MDEQ Bills “Are the Opposite of Reform”

NRDC Calls on Governor Snyder to Veto New “Polluter Panel” Bills

The Michigan legislature just passed a pair of bills that would, among other things, create new oversight panels with the power in some cases to override actions of the state’s environmental regulators on permitting and policy issues. These oversight boards would be dominated by the industrial sectors that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is supposed to regulate.

Following is reaction from Cyndi Roper, Michigan Senior Policy Advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):

“These bills are the opposite of reform; they create new ‘Polluter Panels’ that would give the state’s special interests even more sway over Michigan’s environmental policy at the expense of public health. They do nothing to ensure Michiganders have clean air or safe water, but plenty to clear the way for more pollution. Governor Snyder should veto them immediately.”

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.​