United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
For more information
You can view documents related to
the Tittabawassee River, Saginaw
River & Bay Contamination site in
information repositories set up by
EPA and MDEQ. The repositories
are located in the Grace A. Dow
Memorial Library, 1710 W. Saint
Andrews St., Midland; the Hoyt
Main Library, 505 Janes Ave.,
Saginaw; and the Alice and Jack
Wirt Public Library, 500 Center
Ave., Bay City.
Information office
EPA has opened a community
information office in the Saginaw
County Courthouse, 111 S.
Michigan Ave., Saginaw. Usual
hours are Tuesday through
Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed
from noon to 1 p.m.). Or call 989-
790-5215.
On the Web
EPA dioxin investigation:
http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/
dowchemical
Michigan dioxin information:
http://www.michigan.gov/deqdioxin
Sign up for the listserv
If you would like to be e-mailed site
updates, send a blank message to:
dow_dioxin-subscribe@lists.epa.gov
Contacts
These EPA community involvement
coordinators can answer questions:
Patricia Krause
312-886-9506
krause.patricia@epa.gov
Don de Blasio
312-886-4360
deblasio.don@epa.gov
Region 5 toll free:
800-621-8431, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30
p.m., weekdays
EPA Workshop to Discuss
Community Advisory Group
Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River & Bay Contamination Site
Midland/Saginaw/Bay City Region, Michigan July 2009
Please join us at a public workshop to discuss the formation of
a community advisory group for the Super fund cleanup of the
Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers and Saginaw Bay (Dow site). The
workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 15.
A Superfund community advisory group or CAG is a way for people in the community
to participate in providing coordinated, local input to the decision-making process
at Superfund sites. It is a forum for community members to present and discuss
their needs and concerns related to Superfund cleanup projects. A CAG assists U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in making better decisions by providing the Agency
a unique opportunity to hear and seriously consider community preferences for site
cleanups.
At large and complex Superfund projects like the Dow site, CAGs can serve a critical
role in ensuring all community issues are understood and considered. CAGs also work
as a conduit making sure needed information is provided to area residents. EPA wants
to work with the local communities to establish a CAG for this site.
CAGs represent the whole community
CAGs are designed to include a balanced membership that represents the full range of
local interests and viewpoints. CAGs also need to be manageable in size to allow them
to function effectively. Membership is often targeted to no more than 25. Therefore
it is important to identify the range of interests that must be represented on the
board and then seek a membership that reflects those interests. A large part of the
August meeting will be devoted to discussing what interests and viewpoints need to be
represented on the CAG.
EPA does not pick CAG members
EPA does not select the members or tell the advisory group how to operate, but will
facilitate the creation of a group and provide resources for it to operate effectively.
There are a number of different techniques for convening a CAG. EPA is proposing that
a CAG selection committee, consisting of local leaders who would not serve on the CAG
itself, be charged with identifying community members to represent the balance of
interests. At the August meeting, we will discuss whether this process makes sense and
who should be on the steering committee.
Being a CAG member is a big commitment
Being an effective CAG member takes real commitment. Most CAGs meet monthly to
review and comment on technical documents and plans related to the environmental
studies and cleanup activities at the site and to relay information between EPA and
the community about the ongoing activities. For a site as large and diverse as the
Dow site, subcommittees and special committees will also be used to study particular
issues in depth, engage more stakeholders and help gather information and input from
throughout the community.
Being part of a CAG requires a significant commitment of time and interest. In
addition to attending regular meetings and belonging to subcommittees, members will
meet often with individuals and groups in the area to obtain their views and hear their
concerns related to site cleanup issues.
EPA will provide training, guidance, and some administrative and technical support,
but being a CAG member is hard work—and an important job. The CAG belongs to the
community. It will operate and act independently with an emphasis on people's health
and protection of the environment as its major goals.
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Join Us!
On Saturday, Aug. 15, EPA will hold a meeting to discuss the formation of a CAG for the Dow
Superfund site. After a brief presentation, attendees will be asked to participate in a facilitated
discussion about the composition of an advisory group and about how to choose members.
The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to noon at Saginaw Valley State University in Room ES 2021
Dining Room of the Regional Education Center.
Meeting participants will work together to consider the following questions:
• What interests and viewpoints need to be represented on a CAG?
• How should individual CAG members be identified?
• What are the most important questions for the CAG to address from a community standpoint?
CAG members will not be selected at this meeting, however forms will be available for individuals to
express interest in becoming a CAG member or a member of the selection committee should that
process be chosen.
Questions? Call Don de Blasio or Patti Krause (contact information on first page).
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