Michigan deserves better — it’s time to elect environmental champions
To say the least, it’s been tough in Lansing lately for our natural resources.
The last legislative session put us face to face with the one of the most anti-environmental agendas we’ve ever seen. The health of communities and the protection of our public lands and water were left to the wayside.
We were met with one blow after another: bills that would give polluters undue influence over regulation of our drinking water, continued inaction to protect our Great Lakes from a Line 5 oil spill — and even a permit allowing a big corporation to increase the amount of water it can pump from the ground while communities around the state don’t have clean, affordable water to drink.
It wasn’t always this way. Michigan was once a national example of bold environmental leadership. Our state legislators worked across the aisle to put Michigan first, standing together to protect what makes the Great Lakes state so great.
They passed groundbreaking protections for sand dunes, enacted strong standards to control invasive species, and passed a landmark “polluter-pays” law that put the burden of paying for cleanup of contaminated sites on polluters instead of Michigan taxpayers.
Now, we’re at a turning point: we need leaders in Lansing who will do the right thing for our communities and our great state.
That’s why, ahead of the primaries, we’re endorsing 26 more candidates who are committed to protecting our air, land and water to be environmental champions in the Legislature. We believe these candidates will be true protectors of #OurWater and our communities. They will take the lead on creating a bold, comprehensive plan for our resource protection, building the health of our communities, and funding infrastructure improvements to ensure safe affordable water for all.
Our state has the highest levels of PFAS in the nation — we’re leading the pack with 30 legacy contamination sites (and counting). We’re at risk of leaving our lakes open to costly, irreversible damage from toxic algal blooms and invasive species. Our unregulated, failing septic systems are discharging 30 million gallons of raw sewage into our groundwater and waterways every day. Thousands of Detroit residents are facing water shutoffs amidst record-high bills — all while we’re surrounded by the world’s largest supply of surface freshwater.
Our health, our kids’ health, and our state’s health, are all at stake. Unfortunately, current lawmakers’ recent attacks on clean air and water protections will undoubtedly leave Michigan residents doubly vulnerable to dangerous pollution.
The challenges we face are unprecedented, but not impossible to overcome. This election is Michigan’s moment. With 50 open legislative seats, we have a great opportunity in front of us. It’s our vote that can revive Lansing with a pro-conservation majority and reclaim Michigan as a national leader in environmental protection.
We know Michigan residents care about our environment. #OurWater is what makes us Pure Michigan. It’s time for us to fight for it.
