Dear Friend,
I am proud to serve the people of Kalamazoo County every day in the Michigan Senate. One of my top priorities is to ensure a healthy, vibrant future for all citizens — including improving and expanding upon our environmental conservation policies.
Michigan is known for its abundance of natural resources, and this is a nonpartisan issue we should all care about. Whether it’s cleaning up PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of manmade chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other toxic ‘forever chemicals’) from our soil and groundwater, or helping address the very important issue of climate change with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, we must work together to meet these challenges now before it’s too late.
This newsletter contains updates on efforts to protect our natural resources, including recent legislation I’ve introduced to clean up our environment, protect our waterways, and more.
If I can be of assistance to you at any time, you can always reach me through email at SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov or by phone at 517-373-5100.
Sincerely,
Sean McCann
State Senator
20th District
Website: SenSeanMcCann.com
Toll-free: (855) 347-8020
Environmental agencies continue the work of discovery and remediation of sites in Kalamazoo County that have been affected by the toxic, ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS. I am working closely with local government leaders, state agencies, and responsible corporate parties who are involved in ongoing cleanup efforts of known contaminated sites in our community.
As you may be aware, PFAS has recently been discovered in the soil and groundwater at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, although county health authorities have assured us they did not find any pathway to human exposure and the City of Kalamazoo’s drinking water has not been affected. These tests were able to be conducted thanks to a state grant awarded to the airport.
In addition to the Michigan PFAS Action Response (MPART) Team taking questions from concerned residents on this matter, the state is also encouraging residents of Northeast Kalamazoo County who may have
been affected by PFAS to sign up for a study on the effects of these chemical compounds. Anyone in the Parchment/Cooper Township area interested in joining the study can call 855-322-3037 to confirm their eligibility and enroll. Participants will receive their results for free and are offered gift cards with a value of up to $55 as a thank you for their time and effort.
Eligible residents will be asked to submit blood samples and answer survey questions three times over the course of the study, which runs from 2020 through 2026. Blood samples will be tested for PFAS levels and health markers, including cholesterol, and some participants may have their blood tested for PCBs. The samples will be taken at a study office near Parchment and Cooper Township.
For the latest on what MPART and others working to ensure clean drinking water are up to, including any relevant meetings, visit their website at Michigan.gov/PFASresponse.
https://www.michigan.gov/egleLocal communities can apply for funding under the Community Pollution Prevention Grant Program through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy for projects that will limit the number of sanitary sewerage overflows or reduce the amount of energy needed to operate wastewater pond mixers.
The grants can be used for a variety of projects, although the maximum grant amount local governments, wastewater treatment organizations, and other entities are eligible for is $25,000. Applicants must provide matching funds of at least 25% of the total project budget as well.
Priority will be given to applicants that are wastewater authorities, located in at-risk communities (low-income per capita) and that have not met their permitted phosphorus effluent limit, and/or have a documented history of sanitary sewerage overflows. Awards will be given to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is depleted.
DEADLINE TO APPLY
Aug. 31, 2021
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT
Michigan.gov/EGLE
APPLICANT INFORMATION
Erica Richard
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Materials Management Division
(517) 284-8337
RichardE1@Michigan.gov
The science is clear that climate change is directly impacting our public health, environment, economy, and our families, and these effects are especially disproportionate for communities of color and low-income families.
In response, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive formally setting a goal of economic carbon neutrality by 2050, known as the MI Healthy Climate Plan.
This decision aims to mitigate future harms of climate change and help Michigan take full advantage of an ongoing global energy transformation — from jobs for our skilled workforce to protections for natural resources — and the savings it will bring communities and utility customers.
Other highlights of the Governor’s plan include:
- 40% reduction of energy use by all existing state facilities by 2040.
• Carbon neutrality in all new state buildings and renovations by 2030.
• A commitment to achieve a 28% reduction below 1990 levels in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
• Creating a Council on Climate Solutions.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Council members in February of this year. Michigan Department of Envi- ronment, Great Lakes, and Energy Director Liesl Clark will serve as chair of the Council, alongside various other state department directors or their designees, and 14 residents of Michigan who represent the range of sectors, experiences, and expertise relevant to this issue.
I am grateful the governor has placed such an emphasis on this issue, and I look forward to seeing what their work produces.
IMPROVING AND EXPANDING UPON RECYCLING IN MICHIGAN
This year, I once again introduced legislation in the Michigan Senate to update and expand Michigan’s 40-year-old “Bottle Bill” law, and my colleague Rep. Christine Morse (D-Portage) is leading the charge with the same legislation in the state House.
Michigan’s original “Bottle Bill” law was an innovative approach to promote recycling and prevent littering at
the time it was introduced. It is the most widely used and accepted state conservation program in state history, and it is time for us to build upon that success.
Senate Bill 167 and House Bill 4331 would expand the state’s current 10-cent deposit on certain soft drinks, beer, and other carbonated beverages to all other non- carbonated beverages, except for milk containers.
Until 2018, Michigan retained a 90% bottle and can deposit return rate, and since 2000, a typical yearly refund total ranged from $346 million to $425 million. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan’s unclaimed deposits, known as escheats, are expected to skyrocket upwards from the record high of $42.8 million in 2018. When this happens, 75% of the money will be allocated to the state’s Cleanup and Redevelopment Trust Fund, while the other 25% gets returned to Michigan’s retailers.
Michigan has established a strong recycling culture and it makes no sense that our own citizens aren’t able to return a deposit on plastic water bottles and other single-use containers. Now is the time to change that, and my bill aims to accomplish that goal.
Repealing Environmental Policy that Doesn’t Put Michigan First
I am working to repeal a dangerous state law that prevents Michigan from setting the highest and best state standards for our drinking water because the people of Kalamazoo County and Michigan still face major threats to our environment, including toxic, ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS in our water.
Known as the “no stricter than federal” legislation, our law — as it currently exists — requires state officials to spend time and taxpayer dollars building a case for better protections whenever they exceed the basic national standard threshold, delaying the adoption of best practices and leaving us vulnerable.
Federal regulations often exclude stronger, well- established data unique to each state. My bill, Senate Bill 147, puts Michigan in charge of our own environmental standards simply by repealing the “no stricter than federal” law.
Our environmental stewards shouldn’t have their hands tied when it comes to protecting our greatest natural resources, our communities, or our families. We should be empowering state agencies and experts to take proactive action to clean up our environment and save lives, and my legislation is designed to do that.
Making Water Infrastructure a Priority
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer presented her Fiscal Year 2022 budget recommendations in early February and I was especially pleased to see that it included investments in infrastructure grants for the MI Clean Water Plan, which provides funding to help local municipalities upgrade drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
Our state’s future depends on the ability to steward our incredible resources, and it is clear our governor knows this. We must ensure everyone has reliable access to clean, safe water, and — where appropriate — hold those accountable who don’t have Michigan’s best interests at the forefront of their actions.
The funding recommended in her budget proposal specific to water infrastructure enhancements include:
- Addressing sewer overflows and increasing green infrastructure ($235 million) and substantial public health risks by removing sewage discharge to surface water and groundwater ($20 million). Eliminate failing septic systems ($35 million).
- Supporting high water level and resilient infrastructure and planning grants to local governments for projects that address issues like coastal erosion, flooding, transportation networks, urban heat, and storm water management ($40 million).
- Making emergency response funding available in situations where a dam owner fails to pay for the necessary work, and in instances where dam owners are unwilling or unable to mitigate hazards caused by dam malfunction ($15 million). While the governor’s budget recommendations are subject to the debate and scrutiny of the state legislature, these investments have been, and will continue to be, a top priority for me as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, including the subcommittees of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environmental Quality, and Energy and Technology — the latter two of which I am proud to serve as the minority vice chair. Our communities need every penny they can get to keep our residents safe and our futures safer.