford, Colorado Sen. Gary Hart. Tenne- see Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr.. Ohio Sen. John H. Glenn Jr. and former President Jimmy Carter were among the well-known politicos who grabbed one vote for president. David Moon. John Rzyhak. Dan Fulera. Delta College Professor Charles Breed and David Carlson were less well?known one-vote getters. Incumbent County Clerk Gladys June had a monopoly on the ballot space in the race for the clerk's post. but she did not have a monopoly on the votes. Dora llaubenstricker. Janet Zimmerman and Nouvel Catholic Central Football Coach Leo "Smo- key" Boyd each picked up a write- in vote forthe clerk?sjob. A few voters cast ballots to re- tain two county commissioners who lost primary election battles for their seats. T. Winieckie grabbed four votes in the District 11 race and Robert C. Pressprich picked up two in the District 13 contest. David T. Mickey. who lost his pri- mary election bid for the District 9 Democratic nomination, also nabbed two votes. 1 them With ?so Beaverton High School students. who were visiting circuit court as part of a law-and-society class, one reporter and a handful of other defendants awaiting arraignments and sentencings. Downstairs, tucked in the re? cesses of the county clerk?s office are two boxes of transcripts. an inch-thick file on the case with a sheaf of handwritten notes from the jury while it was deliberating and evidence in the case. includ~ ing the controversial box that housed Douglas Nash?s body. don?t know how long we?ll keep it." said Deputy Clerk Laura Flach. guess forever." the Saginaw News? (USPS tutti Year, No 159 F'ubhshod weekday awnings. Saturday Ind Sunday morning: by Booth Newspa- pers. inc. It 203 5 Washington. Saginaw. ?lemonaw. Circulation menu: Nova (517)752-7171 Diaplly Advertising (51717524171 Classified Advomung (517') 754-0131 Subscription mm by in uichigan where new: carrier IGNICO II nol unit-bl. - 390.00 per your. $4000 to: an: months. 3800 per month. Outside Mmhigm, $3.50 par month. Second class postage paid It Swim. Michigan Posimastar: Piano and term 35310 203 S. Washington. Saginaw. MI ?505. I 2.: .3. Continued from Page A-1 mental Congress of Mid-Michigan calls the lack of a health investiga- tion a whitewash. ?It appears possibly Dow and the government single-handedly and together covered up health problems here." she said. John L. Hesse, acting director of health department?s Center for En- vironmental Health Sciences. said his department is too short on staff and cash to initiate such a study. ?Our position is we simply can- not take on the administration of another major study at this point,? he said. In letters to the Michigan agen- cy. J. Milton Clark of the US. Environmental Protection Agen- cy?s Toxic Materials Branch at Chicago has urged the department to proceed with an historical look at the problem. Clark suggested that the Center for Disease Control conduct the study with funding from EPA. ?There is sufficient cause to sus- pect that the rise in total birth defects observed during 1970?1975 could have been caused by expo- sure to environmental toxins." Clark wrote in a July 10. 1984, letter. In earlier correspondence. Nov. 10, 1983, Clark noted that he agreed with a preliminary study by ?haw-Inn "?ll-u 6hr. EPA, that suggested the birth de- fects ?could be due to a large re- lease of dioxin-containing materials or other products to which workers or the general pub~ lic were exposed." ?The types of birth defects found there are the ones you?d expect to find? from dioxin contamination, Clark told The News. But, it would be premature to point the finger at Dow because ?you never know un- til you dig into it." Dioxin is an unwanted byproduct of some herbicide production. Con- sidered one of the most toxic sub- stances known to man, it has caused cancer and death in tests on laboratory animals. State and federal pollution regu- lators have identified Dow as a source of dioxin contamination to Midland and surrounding area. Clark also has suggested scien- tists broadened the study to include a look at other defects with statisti- cally higher incidence rates in Mid- land County for 1970 to 1975. including hypospadias a con- genital opening of the urethra and hip dislocation. Hesse agrees that the Midland County situation deserves a look, have to go through EPA channels. And, Hesse notes, requesting money from the EPA is a compli- cated procedure. ?It is not easy," he said, adding it is a process that takes a great deal of effort over many months. A request for those funds hinges on his consultations with his staff this week. he said. The probe discussed since 1979 - is caught in a labyrinth of red tape. The EPA investigated the possi- bilities of funding a Center for Dis- ease Control study into the problems in 1979, but ?the EPA dropped the ball," Hesse said. ?Staff cutbacks" and ?different priorities" in the early 19805 set by the Reagan administration put the study on the back burner, Clark said. Clark estimated that a study could cost anywhere between $50,000 and $500,000. It would include interviews with the families to get information on occupations. exposure to chemi- cals and proximity to the Dow plant. he said. 7-7.- We and be has asked the Disease Con- t'rol Center to conduct an EPA- funded probe. But he has found out it won?t be that easy, he said. 'smnulg Ill, says Lotto winner By Booth News Service KALAMAZOO Now it can be told. Sunday morning at 5 am. Kalamazoo resident Patricia Parker stepped outside to pick up her copy of the Gazette. Upon reading the front page, she said she was ?incredibly surprised" to discover that the six state "Lotto? numbers se- lected the previous evening were in fact identical to the ones she had picked. Confident that she would re- ceive at least a substantial chunk of the $10.4 million prize. she went back to bed. But she didn?t sleep. knewit right away, but a numbness takes over and you have to think about it a while,? said the sole winner of Satur~ da ?3 recordjackpot. 969 {?1th 1? C6 Kg, ?Track out? of Dow dioxin worriesSEPA e, an" BY KEITH NAUGHTON NOV 2 Dioxln. considerel?me ot?tne News Staff Writer 1 c3 MIDLAND Federal regulators will meet soon with officials from Dow Chemical Co. to figure out a way to clean up two areas at Dow's Midland plant that are laced with highly toxic dioxin. A top Dow official today con- firmed that dioxin has been found at the plant at levels more than 50 times higher than what is deemed acceptable for residential areas by the federal Centers for Disease Control. . The high levels of dioxin have existed at the plant for at least five 'years. said Vern May, Dow's ma- jor manager for agricultural chemical production and environ- mental services. May said Dow plans to asphalt over the top of the two contaminat- ed plant areas in order to contain the dioxin. The US. Environmen. tal Protection Agency will have the final word on how Dow will clean up the sites. ?We would certainly have to sit down with the company and deter- mine what has to be done. . . You can expect that to happen immi- nently.? said David Stringham, of the dioxin task force. I most toxic substances known to man, is an unwanted byproduct of - some herbicide production. In tests on laboratory animals it has caused cancer and even death. its effect on humans is not fully known. Dow is quick to point out that although the dioxin levels found would be considered high in resi- dential areas, the criteria for in- dustrial facilities is much more lenient. ?There is no reason for concern among any (Dow) employees,? May said. But Stringham said the levels found at the Dow plant would be "a serious problem" if found in resi- dential areas. And the EPA is concerned the dioxin may have been tracked out of the plant on workers? boots into residential areas. ?One must be concerned with track out," Stringham said. The dioxin contamination was found at the site of a closed herbi-- cide production facility and at an area where railroad cars were leaded and unloaded. May said. Both sites are centrally located within the huge Dow chemical complex in Midland. Dow tests show soil is tainted EPA says levels of dioxins pose threat to workers By Dudley K. Pierson and Ann Cohen - News Lansing Bureau M0 Uq Copyright. 1984. The Detroit News LANSING ?ieveral soil samples taken at Dow Chemical Co.?s Midland plant show dioxin levels up to 50 times the amount considered danger nus by the federal government. Government and company of?- cials said yesterday there is no immi- nent threat to public health in Mid- land and stressed that the samples were taken in a limited-access indus- trial area. However. in a document obtained by The Detroit News. the US. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) Warned that Dow workers and area residents may? already have been ex- posed to the dioxin-contaminated soil. In addition. the EPA said con- laminated soil could possibly seep into the city?s ground water supply. A byproduct of some types of manufacturing processes. is one of the most toxic chemicals known. The government used a cutoff level of 1 part per billion of dioxin to determine that residents of Times Beach. Mo.. faced a serious health hazard in 1982. The government evacuated the town after ?nding soil samples with as much as 330 parts per billion in the soil. Later tests showed as much as 1.200 parts per billion in Times Beach. ?The Centers for Disease Control (in Atlanta) has advised the EPA that a concentration of 1 part (dioxin) in idential area soil may present an immine?n)? and substantial endanpmant to health of those living in the area. particularly children.? according to the document. Levels as high as 52 parts per I billion were found on Dow property, I but of ?cials any possible dangers from dio'xin must be evaluated according to the specific type of exposure involved. billion. - A?s-t Continued from Page 1A The warnings and report of con- tamination levels are contained in a draft of a proposed cleanup agree- ment. The EPA has proposed the agreement based on negotiations with Dow. However. Dow has not yet seen the draft. of?cials said. ASSISTANT ATTY. GEN. Stewart Freeman. who heads the state?s environmental enforcement division, said ?as far as we are con- cerned. this is a discussion draft? which has been circulated to officials in the state departments of Natural Resources and Public Health for eval- uation. Those officials ?at this point say there is not enough data? to deter? mine how serious the problem may be and what type of cleanup is necessary. Freeman said. ?There's no question that the ac- tion (evacuation) level at Times Beach was {based on) the 1 part per billion (cutoff). But we need to know what was being sampled" in Midland [before determining if a similar situa- tion exists there, he said. don't think under any circum- stance {in Midland) you have the comparable Open environment with exposure to a population that includ~ ed kids. the very old and the sick.? as was the case in Times Beach. Free-y man said. THE HIGH levels of dioxin con? tamination may have been found I'in a spot where somebody spilled some- thing.? he said. ?It may be simpls as ,that. And then you would dig up a cubic foot of dirt and dispose of it. That wouldn't be a serious problem.? But if the levels came from sam- ples taken ?six inches down in the ground. that would be different? A Dow spokesman said one of the contaminated sites from where sam- ples were taken has been covered with asphalt in an attempt to contain the dioxin. - ?We have done a rather extensive survey of the entire area and these are the only two contaminated sites we found.? said Michael Rio. chairman of Dow's Dioxin initiative Team. ?These areas represent one half of 1 percent of the plant?s area. We don't think these areas pose any kind of health threat to our employee or to the public.? RIO SAID the samples were taken by Dow Chemical several months ago but he ?would not be more speci?c. He emphasized that Dow reported the contamination, to the .EPA. However. in undocument. the warned that wlid?hnd ?move- ment of soil during possible cleanup 83mm? ?risks exposure primarily to .. mai-f?nn nam- .. Soil moved from the site also poses an risk to to the Titta wssaee sous eating ?sh from that river.? the document said. David Stringham. an EPA spokes- man, said several studies of possible contamtnation at the Dow plant are currently being conducted by the gov- ernment and the company. He added: ?I?m not prepared to comment (on the proposed agreement) at this time. No one here is prepared to comment at this time." THOMAS WASHINGTON. ex- ecutive director of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs. said he was outraged that there has been no public input to the proposed consent agreement and no notification to the Dow workers or Midland citizens. The proposed consent order. dated Oct. 22. states that Dow should: 0 Isolate dioxin-contaminated soils at two sites identi?ed as the (77 Building and the 2.4.5-TCP Plant. and cover the areas to prevent the spreading by wind. rain. tracking or erosion. [Submit a sampling plan to deter? mine the depth of contamination at the two sites well as plans for safety and dust control procedures. 0 Submit a plan for decontamination I. and d' lof construction debris on top of Ks plant area. 0 Isolate dioxin contamination at an area identified as the East Perimeter and prowde temporary cover. Levels of two parts per billion of dioxin were found at the East Perimeter area. News Staff Writer Susan Benkel- man contributed to this story. -1, NEWS No. 102 November 6, 1984 Dioxin Levels in Midland Below Federal Level Of Concern Dioxin levels found in Midland, both within the community and inside the Midland plant site of The Dow Chemical Company, are below federal levels of concern. These findings are based on 15 months of externally- audited scientific testing by Dow, the results of which were released by the company November 5. In the city of Midland, analyses found surface soil dioxin levels to be below one part per billion (ppb). One part per billion is the guideline set by the United States Department of Public Health Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for levels of (dioxin) in residential areas. This level was set conservatively by the CDC, to insure protec- tion of infants who might play in and eat soil. The study also identified two small, isolated industrial sites containing levels of dioxin higher than background levels for the plant. Dow and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are presently working out a consent agreement to determine the course of future action at these sites. The sites came to EPA's attention after Dow notified the agency earlier this year of the results of the company's testing. Levels at the two sites peak at 34 and 52 ppb. At one site, temporary action initiated by Dow to contain the soil has already taken place. The intensive 15-month study that generated these findings was the result of a pledge by the company to ?look under every stone? in order to identify sources of dioxin emissions from its Midland facilities. This point source investigation is one of several initiatives announced by Dow in June 1983 to address concerns about dioxin. To insure objectivity in the investigation, an external scientific auditor, Dr. Henry Freiser, was an active participant throughout the course of the study. Dr. Freiser, a chemistry professor from the University of Arizona and an expert in trace chemical analysis, had full access to all data and Dow facilities. He also chaired a four-member scientific peer review of the final report. As a result of the investigation, Dow resear? chers have identified limited sources of dioxin inside the plant site. They also have laid the foundation for technology to reduce the trace levels that still exist within the plant. In terms of major soil findings, dioxin levels in residential Midland ranged from 0.0006 to 0.073 ppb. well below the CDC guidelines. These levels decrease as distance from the plant site increases. Within the plant site, general background levels of dioxin fall below 1 ppb. None of the present sources of dioxin located by the investigation in the Midland plant site were large enough to account for these soil levels of dioxin. This includes the plant's waste incinerator, which was identified by the investigation as the largest current dioxin (over) DOW COMMUNICATIONS 0 THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY MIDLAND. MICHIGAN 3 .4 BY EILEEN LEHNERT News Staff Writer MIDLAND The Michigan Depart- ment oi Public Health today announced it will not seek money from the U5. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency to fund an historical study of elevated birth defects found in Midland County infants in the early1970s. In 1979, it was discovered that the rates of some birth defects. including cleft pal~ ates and cleft lips, was twice as high in Midland County newborns as it was for other Michigan infants. A cleft palate is a congenital split in the roof of the mouth. - John Hesse, acting director of the health A. Health Sciences, said today that in review- ing a Nov. 14 letter from the Dr. Vernon Book of the Center for Disease Control. the department decided a stiidy is not advisable. - 1 a In his letter, Houk said, ?If there were a more sustained increase in incidences, we think there would he a greater likelihood of findingalinli fortheobserved cases.? The increases could have been caused by chance or ?an exposure occurring in the early 19703 that no longer exists." wrote the director of the Atlanta-based Center of Environmental Health. case-control study would be very difficult to do, and it is unlikely such a study would find a cause,? Honk said. State will not. seek Midland birth defe department?s Center for Environmental .. He recommended continued surveil- lance and an annual review of the Midland County birth-defect rates. Today, Gloria R. Smith,,director oi the Michigan health department, is drafting a letter to the EPA. saying the agency is adoptingllouk?s recommendation.? - . Birth defects inMidland County are not an active. currei? public health problem, Hesse said today; ?If something fshows up out of the ordi- nary (in the future), we can look at the current situation.? he said- i; In letters to the Michigan agency, J. Milton Clark of the Toxic Materials Branch at Chicago had urged the Michi- gan department to proceed with a histori- callook - . Clark noted that the sporadic increases in birth defects in the 19705 ?could be due to a large release of dioxin?containing materials or other products to which work- ers or the general public were exposed." Environmentalists. including Diane He- bert of the Environmental Congress of Mid-Michigan, have blamed dioxin con- tamination by Dow Chemical Co. for the higher~than~average rates of birth defects. Dioxin is an unwanted byproduct of some herbicide production. considered one of the most toxic substances known to man, it has caused cancer and death in tests on laboratory animals. Federal and state regulators have iden- tified Dow as a source of dioxin contami- MONDAY. NOVEMBER 26,1984 study funds The Saginaw NEWS nation in Midland and the surrounding area. Dr. Ralph Cook, director of Dow?s epide- miology department, disputes the theory that dioxin contamination is responsible for the elevated birth-defect rates ?I?m not aware of any study that links birth defects with dioxin,? he said. Hebert was dismayed by the depart- ment?s decision today. certainly think enough evidence has been provided," she said. Clark and Charles Poole, formerly of the EPA, have said chance is the least likely reason for the increased birth-defect rates during the 19705, she said. reiterating that Poole and Clark contend there is a strong indication contamination is a key factor. Midland toxic peril in dispute By Dudley K. Pierson N0 Susan Benkelman 3 <5 kl? and Ann Cohen News Lansing Bureau Temporary measures may not be adequate to contain high concentra- tions of the toxic chemical dioxin found at Dow Chemical Co.?s Mid- land facility, some state of?cials say. But there is probably no immedi- ate danger to workers at the Midland plant, according to both company and state of?cials. A Dow executive 'said one contaminated area has been put off limits to workers and another covered with asphalt to keep the dioxin contained. These assessments yesterday fol- lowed revelation that dioxin levels up - to 50 times the amount considered dangerous by the federal government were found in soil on two sites at the Dow complex. THOSE DISCLOSURES were contained in a draft of a pro consent agreement, written by the US. Environmental Protection Agency. under which Dow would clean up the contaminated sites. Dow of?cials, who have not. seen the ro- posal, said the company info the EPA about the dioxin levels and will negotiate with federal regulators about long?term remedial actions. ?Sooner or later we'll have to come to grips with how to deal with that.? said Dow environmental of?cial Vern T. May. ?We don?t know what to do with it. There are no established procedures for deoontaminating and tearing down such a facility (where the dioxin was found)." David Dempsey. environmental adviser to Gov. James Blanchard, said. ?1 don't think we have any problems with the proposed consent order. We believe there is minimal but some danger to the workers." Other of?cials said Dow should dig up the contaminated soil and neutral- ize the dioxin, either through inciner- ation or burial in a proper land?ll. However state and company of?cials said they need more speci?c infome- tion about the sites where the high - DOW IDENTIFIED two sites where the level of dioxin exceeded 1 part per billion, the level considered potentially dangerous. One is a former production area for phenol (TCP), an ingredient formerly used in herbicides. including the defo- liant Agent Orange that was used extensively in the Vietnam War. That building site in the center of the 1,500-acre Dow complex and was roped off and restricted to workers when test results showed several months ago that soil in the area contained about 36 parts per billion, May saidWinifred Oyen Lee Jager n?d Continued on Page 15A - Nov. Il, lliH4l_ Continued from Page 1A Workers who had been dumping construction debris in that area now have been rest ricted from the site and the area has been roped off. The other area. where parts per billion were found, already has been covered with asphalt, he said. rl?hat site is a 20-by-4ll-foot area near rail- road trucks and May speculated that the dioxin there could have been the result of a spill some years ago. LEE JAUHR. chief of environ- mental and occupational health with the statc Department of Public Health, said he is concerned that the asphalt cover Dow placed over one contaminated site "might not he sat? isfactory." However. be emphasized that his current ?understanding is that the highest levels are highly inaccessible to workers. The greater danger would be a long range problem - 1 rather suspect the problems arc. not inimi- nenl. for Workers." Winifred (.lycn. director of the Midland (?ounty Department of Pub- llt? Health, said she hclichd there is "no Wilson to be concerned. in an industrial area. people are wearing protective clothing. and are not likely to be close to the dirt like kids would he," Ms. Uycn said. May, who is manager of agricul- ture chemicals production in the com- pany's environmental services divi. sion. Complained that the l-part-per?billion health standard for dioxin is based on a ?model? in which a child plays in dioxin-contaminated dirt 24-hours a day for 70 years and eats it. ?l?hen, there's a one in a million chance for a health effect. HE SAID that construction workers employee of both Dow and its contractors had been dumping construction debris in the area now Covered since 1979 when the company halted production of ?0b- viously some folks have walked on it and they've driven trucks down it." said May. But he stressed that there is no health danger for those workers. resample water Mtg? By JULIE MORRISON Daily News staff writer Laboratory contamination will force the US. Environmental Pro- tection Agency to take new samples of water from the Midland area for dioxin analysis. And while an EPA of?cial said the resampling should not result in different findings than earlier samples would have, a local envir- onmentalist fears recent industrial practices may give the federal agen- cy an inaccurate picture of water . contamination inMidland. Gary Amendola, EPA project manager for the Michigan dioxin study, said the original samples taken by the agency in August must be redone because contaminants were found on equipment used by Midwest Research Institute, a St. Louis organization hired to do the analysis. The samples, including water from private residential wells and brine operations of the Dow Chemi- cal Co., were taken as part of the dioxin investigation in the Midland area. A second set of samples was taken in November and wasnot affected by the con- taminatien, Amendola said. ?It is fortunate the problem was The problem with the samples started when the Midwest Research Institute ran a ?blank? water sample through analysis, Amendola said. The?rstsample,tobeusedasaoom? parison for water taken from the Midland area, was found to have some unsuspected contaminants in it. Researchers traced the con- taminants to a previous test they had completed and determined glass- ware used in the analysis had not been properly cleaned. will the new EPA: No for Dow . The federal government says it will have no warnings oradvice for I Dow Chemical Co. workers about dioxin in Dow?s Midland plant un- - til it analyzes Dow's data on the I contamination. Dow sampling found dioxin in 1 soil at 50 and 34 parts per billion at Itwo locations in the plant. Both :have been restricted to prevent uworker exposure to the con- itaminant. The government's suggested 'safety level for dioxin in soil is 1 lppb. and state health of?cials :have said Dow workers should - avoid the two contaminated areas. I ?We can't give any advice be- ;cause we have to evaluate the -data." Environmental Protection iAgency spokeswoman Vanessa usgrave said Friday, "We can 't 'to BS reasonable? compared to 'wh'afEl?A expected she added. - ?We want to reaf?rm with the Icommunity that we are still com- :mipted to releasing soils data only -when the complete studyhas been :dOtre'.? Ms. Musgrave said. She :said ?nal data are expected within -a month. The study will then be ireviewed and checked by the 'Ce ters for Disease Control at At- -la Ga. $?glgl ?yin then conduct a public 1 :me -ex eresults Ms. Musgrave .said. Diane Hebert, director of the 1Environmental Congress of :Mid- Michigan noting that Dow ?hab? restricted workers access to -th??lesnots said ECOMM asked -Dow last year to not disturb :cenf'd'm those numbers but seem . advice Mowerkers? mdio'xin- conta inated areas in its plants to avoid spreading dioxin. ?We asked Dow to stop con- struction last year and they acted like we were wiend. That was an absolutely proper request. Mrs. Hebertsaid. She claimed dioxin from Dow?s incinerator poses an additional risk to workers and the com- munity. 2 Meanwhile. EPA and state offi- cials are negotiating with Dow on how to clean up the two dioxin con- tarninatedareas. Dow discovered the con- taminated areas and reported them to the EPA several months ago. The EPA con?rmed the con- tamination through tests of its own as part of a major dioxin in- vestigation in the Midland area. Dow will of?cially release the results of its soil tests on Monday, a company spokeswoman said. Meanwhile. officials said Fri- day that a cleanup plan was being devised. Environmental and public health officials said the con- taminated areas do not seem to present any health dangers for most Midlands residents. The major concern, officials say, is for Dow workers who may have tracked contaminated debris home on their shoes or in their clothers. Contamination from the most toxic type of dioxin, was found at the Dow complex near a railroad siding and a plant shut down five years ago that had made herbicides con- tainingdioxin. i Midland toxic peril in dispute By Dudley K. Pierson N0 Susan Benkelman and Ann Cohen 3 3+ News Lansing Bureau Temporary measures may not be adequate to contain high concentra- tions of the toxic chemical dioxin found at Dow Chemical Co.?s Mid- land facility. some state of?cials say. But there is probably no immedi- ate danger to workers at the Midland plant. according to both company and state of?cials. A Dow executive 'said one contaminated area has been put off limits to workers and another covered with asphalt to keep the dioxin contained. These assessments yesterday fol- lowed revelation that dioxin levels up to 50 times the amount considered dangerous by the federal government were found in soil on two sites at the Dow complex. THOSE DISCLOSURES were contained in a draft of a proposed consent agreement, written by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under which Dow would clean up the contaminated sites. Dow of?cials, who have not seen the pro- posal, said the company informed the EPA about the dioxin levels and will negotiate with federal regulators about long-term remedial actions. ?Sooner or later we?ll have to come to grips with how to deal with that," said Dow environmental official Vern T. May. ?We don't know what to do with it. There are no established procedures for decontaminating and tearing down such a facility (where the dioxin Was foundl.? David Dempsey, environmental adviser to Gov. James Blanchard. said. don't think we have any problems with the proposed consent order. We believe there is minimal but some danger to the workers." Other of?cials said Dow should dig up the contaminated soil and neutral- ize the dioxin, either through inciner- ation or burial in a proper land?ll. However state and company of?cials said they need more speci?c informa- tion about the sites where the high levels of dioxin were found before they can determine _what types of health hazards may exist. DOW IDENTIFIED two sites where the level of dioxin exceeded 1 part per billion, the level considered potentially dangerous. One is a former production area for phenol (TCP). an ingredient formerly used in herbicides. including the defo- rThat building sits in the center of the 1.500-acre Dow complex and was roped off and restricted to workers when test results showed several liant Agent Orange that was used extensively in the Vietnam War. months ago that soil in the area contained about 36 parts per billion. May said. Continued on Page 15A Mr. a ?l Wlnitred Oyen Lee Jager r-u-IArp-n- Maintain?Z (2- kl will Continued from Page 1A Workers who had been dumping construction debris in that area now have been restricted from the site and the area has been roped off. The other area. where 52 parts per billion were found. already has been covered with asphalt. he said. That site is a 20~by-4U-foot. area near rail- road tracks and May speculated that the dioxin there could have been the result of a spill some years ago. LEE JAGER. chief of environ- mental occupational health with the state Department of Public Health. said he is concerned that the asphalt cover [low placed over one contaminated site ?might not he sat- isfactory." However. be emphasized that his current is that the highest levels are highly inaccessible to workers. The greater danger would be a long range problem I rather suspect the problems are not immi- nent for the workers." Winifred (jlyen. director of the Midland (?ounty Department of Pub- lic Health, said she believed there is ?no reason to be concerned. In an industrial area. people are wearing protective clothing, and are not likely to be close to the dirt like kids would be." Ms. Uyen said. Mary, who is manager of agricul- ture chemicals production in the com- pany's environmental services divi- sion. complained that the l-part-per?billion health standard for dioxin is based on a ?model" in which a child plays in dioxin-contaminated dirt 24-hours a day for 70 years and eats it. Then. there's a one in a million chance for a health effect. HE SAID that construction workers employee of both Dow and its contractors had been dumping construction debris in the area now covered since 1979 when the company halted production of ?Ob~ viously some folks have walked on it and they've driven trucks down it,? said May. But he stressed that there is no health danger for those workers. ?Linux. Dioxin hot spots at Dow contained, officials tell NOV '5 '3 2} MIDLAND - On the heels of recent reports that show levels of toxic dioxin at Dow Chemical Co.'s Midland plant as being as much as 50 times higher than federal health and safety guide- lines. company officials struck back today. In a hastily-called press con- ference this morning. Dow offi- cials downplayed those findings. saying the Midland community and ?99 percent? of the Midland plant are within federal guide- lines. The press conference was de- signed to offset the publicity of the high dioxin corntamination levels. Dioxin. considered one of the most highly toxic substances known to man. is an unwanted byproduct of some herbicide production. In tests on labratory animals. dioxin has caused cancer and death. Its affects on humans are not completly known. One of the two dioxin hotspots discovered at the plant already has been contained with a layer of asphalt. said Vern T. May. Dow's manager of agricultural chemical producation and envi- ronmental services. Both areas have been cor- doned off since the discovery of high dioxin levels last summer. May said. Because of Dow's "industrial hygene" practices. the company does not believe workers were exposed to dangereous levels of dioxin. May said. Highly toxic dioxin has historically spewed from the in- cinerator smokestacks for dec- ades before contnols took effect in the late 19605. he said. and Dow began incinerating its waste in the 19305. but pollution devices installed in the late 1960?s have eliminated the dinvin omiccinnq U..S Environmental Protection Agency to work out further ar- rangements for containing the hotspots. Dioxin in the air and in the sail a the plant and in the com- munity were caused by past in- cineration practices. Rio said. The incineration practices that created dioxin have not ex- isted since the late 19605. Rio said. ?The answer of the source is not found in the Midland plant of today. but rather in the inciner- ation practices of the past." Rio said. Midland was targeted in 1983 by the EPA as a community with potential for high dioxin contamination. The federal agency has been conducting testing of city and the Dow plant for more than a year. the results of those tests are expected to be announced this month. Dow officials told the EPA of their discovery of the dioxin hot- spots at the plant last week. said EPA spokesman Vanessa Musgrave. ?Based on our understanding of Dow?s data. we began negoti- ations with them on actions to minimize human exposeure to dioxing at the plant site.? Mus- grave said. Contamination of the Tit- tabawassee River which is off limits for fish eating because of dioxin contamination has also been an issue. The contamina- tion came from dioxin sticking to water particles in the wastewater from the inciner- ator. said Michael Rio. chair- man of Dow's dioxin initiatives team. Dow plans to clean up that source by installing a $5 million filtration system by the end of this year. Rio said. Reduced levels of dioxin due to that filtration system will be- evident by next summer. mm ?mam: . m: m. tantalum ?1 mm of toxic minimal dioxin. ?mm puma-1 ?my womb-mun- WASHINGTON Jan. l?Em dm' 3 Impact cot-non balm ?and mm hummus-z Put-g? Mmmu?mmthac?- ?mm b. ,3 v0: mag: 72% investigative looking into ?mm ?mm Mm undemsud. chemicalcompanln. ngbrokerankawithbowtomn- portthelegislatim. andsalditwugnodenough."Mr. mm mm mm m. m? sum, ?maturation-alluvia- mental Protection Agency was mil- mbcommitteethatm thattheEnvim Wm ?mm 5mm 1' vi itse?in of tl: Mr. ?You?ve heard about how you get?: mummuwa ,mew. Dow?s shall at indl?emce was ?Our ma?a mm . Wu? exemplary damit."beadded. us wi law not Dow more and man .?i?y'f'fmgn?wa?mm Onemnnifmumofnow'snewap- wh?oDow public ?Kabul my and Public Opinion um Dow 51:65 -- 119;: oq ngress -u?pv. J..- paiLIOCaImCo fAd effoi't new face _By JULIE MORRISON . Daily News staff writer ?America, meet the Dow Chem1cal 321'. ?00. 1i - The country may believe it?s . already familiar with the chem1cal giant, but Dow of?cials think there?s a lot the public doesn?t know. So the? . company is embarking on a nation- .- agency of Bloom?eld Hills to design I. lion for the: 1985 campaign, Dalton said, with about 75 percent of it fo- cusing on television advertising 11.1.1.4me ?an-"Ar- - wide advertising campaign designed tell Americans more about Dow than just what products it makes. Dow spokesman Dick Dalton said - the company has hired the D?Arcy MacManus' Masius advertising national ad campaign Dow has allocated almost $10 mil-. ?We? re going to talk about essen tially a '.new face for the Dow Chemi- cal Co., Dalton said. ?It' an attempt to keep us a competitive company. The campaign also is the fore- runner of advert1smg Dow expects to do for future specialty products that will be sold directly to the public, Dalton said. ?We want to become better known in an unknown area,? Dalton said The Dow ads will begin running this spring in cities where company plants are' located,- includin'g Mid- - land. They will be distributed. 1n the fall, Dal-- ton said. . The advertising campaign is not the ?rst effort Dow has made to boost its nation'al image. Recently, the company released an ?inaugural public interest report" outlining I i ..-. to paint for Dow ?3 ?employee and company? activities that reflect an overriding com- mitment to improve the quality of life .wherever Dow _:does business,? according t?o ah introduction written by Keith McKennon, Dow group vice president and chairman of the public ..interest committee. . - l- - The report includes information about contibutions Do'w made to charitable Organizations worldwide last year and asked the public for re- sponse. "We hope this report generates- many cbmments onhow well we have done and how we might do better, McKennonwrote.? - - ?We want to take advantage of every of telling the country what We do," Do-w spokesmam Tim Scott said. ?It a long-term thing where you ?re always looking at waystobetter yourself .. Correction -., -It Was incorrectly reported' 1n a Jan. 18 Daily News article that Steven Detzler, 22, 5040 Magruder;I Coleman, threatened a Midland; County judge and witnesses with a; knife during a court hearing. Detzler had been arrested for possession o_ - an illegal weapon outside the court-: room, but that charge has been dis; missed. Detzler was not involved' the thre'at's, which led court per: sonnel to- conduct the weapons ?search that culminated 1n Detzler? arrest for an illegal weapon. Detzlef - was not the owner of the knife. A fur: ther clari?cation of the incident can be found In the district court roundup on page A7. . I l. .- - - ?sggDow .{earniing's- up 75% . "13-34. 3'35 Dow Chemical Co.?s earnings in- creased 75 percentin 1984' from the . year before, while sales gains were relatively modest. the Midland- based ?rm announced today. Earnings jumped to $585 million, . . up from $334 million. That translat- - . operating rates. We also took care of- can. ed into $3.02 per share, compared $1.7lper share. Sales increased 3.6 percent from $11 billion to $1 1.4 billion. Fourth-quarter sales dropped from $2.9 billion in 1983 to $2.7 bil- lion. . - - a "We did notsee'a normal seasonal increase in demand for chemical products during the fourth quarter,? . said Paul F. Oref?ce, Dow president and chief executive officer. "There- fore, we felt it was appropriate to reduce inventories through lower major maintenance in some of our plants in anticipation of' higher business levels in 1985." The strong American dollar ?has increased to the point that some U.S. chemical markets are being affected by imports,? Oreffice said. ?However, market conditions out- side the United States remain favor- able.? Dow had'a pre-tax gain of $183 million from the sale of Dowell oil "?eld services to Schlumberger Ltd., and a pre-tax charge of $157 million for the write-down of Dow?s moth- balledcrude oil processing plah?t. lediiologynewsletter Chemical plants to be big cogeneratlon customers Cogeneration systems with a combined capacity of 15,000 megawatts (mw) will be either in place or in the works in the U. S. by 1995, according to James H. Williams, vice-president of Hagler, Bailly, Washing- ton, D. 0., management consultants. And the chemi- cal industry will account for two-thirds of that total. As of 1980, Williams says, the chemical industry had some 3,500 mw of cogeneration capacity?a ?gure expected to grow 6,500 mw by 1995. Even the 15,000 mw of capacity is ?still like a pimple on an elephant?s back compared with the electrical generation indus- try,? he told a recent meeting of the Fertilizer Insti- tute in Tampa; but ?it is more than double the 6,000 mw of capacity that was in some stage of develop- ment between 1982 and 1984.? Williams says that development of cogeneration systems will be domi- nated by gas turbine systems?speci?cally, gas tur? bines with heat recovery boilers and combined cycles. A plan to clean up dioxin at Dow?maybe Michigan?s attorney general?s of?ce has approved a plan to pave over dioxin-contaminated soils at Dow Chemical?s manufacturing facility in Midland. How- ever, some of?cials in Michigan?s Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) say that the plan takes a ?Band-Aid approach? to the problem. Under the plan, Dow will cap two sites contaminated with up to 52 parts per billion of dioxin. In addition, surface debris would be removed from the area. But DNR of?cals want the contaminated soils excavated and buried in a hazard? ous waste land?ll. The department also wants the plan to address potential dioxin contamination at sites on Dow?s property, including an abandoned land?ll and sewer catch basins. A second-generation test for AIDS Genetic Systems (Seattle, Wash.) has developed a sec- ond-generation test to screen blood samples for ac- quired immune de?iciency (AIDS). Based on the manufacture of AIDS virus proteins by genetic engineering, the test eliminates the need for cultur- ing the whole infectious virus and is said to provide an extremely safe, economical manufacturing pro- cess for AIDS screening. In addition, says Genetic Systems, the new process produces AIDS proteins 100 to 1,000 times more ef?ciently than the whole-virus method used for Genetic Systems? ?rst-generation AIDS test, currently undergoing nationwide clinical trials. On their completion, the company plans to mar- ket the ?rst-generation test. Both AIDS tests were developed through a joint venture with Diagnostics Pasteur (Paris); Genetic Systems has exclusive pro- duction rights to the AIDS tests in the U. S., and American Hospital Supply will distribute them. Diag- nostics Pasteur has exclusive production and sales rights in the European Economic Community. Air Products will fund plasma etching research A microelectronics research program to study plasma and reactive ion etching, as well as the various combi- nations of ?uorine-based gases used in those technol- ogies, will be funded by Air Products and Chemicals (Allentown, The program?to take place at Le high University (Bethlehem, aimed at en- abling Air Products to provide the semiconductor in- dustry with information about the purity and performance characteristics of various gas mixtures used for dry etching. Air Products says that will help semiconductor manufacturers to select optimum pro- cesses and materials for etching. The aging equipment for academic research About one-fourth of the equipment used for research in the physical and computer sciences and in engi- neering was categorized by university researchers in 1982 as obsolete and no longer in use. So reports a new study by the National Science Foundation (NSF). About half the department heads in the three ?elds, the study also found, described research instrumenta- tion available to faculty as ?insuf?cient." Titled "Ac- ademic Research Equipment in the Physical and Com- puter Sciences and Engineering,? the study was based on an NSF survey assisted by Westat (Rock- ville, The data were collected from 43 universi- ties selected from the 157 largest academic research and development performers. PPG introduces a new float glass PPG Industries has developed its second low-emissivi? ty coated ?oat glass for the residential construction market. The product, Sungate 200, is coated pyrolyti- cally with a tin oxide derivative while molten and is said to offer 17-19% better heat retention than a stan- dard double-insulated window. ?rst product in the series, Sungate 100, is coated with layers of metal oxides by a magnetically sputtered vacuum-deposi- tion process. While Sungate 100 is said to offer high performance in reducing heat loss, its original shelf life was only 30 days._But that, says PPG, has now been increased to six months by modifying the make- up of the coating. PPG recently increased production capacity for Sungate 100 to nearly 12 million sq ft/ year at its Mt. Zion, Ill., plant. The increase, says PPG, gives the company the nation?s largest domestic capacity for low-emissivity glass production. 34 Chemical Week/March 27. 1985 with Norway?s Maritime Protection. has developed a shipboard nitrogen genera- tor. ?It is compact and can be installed in dead Space. such as in stairwells." says Kemal Boustany, director of Mon- santo?s separation business. And it is far lighter than gas cylinders, eliminat- in}.r the extra operating costs imposed by the additional weight. ?Above all," he adds, "it is consistent and reliable." Monsanto's most recent sale is a gen- erator that will operate on a platform in the North Sea. The generator is being engineered by Maritime Protection to produce 12,800 standard cu ft/ hour of inert gas containing less than 5?3? oxy- gen. It will be used primarily to purge process equipment. pressure vessels and pipelines. It also will be used to blanket the lubricating oil seals on the natural gas compressors. Air Products will introduce a mem- brane system ?when we have some- thing to offer." says George Roberts, general manager of commercial devol- npment in the company?s process sys- tems group. Roberts believes that mem- The attraction: A big market is foreseen in lower-purity gaseous nitrogen applications brane systems are ideally suited for certain because of their light weight and low volume. But he claims that membranes are focused on a narrow segment of the market. Nitro- gen users also have to be concerned about use patterns. purity. the cost of capital. the cost of power and backup supply. ?If the decision sounds com? plex," says Roberts. "it really is." Other methods. And Air Products is exploring an even newer technique? chemical separation of air. This tech- nique makes use of a reaction to re- move the oxygen. The oxygen-rich solu~ tion is then transferred to another vessel where the oxygen is released ei- ther by reducing the pressure or raising the temperature. Among other solu? tions. Air Products has worked with molten nitrate and nitrite salts. I low and Monsanto have new mem? brane products on the horizon, as well. Both plan to introduce new systems that produce oxygen-enriched air. The systems could be used to enhance com- bustion processes. And. Monsanto will carry vapor-phase separation at stop far. ther. "We will be introducing a system that removes water from such gases as ethanol and butanol." says Boustany. "It is our major thrust. for 1985;" UOKS Make reservations at any Best Western. see your travel agent. or call 1-800-528-1234. "World?s largest them of independently owned and operated hotels. motor Inns. and resorts" WORLDWIDE LODGING SMALL THINGS COME IN GOOD PACKAGES Now you can buy l/6 page advertising units neatly packaged in Chemical Week's international advertising section?Chemical Markets in- ternoiionol. The price: $400 per unitpage? You're looking at one. Small things considered, this is one big opportunity. Coll: Howard Moger, Publisher 2l2-5l2-2500 [New York) or Norbert Schumocher, Dir. of Marketing 02l/2744ll (Lousonne, Swiiz.) diemiczlweek 1221 Avenue of the Americas I New York. NY 10020 R?tgers Ruetgers-Nease Chemical Co.,lnc. A SUBSIDIARY or RUTGERSWERKE no. ONE or moses LEADING or con BASED AROMAIICS PRESENTS: TULUENESULFONIB ACID (Also. xylenesullonlc sold. and blend.) Sullonic aCIds lino Inc-Ir greatest ulzll'l', as espec-ally Ior CH3 organ-c reactions We otter TSA rennet: TSA blonds WIlh meth- anov or water moo-lied 15A and ISA rehned anolecnmcal Avanl able In our own ov drums from Fernald.OH or State College PA Ask I'or Our Sutton-r SOEH Acuo brochure BASIC AROMATIC CHEMICALS ORGANIC INTERMEDIATES CALL 09 WRITE FOR OUR BROCHURES rust AROMATIC PRODUCTS OR ,Ruetgers-Nease 201 Simple Road Slate Collage. 16801 (314) 233-2424 TWX #5108703533 SOURCE FOR CHEMII.AIS Circle 34 on Reader Service Card March 27. Week 33 DOW COMPANY - MIDLAND PLANT WASTETATER STUDY PRELIMINARY SUMMARY OF RESULTS MARCH 23, 1983 U.S- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION MONMENTAL SERVICES DIVISION EASTERN DISTRICT OFFICE RECEIVED APR121983 mamn ncpun'g Dow CHEMICAL USA 3.4/7 379? MIDLAND LOCATION 031 0u+faII Sample da+e 7/24?25/84 (All Resul+s in pph) Acrylonifrlle ND (3.0) Benzene ND ?fe?l Carbon Te+rachloride ND Chlorobenzene ND (5.0) Err/?2' Pf? 3.0 Hexachlorobenzene ND (0.3) 1,2-dichloroelhane ND (l4) 1,1,1-Trichloroefhane ND (7.0) Hexachloroefhane ND (0.2) 1,1, 2-frichloroefhane ND (0.3) +e+rachloroe+hane ND (6.5) I Bis (2-chloroefhyl) efher 0.8 2,4,6? frichlorophenol ND (1.5) P?chloro-m?cresol ND (0.0) Chloroform 20 2-chlorophenol ND (0.5) 1,2-dichlorobenzene 1.3 1,3?dichlorobenzene 0.7 1,4?dichlorobenzene 1.0 2,4-dichlorophenol ND (1.0) Bis (2-chloroisopropyl) eTher ND (4.2) Bis (2-chloroefhoxy) melhane ND (0.4) Mefhylene Chloride 2O Bromoform 20 Hexachlorobu+adiene MD (0.6) Naph+ha ene MD (0.2) 2,4? dinlfrophenol ND (2.5) enlachlorophenol ND (5.0) I ?gme)E?henol 0. Te+rachloroe+hylene ND (6.6) Trichloroelhylene ND Hepfachlor epoxide ND (0.8) i ND (0.5) ND (0.5) I IO ppa* CDD Resulf In Parfs Per Sample dale 7/1/84 . - Wit?Efrem Ilia?uni; gimp all: nu: ?rm? warm mu up no! mat-cup panama! mead) "mp-Mm a; mm mm 01.1.:qu up an arm-3.: nu, '3 ?Lam nu: iupnp :mds puma-camd .10 Human; mm mum am :0 mum rqut in: 3.3068: am pm remap mo 13mm: numb mu 11:8qu mu: mom moumm: 1! Amnuai ?oiuu mum ad and 1591 up Ln put-n; um panama mu: ante: mu Truman mom atqtpubpqu Anpea: )0 mm magnum: unnuo: mi: aop assume my, pawn manure up, uup 3:42:14 AIq-uapgsuc: Arqe?oad t! wannod who 3? amp rm: an ?mu. . mu 1m: pammapg awn mama: :13qu :o .36qu naiuu Luann:- ad and up u: am: now '1ch mam-o um; aha-mp strum mac-Id UNI-U 3141 99W PUB Harman: W- HDMOLP am 3pm 017 mm 310W I (awn non-tad m; munmd man at?; m1 9 manned 31.301 m; on (d W: MM mo; ocz _uaionm-?nnmu1v an; uaionm mums!? run; um am now: Dung-Io Inc; an; 000?; ammo ?85x0 Inmate we; minus w; cam-lam we; who; mono ran; 8933!; aim-9:10 muuv RN . gum aassaiuqtuu an: o; 543mm; :14; saqunuca ma - mums moo an: ?Kpms cm: In arm: cu: uodn par-?Ia 'v SDNIGNH ignisi?zelmayevgassei?ved?shnw Bay 51mm, The isomer was positively identi?ed in the discharge irom Outtall 031 at a concentration oi 50 parts per quadriilion (ppq) and in the plume of Outlall 031 in the Tittabawassee River at a concentration of ppo. Four tetrachloro dioxin isomers were iound in Cudali 3?05 at a total concentration of 2300 pot; and two tetrachloro dioxin isomers were found in Outtail 031 at a tatal concentration of 30 gpq. The isomer and other denoted in both Outtalls 031 and 005 were not detected in the Timbawasse River and Lake Huron water intakes to the Dow Otemical plant. Oudall 031 is the main process the power house fly ash pond. The isomer and other were also found in thedischarges tram OutdaUsMI. The concentration of all iounti in both outfall: exceeded 9000 ppq. The speci?c sources compounds at the Dow Gemini - Midland Plant have not been identi?ed, 11 these data represent typical discharge rates, about 1/3 pound ed a pound of PCDD: and 10 pounds at PCDF: are released direCtly to the Tittabawessee River on an basis by Dow Chemical. The discharges of an! other organic pollutants measured durirg this survey are probably lea than would have been iomd in the past owing to process and production changes made by Dow Chemical prior to this survey. C. The oonmlete results irom the caged ?sh bio-communion study are not available at this writing. Herbicia analyses it: all samplirg stations are not complete. and data for and are not available for certain stations. The available chta for and demonstrate that discharged by Dow Chemical concentrate in 21.11 held in a mixture of the discharge from Outiali 031 and the Titubawassee River at the point of discharge. Levels of 2.3.7.8-TCDD readied 100 (0.1 ppb) in whole ?sh, while the concentration at all PCDD hem ranged from 820 to 1280 {0.82 to 1.28 ppb). The FDA guideiire tor is 50 pot in edible portions of thh. Thereare.asyet.mguichiines mood?shatm?ms guardians?; Dataarenotyetavailable tor?ethelddoemtreemoidieplam. m? . i I the discharge of Cuttall 031 at levels from 6480 to 17,2' 0 (6.33 to 17.2 pph). Upstream control ?sh showed relatively little co .tamination by (8 to 290 pth. More than 30 other organic chemicals were also found in ?sh exposed to the plume of Cudall 031 at levels rarging from a ten} ppo to over 1 ppm. These dternicals irclude chlorinated benzene: and phenols, and certain pesticides. D. The discharge from Guttall 031 was found not be acutely toxic to 03mm over one f18-hour static bioasaay testing period; and. not acutely the Tittahawasaee River at the point at diad'large. Native ?sh often have been observed in the plume of the discharge. The discharge did not exhibit rnutagenic Sandman ml algal assay, the discharge from Ou?allOBI has a higher stimulatory diet: on algal growth than the river intake water. Although the discharge was found not to be acutely toxic. given the rumber and type at comptunds discharged, the potential chronic or long term e?ects of the discharge are still of. concern. E. The alt-rent practice at Dow Chemical is to mix and treat large volume 01 cooling water with the process wastewaters, tl-n'ls diluting the concenu'atlom of. pollutant: found in the process was-centers. Because of the relatively low comma-adorn at most at the organic chemicals discharged by Dow Chemial, the moat e?ective method to achieve further reduction in the mass discharge of these pollutant: is to isolate the contributirg sources at the production process unit and provide. where appropriate, additional process-speci?c pretreatment facilities. At this writirg, Dow Chemical has mrwided su?icient Narration and data to EPA and the MDNR for evaluation of alternate pollution control measures. V. RF. OMMENDATIONS A. o? CIA-L VI. DOW CHEMICAL - MID LAND PLANT A. General Plant Description The Dow Chemical - Midland Plant is an operating unit of the Michigan Division of. Dow CherniaJ USA. The facility is located in Midland, Michigan. and extends along both banks of the Timbawassee River (see Figure 2). The Midland Plant is one o! the largest Chennai mamiacturirg complexes in the United States and is operated contimousiy. Abour 5000 people are employed at the plant. 11? following types at chemicals are produced: 1. Alkaline and Chlorine 2. Cyclic Inurmediatee 3. mm Q'ganic Chemicals a. norm-m Iru'ganic Chemicals 5. Plastic Materials. Synm'etic Resin. and Non-Vulcanizable Elastorners 6. Medicinli Chemicais and Botanial Products 7. Surface Active Agents. Finishing Agents, and Suitanated Oil: 8. Pesticides and Agricultural Chemicals Dow Oten?ai end-large: contact and non-contact cooling waters, storm water runou. and treated process and sanitary waters to the Tirtabawassee River through five out-tails. In addition to the mater: generated at the Midland Plant. the company also treat: wastewater irorn omer industries. These imiude about 1.7 MOD of process mtewater: irom the nearby Dow Corning silicone product: iacility; about 0.18 MGD of sanitary an: laboratory waste- waters from the Comm-oer: Power Midland Nuclear Plant; about 0.02 MGD of truck washirg wutewaters iron: the Chemical Leaman and Coastal Trucking Line at Midlands and. aboutm per day or leecnate from the Dow Chemical Salzburg Road landfill. According to Dow Olemiai's nut recent NPDI permit application, the average chiiy ?sterner ?ows from the-e curtail: are as follows: DOW CHEMICAL USA MICHIGAN DIVISION MIDLAND POLLUTANTS -- OJTFALL 031 PERMIT #m 0000868 TABLE 1 "7 7 MonI+orI397R95u +s Oc+ober, 1084 Mon+th DaIly Von+hly Delly Average Maximum Fverepe MexImum (lbs/day) {lbs/day) (up/I) Inn/I) Phenol 0.3 0.d 7 7 acId .0005* .0005? A 0.5' 0.6 3 3 Chloroform 2.2 715 II dIbenzo-p?dloxln 1.1x16r6 1.6x10-6 ppo 8.R NDI5.0) 5 Tefrachloroe+hylene Pen+ach or0phenol NDIA) 1P 0.2 0.2 0.9 1 1,4?chhorobenzene 1 0.d 0.d 7 7 Me+hylene Chloride NDIO) 30 2-Chlorophenol MDIO.6) -- 2,4-DIchlorophenol MDII) Naphfhalene .04 .0d Bromoform HDIE) Chlorobenzene r. HDIS) -- ##tarbon Te+rach oride dxd.?= 6.d ?4 ?n 1,2-chhlorobenzene NDIO.6) I Mass discharge measured 8+ 6313? 3 32;: at) dw DOW CHEMICAL USA. Novembel 6 1984 MICHIGAN DIVISION I MIDLAND. MICHIGAN 43MB CERTIFIED MAIL Mr. Paul Zugger, Chief Surface Water Quality Division Ml Department of Natural Resources P.0. Box 30028 Lansing, MI 48909 Dear Mr. Zugger: SWOD COMPUANCE 2 Freeland TDS exceeded 750 for short durations on two different days. Enclosed are the required sheets showing hour by hour data for those respective days. The daily TDS discharge from the Tertiary Pond is less than the river TDS Assimulative Capacity for each day and is less than the 408,000 kg/day limit that is effective with the existing river flow rate. River Assimulative Date TDS Loading Capacity September 29, 1984 394,627 kg/day 1,000,209 ko/day September 30, 1984 397,048 kg/day 481,158 kn/day October 1, 1984 376,467 kg/day 457,987 kn/day October 2, 1984 373,895 kg/day 704,513 kp/day On October 12 and 18, the rains resulted in the river flow daily average being greater than 1400 cfs. This allowed the TDS discharge rate from the Tertiary Pond to be greater than 408,000 kg/day. The higher discharge rates were still less than the ?Available Capacity" of the River, in accordance to the permit conditions. Sincerely, G. R. eur er Envir mental Services 628 Building '4 (517)636?2646 Attachments AN OPERATING UNIT OF THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY 0 Land?ll - Dow Cwernical has been operating a landfill located on Salzburg Road since January 1981. The land?ll was approved by MDNR for hazardous waste disposal on Fepnlary 10, 1932, and has quali?ed tor interim status under RCRA. As noted above, lmlneramr ash. wastewater treatment sludges, contamimted soil. and demolition material are currently land?lled at this site. Leechate colleCted from the land?ll is diverted to the wastewater treatment plant. Disposal Wells - Dow Otemical disposes of a small volume oi process Theamtet-scemmherudlly rentedbyodter mm. gumpd'into the receiving underground formation. Dow Chemical 1nd operated this fashion in the pest. Wastmters of by deep well injection conuin several organic and are typically high in dissolved alts. Aetording to tin MDNR critical materials list tor the disposal wells submitted by Dow 3 . Chemical. some at the compounds injeCted are benZenee, dioxins. phenols, metals, PCEs, styrene, chlaoiorm and others. It