Midland, Michigan was recently heavily flooded as the result of a dam failure. Reports from Dow Chemical Facility have said that floodwaters were “commingling with on-site containment ponds” at Dow facilities. Floodwaters had the potential to release chemicals onto farmland and residential areas downstream, however, Dow reported that there were no product releases as a result of the flooding.
This May 28, 2008 photo shows the Dow Chemical Co. industrial site in Midland, Michigan
This is another example of the Trump administration putting vulnerable communities in harms way by sidelining science” said Carter. There was an Executive Order that called for Superfund sites to update their infrastructure to protect them from future extreme floods, but it was trashed by the Trump administration a week before Hurricane Harvey hit.
After Dams Fail, Dow Admits Floodwaters in Midland, Michigan ‘Commingling’ With Toxic Chemical Storage Ponds
The flooding poses risks a large risk of spreading pollution throughout Midland county. The Tittabawassee River, which has long been subject to illegal dumping by Dow, is one of the most contaminated rivers in Michigan.
‘The catastrophic flooding we are seeing in Midland is a culmination of the impacts of the increased strange and severe weather events that are amplified by climate change,’ said Lisa Wozniak, Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director ‘and this latest event highlights the importance of big thinking right now from leaders around how to plan properly with our changing climate to keep our families safe.’
After Dams Fail, Dow Admits Floodwaters in Midland, Michigan ‘Commingling’ With Toxic Chemical Storage Ponds