I was pleased to support recent legislation that will protect our natural resources and promote job creation.
Senate Bills 528-533 would reform the state’s regulatory process re-garding leaking underground storage tanks. The bills would eliminate unnecessary red tape and expedite the cleanup of these polluted sites.
Michigan lags far behind other states in cleaning up contaminated land. Over the years, constant rule changes have delayed rehabilita-tion efforts and sidelined redevelopment projects.
The common sense reform would require the Department of Environ-mental Quality (DEQ) to set a site-specific, risk-based strategy to more quickly and effectively clean up these sites. In this way, limited resources can be better spent on contaminated sites that need more attention, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Once polluted sites are cleaned up, they can be redeveloped to create jobs.
The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation for their consideration.
Click here to be introduced to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Source: State Senator John Pappageorge