,,,and now a note from Bill:

Several links to news coverage on dioxin issue:

WNEM TV5 - http://www.wnem.com/Global/story.asp?S=2831635&nav=7k75VNqe for video and text
Reporter Ty Milburn 2:05 minutes

WJRT TV12 - http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/news/011905_NW_da_dow.html for video and text
By Terry Camp and Matt Franklin
TWO reports; 1st is 1:37min titled ABC12 Video Report and 2nd is 3:17 min titled Watch the 6PM Report

WSGW 790 - http://wsgw.com/skin/blurb.php?sectionId=184&contentId=50625

Saginaw News - http://www.mlive.com/sanews/
Reporter Jeremiah Stettler covered resident groups press conference 4-5PM for a Jan 20 print.
Wed article of interest: Two Midland legislators hope to limit 'facility' designation - Wednesday, January 19, 2005
JEREMIAH STETTLER- http://www.mlive.com/news/sanews/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1106149814262100.xml

Midland Daily News - http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.asp?brd=2289
Reporters Cheryl Wade and Stu Frohm covered resident groups press conference 4-5PM for a Jan 20 print

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Resident Group Meeting with Lt. Governor Cherry

At 10AM today (January 19, 2005), our coalition of resident groups, Midland Matters (MM) and Tittabawassee River Voice (TRVoice) met in the Lt. Gov. John Cherry's office with officials of MDEQ and The Dow Chemical Company. Representatives are Bill Egerer, Founder of Midland Matters and Leonard Heinzman & Shirley Salas of TRVoice.
Meeting attendees were Steve Chester, Jim Sygo of MDEQ and Arnold Allemang (via phone), Susan Carrington and Jerry Howell of Dow Chemical.


MAJOR POINTS MADE BY RESIDENT GROUPS DURING MEETING:
MDEQ

• must begin working in cooperation with community local health and elected officials. Continued MDEQ and MDCH usurping local officials' responsibility and roles in health issues will keep MDEQ at it's all time low level of credibility.


• The "Facility" label issue is top priority for resolution to residents. MDEQ should begin by retracting their previous memos on facility and seek rule or legislative based resolution.


• We encouraged the Lt. Governor's continued engagement with the dioxin issue process, particularly since the facility label and Saginaw River/Bay issues remain unresolved.


• We hope a better coordination between various State agencies can be lead by the Lt. Governor.


• We view the framework intent as a positive step towards defining process of continued negotiations and community involvement.


• We support the use of science based public policy decisions and 3rd party oversight of government regulation.


• We are generally encouraged by the announcement, but understand the devil is in the details, which we have not yet reviewed.

At 3:30PM the resident groups conducted a press conference to provide media with our viewpoints of the agreement explained to us by the Lt. Gov., MDEQ and Dow.

Bill Egerer, Midland Matters