Dow Chemical Company has reached a settlement to restore natural resources in three Michigan counties.
The $77 million settlement includes a commitment from Dow to help with restoration efforts in Midland, Bay, and Saginaw Counties. It particularly focuses on fish and wildlife areas in and around the Tittabawasee River.
Lisa Williams is a Contaminant Specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She said the settlement is intended to compensate the public for losses to natural resources from years of operations at Dow’s plant in Midland.
“Over time it released a variety of different chemicals into the air and into the river system, many of that happening before there were environmental regulations. They’ve been working under the oversight of the EPA and the state of Michigan to do a lot of cleanup work over the last ten years and have made great progress.”
Williams said projects funded by the settlement will affect wetland restoration, hiking trails, fishing platforms, and other recreation infrastructure. She said the construction phase for the projects should last about five years.