Earlier this month, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters' website had blog post criticizing the United Nations for praising Dow Chemical for helping on global water issues. The announcement came shortly after residents filed a class action lawsuit against the company for its pollution of Michigan's Tittabawassee Riber. Of course, it does not take much thought to realize that good press for Dow has the potential to lessen focus on its destructive behavior.

A similar situation took place earlier this week in which Dow Chemical was praised while at the same time it was coming under scrutiny for its environmental record. On Monday, Dow Chemical announced a partnership with Michigan-based International Aid in which Dow will supply a plastic resin for water filters that International Aid is going to distribute in the developing world. However, the Midland Daily News reported that Dow Chemical is filing an appeal with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) in which it is trying to lessen its responsibility for cleaning up dioxin pollution. Dow Chemical argues that it is not the only responsible party and should not be the only one cleaning up the region.