LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) has issued the following statement after the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy announced fines and a remediation plan for Revere Dock LLC, whose dock collapsed into the Detroit River last fall and raised contamination concerns in one of the city’s largest sources of fresh water:
“While I’m glad there is a remediation plan in place and the appropriate authority held responsible, today’s news does not negate the need to do more to protect the public’s health and waterways. Every tragedy that happens is a warning that we must act differently before the next. The dock collapse in the Detroit River put a whole city — and others who pull from the river as a water source — on notice. Now is the time to act to ensure we do not see another environmental disaster, because Michigan, of all places, has every reason to be a leader in clean water and public health.”
Sen. Chang, alongside Sens. Rosemary Bayer (D-Beverly Hills) and Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), have already introduced legislation to protect major waterways and public health by ensuring statewide risk assessments be conducted, and a public database of findings made available, regarding contaminated properties along major waterways. The legislation would also require inspections of commercial and industrial docks, as well as notifications on spills into waterways.
Senate Bills 948, 949 and 950 were introduced in June and sent to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, where they await a hearing.
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