October 26, 2022 – The City of Midland has determined the source and identified the green substance that was discharged into the Tittabawassee River on Wednesday evening, October 25.
On Wednesday, maintenance staff at Dow Diamond (825 E. Main Street) conducted seasonal field maintenance that included the application of a fungicide and insecticide to the field surface. These chemicals contain green dye. It has been determined that, once application was complete, the tanks used to disperse the agents on the field were rinsed and discharged into a floor drain within the facility, which subsequently discharged into the storm sewer system and Tittabawassee River.
Staff from the City of Midland; Dow Diamond; and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) are working together to identify rectification measures related to this event and ensure future discharges do not occur. No additional discharges from this event are expected.
All regulatory compliance actions and environmental impact investigation will be conducted by EGLE.