Yearly Archives: 2016

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) today reiterated his “great concern” over the safety of drinking water in Oscoda after recent positive test results for perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), a contaminant that may pose a significant health risk to humans, in the groundwater near Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Visiting Oscoda today to meet with local officials, Congressman Kildee called on both the state of Michigan and the Air Force, to provide clean drinking water for residents until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency releases new provisional health advisory (PHA) levels, additional testing is completed and the water is deemed safe

Additional locations for bottled water, filters opening in neighborhoods April 12. Flint residents will have improved access to clean water resources as new distribution sites are established in city neighborhoods to provide bottled water, filters and testing kits.

More opportunities for quality outdoor recreation will be available from $28 million in Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants under legislation signed today by Gov. Rick Snyder.

Blooming flowers and warmer weather signal the start of outdoor projects. Homeowners, contractors and excavators are reminded to contact MISS DIG 811 at 8-1-1 or ww.missdig811.org before digging so underground utilities can be marked. “Digging activities have started strong again this year, and we have experienced a number of utility damages from homeowners who did not contact MISS DIG 811 before putting their shovels or equipment in the ground,” said Charles Crews, vice president of gas operations for Consumers Energy. “That’s why the Dig Safely partners continue sharing the important ‘Know What’s Below: 811 Before You Dig’ message to help ensure safe digging around underground utilities. Our goal is simple: zero damages and enhanced public safety as a result.”

A $74.5 million plan by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority to help homeowners statewide avoid foreclosure and eliminate blight in Detroit and Flint has been approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury under its Hardest Hit Fund program, Gov. Rick Snyder announced today.

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a National Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $15 million to the Michigan Strategic Fund to assist with humanitarian and recovery efforts resulting from the contaminated water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Of the $15 million announced today, $7.5 million will be released initially to provide temporary employment for eligible individuals to assist with the recovery work, as well as to offer these individuals career and training services to help them find permanent work. Additional funding, up to the amount approved, will be made available as the state demonstrates a continued need for assistance

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has issued formal notice to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors' and Premiers' Regional Body and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Resources Council to voice his concerns regarding the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin’s request to divert 10.1 million gallons of water per day from the Great Lakes basin

Gov. Rick Snyder today announced the appointment of Sylvester Jones, of Flint, to the Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee. The 17-member committee is making recommendations regarding the health and welfare of people exposed to lead, studying Flint’s water infrastructure and determining potential upgrades, reviewing Flint Water Task Force recommendations, and establishing ways to improve communication between local and state government

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) today announced a parity policy effective April 1 for the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron. This change will impact customers traveling from the U.S. into Canada paying with Canadian currency (CAD)

Gov. Rick Snyder today announced the appointments to the new 21st Century Infrastructure Commission, which was created by Executive Order 2016-5 to identify long-term strategies to help ensure Michigan’s infrastructure remains safe and efficient now and into the future.

Locals and tourists in South Haven will be able to enjoy a well-maintained historic icon for years to come thanks to a Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grant. The Historical Association of South Haven (HASH) will receive $60,000 to continue its work to preserve and protect the South Pier Light, Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s Executive Director Kevin Elsenheimer and State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway announced.

Results from round three of Sentinel Site water testing in Flint show a consistent and similar improvement compared to the first round of tests, Gov. Rick Snyder said today. The state continues to monitor and test water at over 600 residential Sentinel Sites which are providing regular data on the quality of the water distribution system throughout the city. These results help to determine if current treatments are appropriately recoating the pipes to prevent the leaching of lead and also highlight where there may be issues of continued concern.

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, applauded the United States Department of Agriculture’s announcement of a new initiative to improve water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin. The Initiative – led by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service – will complement ongoing conservation efforts in the region and invest more than $40 million in the watershed over the next three years. That funding is in addition to the $36 million USDA has already made available through the 2014 Farm Bill for a total of $77 million.

Improvements to the city of Grand Rapids’ wastewater treatment facility have earned the city a $214,434 incentive payment from Consumers Energy. Dan Malone, the company’s senior vice president of energy resources, presented the $214,434 incentive check to Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and city commissioners this morning at Grand Rapids City Hall. The city has received nearly $740,000 in incentive payments since 2009.

You have to go back 18 years to find the last time Consumers Energy charged as little for natural gas, a success story that continues to put money into the pockets of Michigan business owners and residents