State to Hand Control
of Toxic Sites to Polluters
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For
Immediate Release:
March 25, 2002
|
Contact:
James Clift (517) 487 9539
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Proposed
MDEQ changes would also increase allowable dioxin in residential
areas
LANSING
- Blasting proposed
revisions as both illegal and irresponsible, environmental
groups today called on Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality (MDEQ) to withdraw new rule changes that would keep
toxic contamination secret and allow polluters to call the
shots on cleanup activities.
Michigan Environmental Council
(MEC) experts contend that this attempt to rewrite the Environmental
Cleanup program, more commonly known as Part 201, violates
Michigan law and will make it impossible for the MDEQ to protect
the public from releases of hazardous substances at contaminated
sites.
“Essentially, these rule
changes give polluters free reign over all decision regarding
sites of toxic contamination, including who they tell about
it, and when and how they clean it up,” said James Clift,
Policy Director for the MEC. “It’s a dangerous precedent,
because these are the people with the greatest financial incentive
to cut corners possibly exposing the public to unsafe levels
of
hazardous chemicals.”
“The people of Michigan
expect state watchdogs like the MDEQ to watch out for their
health and safety,” said Tracey Easthope from the Ecology
Center. “These rule changes send a completely opposite
message. The MDEQ is also raising the allowable limits of
known carcinogens like dioxin, despite scientific evidence
that the chemical may be more dangerous than previously suspected.
It’s irresponsible and a betrayal of public trust,”
said Easthope.
The proposed rules would, in
part:
