Demoted Denney Describes Dow Dioxin Data as Deceptive

By Aaron Poehler

Published on December 06, 2007

While employed by Dow as a project engineering specialist, Denney was responsible for validating data on levels of dioxin and other chemicals in the river before it was sent on to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Dow is required to test and report on soil and water conditions in and around the Tittabawassee as part of a 2005 settlement agreement in which the company admitted discharging dioxin into the river for many years.

Denney's suit alleges that after an independent firm hired to validate August 2006 data rejected it due to non-compliance with testing standards, she advised her supervisors of flaws in the data set but that Dow disregarded her statements and knowingly submitted the bad data. Denney further claims that following this incident, she was demoted and forced to work from home.

In response to the suit, a Dow spokesperson asserted that the data was verified by a second firm before being submitted, and stated that the company is confident that the data was reliable and accurate. The spokesperson also denied that Denney, who still works for the company, had been demoted or retaliated against in any way.

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