Report Shows Great
Lakes At High Pollution Risk
Cleanup Funding Dwindles for Toxic Sites
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For
Immediate Release:
June 12, 2003
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Contacts:
Dave
Dempsey, Kristin Brooks,
or David Holtz
517-487-9539
|
LANSING-
Michigan's Great Lakes are at risk from toxic contamination
in at least 15 counties and cleanup may fall short because
the state's cleanup fund is expected to go broke in just over
two years, according to a report released today by the Michigan
Environmental Council (MEC).
Using data supplied by the State
of Michigan, MEC identified at least 32 sites-all within one
mile of the Great Lakes or connecting waters-where chemical
contaminants are polluting groundwater, lakes and streams.
Among the sites identified in the Great Lakes Leaks report
are nine near the new Detroit River International Wildlife
Refuge in Wayne and Monroe counties.
One of the most contaminated
sites in Michigan is near the Lake Michigan shoreline in Allegan
County where tourists flock. The state's most contaminated
site near the Great Lakes is in Alpena County where National
Gypsum has caused arsenic, lead and mercury pollution of Alpena
Bay. Other counties with significant contamination sites near
the Great Lakes are: Alcona, Alger, Bay, Berrien, Chippewa,
Delta, Huron, Iosco, Ottawa, Schoolcraft, and Van Buren.
"This is a wake-up call
for anyone who cares about Michigan's Great Lakes," said
Dave Dempsey, senior policy analyst for MEC. "We have
arsenic, mercury, PCBs, dioxin and a host of other toxins
seeping into our most important waters and we do not have
the money to clean up these sites."
The Great Lakes Leaks report
noted that since 1995, sixteen of the most contaminated sites
at that time have been cleaned up with funding from voter-approved
bonds that generated an estimated $750 million. But only $100
million remains in the cleanup fund while cost estimates for
addressing Michigan's cleanup needs exceed $2.7 billion. MEC's
Dempsey said all of the remaining cleanup funds will be exhausted
by 2005. He urged Governor Granholm and the Legislature to
appropriate at least $100 million annually to cover the costs
of cleaning up the state's contaminated sites. One important
step toward addressing the cleanup need would be to continue
the 7/8-cents-per-gallon fee that has been levied on gasoline
sales since 1989 to pay for cleanup of leaking storage tanks.
That would raise approximately $60 million annually.
"Lawmakers must take responsibility
now," said Dempsey. "It's pay now or pay later and
price a tag later in terms of our natural resources and Michigan's
economy will be much, much higher unless we act."
A copy of Great Lakes Leaks and
complete listing of the 32 most contaminated sites is at http://www.mecprotects.org.
