Report: Dow downplayed dioxin dangers

MIDLAND, Mich., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- A government memo alleges Dow Chemical Co. knew about the dangers of dioxins discharged for years into rivers near its Midland, Mich., plant.

The Detroit Free Press said Friday the Environmental Protection Agency memo had been accidentally turned over to a Michigan environmental group through a Freedom of Information Act request.

In the memo, EPA officials said Dow took steps to downplay and even hide the dangers from the public and attempted to dodge the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) by negotiating a cleanup plan directly with Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Scientists say even minute amounts of dioxin can cause cancer and other disorders in humans.

Dow told the newspaper that the memo was a mistaken perception of the progress that was being made on the dioxin issue. However, the Saginaw News said Friday the DEQ wants Dow to turn over its data on toxin levels in the Saginaw and Tittabawassee Rivers.