Bell Ringers! Archive 2006

In each issue of the Michigan Environmental Report, we celebrate recent environmental successes by MEC and our member groups.

Fall 2006

	Two-wheeled help Updated laws regarding rules for bicycle riders and drivers who share the roads with them were signed into law over the summer by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, giving a needed boost to efforts to make cycling more practical for Michiganders. Several MEC member groups, with assistance from MEC staff, helped shepherd the law to fruition. Ride on!
	Glass half-full Of 10 million Michiganders, TruGreen picked MEC activist Tess Karwoski's lawn to mistakenly apply a stew of pesticides on. Livid, Karwoski kept her temper in check and educated both the surprised young man applying the toxics, newspaper readers and television viewers about the alternatives to the dangerous chemicals..
	Have one on us Red wine's health benefits are documented. But Leelanau Cellars' decision to donate part of every sale of Great Lakes Red to MEC gives connoisseurs an extra reason to pop a cork. Drink up!

August 2006

	Algae action MEC's "Something's Amuck" report on the return of rampant algae blooms to the Great Lakes drew widespread interest, with media coverage from major television networks, magazines and Canadian news outlets. A new state Phosphorus Advisory Committee was formed in July to help address excess phosphorus runoff, which contributes to algae growth. MEC's James Clift is on the committee, as are representatives from member groups, including Donna Stine from MUCC and Grenetta Thomassey from the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and Laura Rubin from the Huron River Watershed Council.
	Getting the lead out MEC support helped shepherd to completion a bill requiring lead screening tests for families receiving assistance under the WIC nutrition program. The legislation was signed into law by the governor in late July with immediate effect.
	Going underground with $60 million The state Department of Environmental Quality received legislative authorization for a $60 million project to jumpstart work at sites of leaking underground storage tanks that pose the greatest risk to drinking water. The money will be split between sites owned by private individuals ($45 million) and orphan sites ($15 million). Private owners will gain access to $50,000 for each site and will be required to provide 20% match money. The project is a result of the first recommendations of the Refined Petroleum Cleanup Advisory Council (of which MEC Policy Director James Clift is a member).

June 2006

	Mercury controls Years of work by Michigan's environmental and public health interests paid off when Gov. Granholm announced in April her support for a rule requiring 90% mercury emissions reductions by the year 2015.
	Non-motorized hope A new law signed by Gov. Granholm shows the influence of MEC and former staffer Dusty Fancher, now a member of the executive office staff. Public Act 82, promoted by MEC members including the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, modifies what qualifies and what doesn't the legislatively mandated fund requirement for non motorized transportation services and facilities. The funds would have to be used for the construction or improvement of those services and facilities, make sidewalks eligible for funding, and removes the paving of unpaved roads from non-motorized facility projects.
	Green governor celebrated More than 200 people attended an event in Lansing April 24 recognizing the publication of an MEC-sponsored biography of former Governor William G. Milliken, regarded as Michigan's most environmentally conscientious chief executive.

April 2006

Court unanimously rejects clean air rollback In a 3-0 decision in March, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit struck down the Bush Administration's attempt to dramatically weaken a critical component of the Clean Air Act. The ruling--which came in a lawsuit brought by states, local governments and a coalition of environmental groups, including MEC--prevents industrial polluters from taking advantage of a regulatory loophole that the U.S. EPA opened in late 2003. Said MEC Energy Policy Director David Gard: "Honestly, I am not surprised at the outcome because industry's claim in this case was so egregious."

21-year water battle culminates in new protections Gov. Granholm's signing on February 28 of legislation to protect Michigan's waters from large-scale withdrawals is a victory for the state's natural resources and the result of hard work by a dedicated coalition of MEC member groups and others.

February 2006

	Commitment to clean energy Due in part to MEC's ongoing efforts to link clean energy with economic development, Gov. Jennifer Granholm committed in her 2006 State of the State Address to making Michigan "the alternative energy epicenter of America" as a strategy to grow jobs. MEC has participated on the governor's EDGE2 clean energy task force since its inception in 2004.
	Breathing easier With the Michigan DEQ's denial of a permit for the Hamtramck medical waste incinerator in December, Michigan now has no operating medical waste incinerators. There were over a hundred in the early 1990s, spewing mercury and other toxic pollutants into the environment. Michigan's air and public health are better off.
	Holding polluters accountable Gov. Granholm's veto in December of HB 4617 helped protect taxpayers and homeowners from the burden of paying for cleanup of toxic pollutants dumped by others. The governor's action reaffirmed the principle that the burden of proof should fall on polluters, not the public.

Archive

Bell Ringers! 2005

 

Michigan Environmental Council
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