In from Frank Zaski: Michigan: clean water and air are not important voting issues? We are slowly losing elements of Pure Michigan (assuming some of it has to do with the environment.) The Administration and Legislature are actually encouraging (if not just ignoring) threats to our clean water and air. Below are three lists with details. Sierra Club Election Guide: michigan.sierraclub.org/pdfs/electionguide.pdf Political Website: michigan.sierraclub.org/democracy/michiganpolitics.html Endorsement Website: michigan.sierraclub.org/politics/articles/2014Endorsements.html Snyder Scorecard: michigan.sierraclub.org/politics/articles/SnyderScorecard.html “Over 75 percent of decisions made by Gov. Snyder in our Scorecard contribute toward polluting our water, air, land and undermining public health and good government.” Michigan League of Conservation Voters michiganlcv.org/ Additional environmental issues: The Governor’s Energy Plan was announced in 2012 for input and reports to be developed in 2013, debated in 2014 and enacted on in 2015. (Is this drawn out, multi-year, non-committal energy plan the nerd version of kick the can down the road?) Michigan’ has some of the highest electric rates in the US and over 50% of our electricity is generated from polluting coal. Mr. Snyder has not taken a position on fracking/drilling in populated areas despite overwhelming concern by local citizens. DEQ routinely presents false information at drilling (fracking) meetings. They say, “never had a problem,” “doesn’t cause earthquakes” and they never mention air and water pollution and health problems documented in other states. The Administration is slow in addressing the threat of the Enbridge pipeline under the Straights of Mackinac. (Not to mention the multiple gas and tarsands oil pipelines under the St. Clair River.) Did the Administration ever comment on the Marshall Enbridge 6b pipeline spill? However, the State was quick to approve doubling the size of this Enbridge line 6b so it could carry twice as much tar sands oil, most of which flows to Sarnia Ontario. insideclimatenews.org/news/20130207/enbridge-6b-pipeline-safety-michigan-public-service-commission-indiana-brandon-township-dilbit-oil-sands-tar-sands The Governor created the Energy-Intensive Industrial Rates Workgroup “to ensure that energy-intensive industries can choose Michigan.” Not surprisingly, this industry/utility member only group recommended shifting even more rate burden from industrial (5% reduction) to residential (3% increase) ratepayers. A 3% Residential rate increase would result in roughly $150 million of higher utility bills for Michigan households. Michigan Residential rates YTD July were 86% higher than our Industrial rates (vs. 75% for the US). Only six states have skewed rates more in favor of industry. However, all but NY have much lower residential rates than in Michigan. michigan.gov/documents/energy/EIWG_finalreport_465169_7.pdf eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_5_06_b The Governor did not provide support for higher energy efficiency home building codes in Michigan. LARA could have adopted the IECC 2012 building codes which would provide new home buyers in Michigan with 31% greater energy savings that would pay back the extra investment in only 3.5 years. However, the Home Builder’s Association was allowed to water down these codes to about half that efficiency improvement. Michigan new home buyers will have to wait years more for more efficient new homes while buyers in IL, IA, MN and other states will be able to purchase them as early as next year. michigan.gov/documents/energy/EIWG_finalreport_465169_7.pdf After meetings between Governor Snyder and Severstal (which was owned by a Russian billionaire and member of Putin’s inner circle), Severstal was allowed by the DEQ to release even higher levels of pollutants and avoid current air quality regulations. freep/article/20140504/NEWS02/305040079/Did-state-agency-lobby-bend-rules-pollutants-Dearborn-steel-mill- Pure(ly for the benefit of business) Michigan? * * * * * *
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 15:46:03 +0000
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