Bill's Response to Today's MDN Article

.... Plaintiffs: Let dioxin suit move forward: Reader Opinions:
Dow's testing provides more data and facts. It's a sad day for science when the collection of facts earns a so called 'admonishment' from regulators. Summer of 2005 is deja vu of Spring 2004 for our dioxin issue. We have the plaintiffs trying to rev up a groundless lawsuit, MDEQ trying to showcase their lousy CAP, Lone Tree Council trying to parade their vision of the environmental world upon our communities (remember, they're the ones who use lots of skull and crossbones) and MDEQ giving their favorite (and only?) scientist another shot in July at the bully pulpit. For those who still view the Dow-MDEQ Framework as a huge step forward, think again. The voices of sound science and resident stakeholders are being drowned out by a repeat of emotional voices for clean up NOW! and facts later.
Bill Egerer, Midland Matters, June 20, 2005

...and while I'm here, here's an email I received yesterday. Seems the Blogger comment system only allows 300 words for comments so he emailed the comment.

Sun 6/19/2005 10:44 AM
Shirley and Frank,

Thanks for posting your photos and story about your 'molecule cover' landscaping.

Your new landscaping looks great!! It s a wonderful golden anniversary gift for both of you. If the gift is a Dow payoff, you've certainly worked overtime to get it. With the thousands of hours you ve spent exposing the extremists' real agenda, I suppose that Dow payrate would average under $1 per hour.

I think your decision to accept remediation illustrates a couple good points of the Framework that's currently built on more marketing hype and politics than good science. Those points are:
#1 Your private property rights were recognized and allowed to drive the remediation decision.
#2 The State of MI and/or Dow Chemical did not force you and Frank into decisions or cookie cutter clean up plans.
#3 Private sector contractors executed the plans instead of government departments.
#4 You and Frank as the land owners, property tax payers, residents in the Freeland community, direct users of the local air, water and soil were the primary decision maker of the final remediation plans.
#5 - You didn t need the State, local government officials, Dow reps or business groups leading you around and making the decisions for you.

You've done so much to give the silent majority a voice of sanity, expose the extremist's corrosive agenda and try to get science to replace emotion on this issue. Other residents and our local communities are in debt for all your efforts to actively engage in leadership on the dioxin issue. You've given us thousands of words and pictures on your website to tell our story .

Enjoy your new landscaping; be sure to plant your flowers to keep up your hormesis dose of dioxin for good health and above all, KEEP ON BLOGGING.

Your Midland Friend
Bill