US House Approves $170 million for Flint
In late September, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate voted in favor of $170 million investment in water infrastructure improvements, including replacement of lead service lines, in response to Flint’s water crisis. It has now been longer than a year since Gov. Snyder and the State of Michigan publicly recognized the Flint water crisis, and longer than two years since the city began drawing water from the Flint River without the proper corrosion controls in place to protect residents from lead in the distribution system.
It has not been easy to get assurances from Lansing or Washington D.C. that the appropriate funding for Flint will be allocated. Last spring, over 10,000 Clean Water Action members from across Michigan made their voices heard by writing to their State House representatives, demanding that they vote to adequately fund lead service line replacement and programs for Flint residents suffering with the effects of lead poisoning. Clean Water Action hosted two lobby days with more than 40 volunteers and staff, along with activists from Flint Rising to deliver the 10,000 letters, and in the end $114 million was allocated by the state legislature in response to the water crisis.
The fight for Flint was led by Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-5) in the House, and both of our Senators, Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters in the Senate. After months of work to secure federal funding for Flint, and the threat of a government shutdown over the issue, Kildee’s coalition prevailed as the House voted 284-141 in favor of the funding package.
After this election, Clean Water Action members and all those who take protecting our drinking water seriously must keep the pressure on Congress to ensure that the final WRDA includes proper funding to replace lead service lines in Flint.
Hillary Clinton for President
The stakes could not be higher and the choice could not be clearer. That is why Clean Water Action has endorsed Hillary Clinton for President. Hillary Clinton is a fighter and has a strong history of protecting our environment, water, and health as First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State.
She has called climate change the “defining challenge of our time”, proposed one of the most far-reaching environmental platforms in history, and incorporated a bold vision for environmental justice in her policies. She will continue President Obama’s legacy of action on climate — and expand on it, ensuring the nation meets the commitments made in Paris. She will also defend the Clean Water Rule.
Clean Water Action is pleased to announce our Michigan endorsements for the 2016 elections.
View all of our Congressional, State House, and county office endorsements in our Michigan Clean Water Voter Guide.
In Reality, Michigan “Clean Corporate Citizen” is a Top Polluter
DTE Energy’s Monroe power plant isn’t quite the “Clean Corporate Citizen” described in a designation from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
In fact, recent findings from a nine-month Center for Public Integrity investigation of “super polluters” across the U.S. found that the Monroe plant is among the worst polluters in the country — ranking 11th out of more than 7,000 power plants in the United States.
Not only does burning coal spew dangerous pollution into our air, it poisons Michigan’s waterways and Great Lakes.
To try to address the toxic air pouring from the plant, DTE has put in place filters that transfer air pollutants into our water — increasing the release of dangerous pollution into waterways across surrounding communities. In fact, according to the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), the Monroe plant resulted in a greater amount of toxic chemicals discharged into Lake Erie than any other coal-fired power plant in any other waterway in the country. The Monroe plant ranks in the top ten among coal-fired power plants for mercury pollution, which also pollutes Lake Erie at an alarming rate.
These dangerous pollutants poison our rivers, streams, and Great Lakes and can have detrimental impacts to the health of surrounding communities — particularly vulnerable populations such as children, seniors, and pregnant women.
Astoundingly, the Monroe plant isn’t among those slated to be closed by DTE.
Given that this plant continues to be a significant threat to public health, the recent findings by EIP should shine a spotlight on the need to replace plants like the one in Monroe with renewable energy sources.
Renewable energy like wind and solar can help meet the energy needs of residents in southeast Michigan, while reducing dangerous pollution and improving public health. If DTE energy takes no action, the Monroe plant will continue to release dangerous chemicals like arsenic and mercury into the surrounding community.
Coal is by far the dirtiest source of energy, and instead of spending billions of dollars to maintain this archaic source of energy, Michigan should accelerate the development and implementation of renewable energy.
The Michigan legislature is currently working to update the state’s energy policy. Communities in southeast Michigan and across the state will benefit from an energy policy that increases Michigan’s renewable energy standard and ensures big utility companies DTE and Consumers Energy utilize more clean, renewable energy in their energy mix.
It is time for our lawmakers to take a strong stance on renewable energy and pass energy legislation that increases our renewable energy standard. Michigan should be a leader in renewable energy, not home to the dirtiest power plants in the country.
TAKE ACTION: Don’t let Michigan legislators move us backward on clean energy.
Momentum is Growing for Decommissioning Line 5!
On September 19th, the Pipeline Safety Advisory Board held a quarterly meeting in Lansing. The Advisory Board was created by the Governor and Attorney General in 2014 in response to citizen concerns about the growing danger of Enbridge’s aging Line 5 pipelines. The board has commissioned a study, to be funded and administered by Enbridge, on risks and alternatives to the 63 year-old corroding pipeline running through the Straits of Mackinac.
As winter approaches, activists are calling for a temporary shut-down of Line 5 while there is ice on the Straits. The presence of ice makes it much more difficult to clean up an oil spill, and Enbridge does not have a credible plan for how to clean up a spill in the winter. This was addressed in detail at the Advisory Board meeting, but still co-chairs Valerie Brader from the Michigan Office of Energy, and new Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) director Heidi Grether, declined to establish a subcommittee to consider the possibility of a winter shut down.
Earlier in September, Clean Water Action was joined by several other environmental groups to host a rally at the Capitol steps urging the state senate to vote against confirming Grether as DEQ director. Grether spent most of her career as a lobbyist for British Petroleum, and then as BP’s public relations director after the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. As DEQ director, she is now co-chair of the Pipeline Safety Advisory Board.
So far, 62 municipalities across Michigan have passed local resolutions calling on Governor Snyder and Attorney General Schuette to shut down Line 5 immediately. Last week, thanks to the efforts of Clean Water Action members in Lansing, the capital city passed a resolution for the immediate shut-down of Line 5. City council members heard from more than 300 Clean Water members from Lansing, and passed the resolution unanimously. Statewide, more than 15,000 Clean Water Action members have written letters to Attorney General Schuette on the issue. Clean Water Action intends to continue increasing pressure on him until the pipeline is shut down.
TAKE ACTION: Tell Attorney General Schuette to protect the Great Lakes and shut down Line 5.
Back to School and Michigan’s Higher Education Future
Fall is in the air, and Michigan students have returned to school. The week before classes began, Clean Water Action staff hosted incoming freshmen from Michigan State University at the Capitol to talk about our state’s budget priorities and the current challenges with education funding. Clean Water Action recognizes that a quality education is the basis for a thriving society and allows for the public to make better-informed decisions when it comes to environmental stewardship. Right now, higher education funding in Michigan is down 21% below 2008 levels and the average tuition has increased by $2,276 per year since 2008.
Students also heard from Representative Sam Singh about how they can get involved with government and advocate for changes to make sure that every Michigander has access to quality, affordable higher education. After the talk, the students broke into small groups and spoke with Michigan state Senators about the need for investment in education. They also delivered letters to state Senators about the need to invest in education. Just as we need to fund environmental safeguards to protect the Great Lakes and public health, we also need to fully fund public education at all levels, so that every child growing up in Michigan has the opportunity to pursue an education to help them individually and our society as a whole thrive. Michigan ought to be a leader in providing a quality education for the future leaders of our state if we are going to remain competitive in the global economy.
Want to learn more about Michigan’s state budget priorities and get involved in the work to change them? Contact Sean McBrearty in our Lansing office!
