Environmental Affairs

Air Quality

  • Support regional ozone air quality attainment status for West Michigan and nonattainment status redesignation.
  • Advocate for fair PM2.5 regulations and permit requirements on industry.
  • Oppose new mercury emission limits.

Why? Overwhelming regional transport continues to be a concern. While air quality is improving, the tightening of standards will provide additional challenges for continued regional improvements.

Energy

  • Advocate for reliable and affordable energy including that from traditional sources.
  • Support the research and development of alternative energy, energy efficiency, energy conservation and clean energy technologies.
  • Oversee the fair and reasonable implementation of PA 286, PA 287 and PA 295 of 2008 with appropriate oversight.

Why? We must ensure adequate energy supply to support a competitive cost of doing business in Michigan while exploring the development of new and innovative energy sources.

Sustainability

  • Support economic redevelopment incentives and business friendly remediation practices.
  • Support smart growth and green space preservation
  • Support incentives for sustainability and redevelopment
  • Study impact of regulating carbon emissions, sequestration and carbon credits on business.

Why? Long term improvements can only be capitalized through balanced environmental and economically sustainable commercial, industrial and consumer actions. 

Regulatory Oversight and Reform

  • Advocate for legislative oversight on environmental related fees not to exceed the cost of processing applications.
  • Advocate for critical reforms to the Part 201 program, including reforms that:
    • Provide finality to the transaction
    • Simplify and define an endpoint for the clean up process
    • Revise oversight and reduce administrative cost
    • Support a comprehensive recycling plan for Michigan
    • Oppose the expansion of the bottle deposit law
    • Oppose waste tipping fees as a funding source for recycling
    • Study the creation of a statewide sanitary code at point of sale establishments
    • Support the prevention of invasive species in the Great Lakes
    • Monitor basinwide ground water and surface water regulations
    • Address Great Lakes water resource and management issues
    • Support Great Lakes restoration and protection

    • Why? Fees that exceed the cost of permit processing unfairly force permit applicants to pay for unrelated government programs. Reforming Part 201 would return Michigan to a leadership position in attracting businesses to redeveloped sites and preserving Michigan’s agricultural and recreational lands.

    Waste Management

    Why? The state of Michigan needs a comprehensive and commercially sustainable recycling program. To improve public health, consumer and commercial recycling centers need to be physically separated from our food supply.

    Water Quality

    Why? Human activities have a long term impact on the Great Lakes. Whether reasonable, unreasonable, intentional or not, support for a balance between water quality issues, ecological value, and appropriate and reasonable commerce is necessary.