Governor Whitmer Abolishes Michigan’s “Polluter Panels”

LANSING, MI – Michigan’s Governor Whitmer has released an executive order that reshuffles environmental oversight in the state, including the dissolution of controversial “polluter panels” which had the power to override policy and pollution permitting decisions made by the state’s regulators.

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

“The polluter panels were a ludicrous concept from the get-go. Governor Whitmer is reinforcing what Michiganders have always known—the public deserves better than polluters making decisions about their own impacts on the state’s air, water, lands and health. The move to put experts and scientists back into the driver’s seat helps ensure that public health, not profits, are the key decider as Michigan grapples with a bevy of grave pollution issues moving forward.”

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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.​