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By Terry Camp

SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) - -- (11/26/07)-- A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientist says toxic dioxin found in the Saginaw River could be the most concentrated ever discovered in the nation's rivers and lakes.

Milton Clark says no other recorded finding comes close to the 1.6 million parts of dioxin per trillion reported last week. Clark is involved in cleanup efforts downstream from Dow Chemical Co. facilities in Midland.

In response, Michigan Department of Community Health officials have issued a fish consumption advisory for the Tittabawassee River, the Saginaw River and a portion of Saginaw Bay. The advisory warns against eating carp, catfish and white bass. It also alerts women of childbearing age and children against eating certain types of fish.

Some dioxins have been linked to cancer and other health problems

There is plenty of activity along the Saginaw River, where work on a dioxin hotspot cleanup has started.

Right now, a staging area is being constructed at the old Wickes Park boat launch.

It was a couple of weeks ago when the discovery of this dioxin hotspot in the Saginaw River was announced. The level of dioxin found is about twenty times higher than any other find recorded so far by the EPA.

The Dow Chemical Company is funding this cleanup operation.

Three similar projects are either completed or close to complete on the Tittabawassee River, closer to Dow facilities.

As far as the Saginaw River project goes, environmentalists say it's about time.

"I think the more attention we can draw to this river and this river system, and the cleanup, the better we're ultimately going to be. Because that's our goal. We've gotta get this river cleaned up," said Terry Miller, from the Lone Tree Council.

Dow Chemical stresses the original findings are preliminary. Further testing has been done on the soil samples from the river, and Dow says the subsequent testing shows levels nowhere near the record-high levels reported by the EPA.