I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
State Rep. Sarah Roberts (D-St. Clair Shores) has introduced a bill (HB4472) that would require the state to do annual unscheduled inspections of companies that hold permits to discharge pollutants into Michigan waters.
Amanda Skalski of the Michigan Policy Network writes that the bill deserves recognition and support.
Inspections are costly but are necessary to enforce environmental laws, especially when permits are given to polluters. Michigan is behind the times in water protection if these clauses are sitting around waiting for someone to take them up again. We are the Great Lakes State, and it is in our best interests to make sure our waters are clean and safe not only for our own use, but to protect the tourism industry.
If more people knew how the state has lagged in implementing and enforcing water protection, there would be a public outcry for this small amendment. Environmental interest groups would have a strong desire to see this amendment reconsidered and passed. State legislators who are searching for reelection should take up this concept and pass it off as an attempt to “clean up” Michigan. Inspections would also provide jobs, and that’s never a bad idea.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Great Lakes and the Environment.
Rep. Roberts’ district is affected by severe PCB contamination in the canal system of St. Clair Shores.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of toxic compounds that were used in manufacturing but banned in the U.S. in the 1970s. Exposure to PCBs has been linked to a broad range of health problems including reproductive and immune system damage and cancer.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment spokesman Bob McCann said that MDNRE is struggling to meet its current goal of inspecting permit holders twice every five years.
“Going to once per year without any kind of funding increase would not be possible without major shifts in staffing and would mean other work throughout the department would need to be cut back,” McCann said.
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