Community Meeting on Dow Dioxin Plan – May 7th

Officials from the EPA, MDEQ, Department of Community Health, and Dow Chemical, Inc. will be present at a community meeting to be held at the Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw this Wednesday (May 7th) from 6:30 to 9 pm. 

The agenda of the meeting will include Dow’s 2007 sampling data for the middle Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay, an overview of the fish and wild game advisory prepared by DCH, a summary of the EPAs residential assessment sampling activities, etc…   Forty-five minutes of the meeting has been set aside for questions and discussions.  Presenters and Dow Representatives will also be available for one-half hour after the meeting is over.

The meeting agenda and related documetns can be obtained at the MDEQs website at :

http://www.michigan.gov/deqdioxin

and clicking on “DEQ/Dow Community Involvement” and “Dow off-site Corrective Action” Quick Links.

 

MDEQ DRAFT 2009 Ambient Air Monitoring Network Review

Yesterday, the DEQ released the DRAFT Report to Solicit Comments for “Michigan’s 2009 Ambient Air Monitoring Network Review”.  The purpose of this report is to examine the State’s ambient air monitoring network and recommend changes for the coming year.  The basis for some of the recommended changes are the federal changes to the ambient air quality standards for ozone and lead, population distribution changes, and monitoring history results that require monitoring adjustments. 

The draft report is available at the DEQ AQD website (link) for public review.  The DEQ will be accepting public comments about this report for thirty days after it was released.

 

2008 Energy Conference and Exhibit

The Engineering Society of Detroit and DTE Energy are hosting the Energy Conference and Exhibition 2008 on May 6th at Rock Financial Showplace in Novi.  Topics will include “green” technologies, emerging technologies and economic impacts of energy on Michigan.

If you interested in attending visit the ESD website (link).

 

AIPG Section Meeting – Grand Rapids – May 15th

The Michigan Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologist will be having a section meeting in Grand Rapids on May 15th at the Riverfront Hotel.  The Guest speaker will be Dr. David Barnes of  Western Michigan University who will be giving a talk entitled “Addressing Climate Change through Carbon Capture and Geological Storage in Michigan”. 

You do not need to be a AIPG member or CPG to attend.  If you interested, check out the AIPG-MI newletter (link) or contact Don Conway at dgconway@goslingczubak.com or (231)946-9191 by May 9th. 

 

Air Quality Awareness Week April 28 to May 2

This week is National Air Quality Awareness Week as coined by the EPA and NOAA which coincides with “Ozone Action!” season.  Michigan Governor Granhom has also signed a proclamation recognizing NAQAW.  The EPA and NOAA have websites with links to information and activities.  The primarily focus of this information is on ozone and particle air pollution. 

 

April 23 – Last Day to Pre-Register for BrownFields 2008

Tomorrow (April 23, 2008) is the last day to pre-register for the Brownfields 2008 conference being held at Cobo Hall in Detroit. Visit the Brownfield 2008 website for information on how to register.

 

Happy Earth Day 2008

Happy Earth Day 2008

 

Kalamazoo River Project Underway

Preparation work for the second and final year of a estimated $30 million PCB-contaminated sediment removal project is underway on the Kalamazoo River near Highway 131 Bridge and the Plainwell Dam. Contractors hired by Georgia-Pacific LLC and the Millennium Holdings LLC will be excavating approximately 83,000 cubic yard of sediment from the river this year under EPA and MDEQ oversight. Cofferdams will be used to manage water levels in the river. The MDEQ has closed the river to the public between Plainwell and Otsego.

In 2007, more than 37,000 cubic yards of sediment was removed from the river and banks.

Additional investigations are also scheduled to be conducted this year up stream of the excavation areas and along Portage Creek. An information meeting was held on April 2, 2008 in Plainwell, however, the EPA press release was not sent until April 7.

EPA has a website with more information about the Kalamazoo River Project.

RRD seeking Peer Reviewers for Vapor Intrusion Guidance

 

MDEQ-RRD is seeking peer reviewers for Operational Memorandum No. 4, Attachment 4 “Soil Gas and Indoor Air” and Vapor Intrusion Technical Support Document.   The draft operational memo is due to come out some time this month (April).  Based on what’s been written in the AIPG’s and MAEP’s newsletters, it looks like the new guidance will require soil gas sampling to address the indoor air pathway.  This is a somewhat controversial approach to evaluating this pathway particularly since soil gas surveys can be unreliable. 

If you are interested in participating in the peer review of this document contact Patty Brandt at MDEQ-RRD.

 

LUST Temporary Reimbursement Program Update

The MDEQ has updated the Invoice Submittal Form (EQP 4459) on March 24, 2008.  They have also included a list of approved sites and submittal deadlines.  If you have a TRP site you may want to visit the MDEQ’s TRP website and double check the dates and down load the new submittal forms before you submit you next invoices.