From: terry swier [tswier@centurytel.net]
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 7:29 AM
To: terry swier; Sandy Brogan; Rhonda Huff; Pat DeBellefeuille; Lee Fickes; Kevin; DonaldRoy@ferris.edu; David & Sally
Subject: Fw: [eccowater] RELEASE: Senate Committee Considers Dismal Proposal for Water Protections

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PRESS RELEASE
November 8, 2005
Contacts: see below

Senate Committee Considers Dismal Proposal
For Water Protections
Republicans Craft Temporary, Limited Protections
That Leave Michigan’s Waterways, Great Lakes Exposed

LANSING – Environmental groups sharply criticized a set of bills (SB 850-852) aimed supposedly at protecting water resources as they were debated in the Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee today.

“The awful truth is that these bills are worse than current law,” said Sierra Club’s Anne Woiwode.

As currently written, the Republican-backed proposal would:

Authorize adverse impacts to waterways that are not trout streams;
Keep the public removed from decisions impacting our waterways; and
Provide no new protections against diversions from the Great Lakes basin.

“What we need are laws that stand up for the public interest and our natural resources,” said PIRGIM’s Jason Barbose. “What we see instead is kowtowing to the special interests that are looking to treat our water and the Great Lakes like their own private well.”

“This proposal is a failure for every Michigander who cares about our state’s water and the Great Lakes,” said Cheryl Mendoza of Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes, Great Michigan coalition – made up of 36 businesses, farmers, environmental groups, religious groups, and thousands of citizens – has been working since May with legislators to draft laws that will adequately protect Michigan’s waters.

Great Lakes, Great Michigan is working to convince the legislature to pass laws that will:

Protect all of our state’s waterways and natural resources from harm;
Provide new protections against diversions of Great Lakes water;
Involve communities in decisions regarding their lakes, rivers, and streams; and
Require all large users to practice water conservation and efficient use.

In both the House (HB 5366-5373) and Senate (SB 855-857) bills have been introduced that would create strong and comprehensive water use protections. Unfortunately, it is the weak package (SB 850-852) being pushed by Senator Patty Birkholz that is currently being fast tracked through the Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee, with a vote expected on Thursday.

“These bills not only fall short in protecting rivers and streams in Michigan. They actually authorize adverse resource impacts to any waterway that’s not a trout stream,” said Kate Madigan of Michigan Environmental Council.

The Great Lakes, Great Michigan coalition is demanding that Senate Republicans go back to the drawing board to build bipartisan support for strong, comprehensive water use laws as bipartisan lawmakers in the House have done in supporting HB 5366-5373.

Michigan is currently behind every other Great Lakes state in passing laws regulating how our water is used. As a result, Michigan is a target for irresponsible users, and our water is vulnerable to being diverted out of the basin through pipeline, barge, rail, or in bottles.

Contact:
Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club, (517) 484-2372
Cheryl Mendoza, Alliance for the Great Lakes, (616) 850-0745
James Clift, Michigan Environmental Council, (517) 487-9539
Jason Barbose, PIRGIM, (734) 662-6597

Endorsing Organizations

Alliance for the Great Lakes

Bazzani Associates

Clean Water Action

Detroit Audubon Society

Dwight Lydell Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of

America

Earth Matters Alliance

East Michigan Environmental Action Council

Ecology Center

Generations Financial Service

Gray Panthers of Metro Detroit

Huron River Watershed Council

Inner City Christian Federation

Intercounty Citizens Action Group

Interface Fabrics

Kalamazoo Environmental Council

Lott3Metz Architecture, LLC

Macomb Land Conservancy

Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation

Michigan Division of the Izaak Walton League of

America

Michigan Environmental Council

Michigan Farmers Union

Michigan League of Conservation Voters

Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network

Peace and Justice Program of Sister of St. Joseph, Nazareth

Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM)

Religion, Ecology and Spirituality

Sierra Club, Mackinac Chapter

Sirius Resources, LLC

Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Sustainable Research Group

Thomas J. Newhouse-Design

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

Voices for Earth Justice

West Michigan Environmental Action Council

Women in Steel, District 2

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Detroit Branch

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