The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking
input from area residents on how to go about treating hazardous soil on
Middleground Island, near Bay City.
Middleground Island, which is a 175-acre island in the
Saginaw River, has many residential properties, in addition to recreational,
commercial and closed waste disposal properties. Seventeen of the 37
residential properties were found to contain high levels of dioxins in the
soil, which are large family of hazardous chemicals, including furans. A total
of 15 acres are expected to be cleaned up.
"EPA's proposed cleanup will ensure that people living
on Middleground Island are safe when they contact soil in their yard," the
EPA states.
Dioxins are known to cause cancer and other health concerns,
such as skin problems, liver damage, or reproductive issues. According to the
EPA, when people play or work outside, they can accidentally eat small amount
of contaminated dirt or get dirt on their skin, which can cause these problems.
The chemicals are a result of historical industrial
activities, primarily from The Dow Chemical Co.'s Midland plant, which has
operated since the 1890s. Dioxins have been found in and along the
Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers. Specifically, the dioxins on Middleground
Island are believed to be a result of dredge materials used as fill on the
island from 1973 to 1984.
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