This week, Governor Rick Snyder made a series of announcements aimed at improving the natural resources and environment, something he first announced last week in his State of the State address.

On Tuesday, the Governor announced a proposal to invest $79 million annually to help renew Michigan’s environment and protect public health. The proposal serves as a replacement to the expired Clean Michigan Initiative Bond; thousands of contaminated sites still exist statewide. Additionally, he proposed an increase to the current landfill dumping fee from $0.36 per ton to $4.75 per ton. This increase would generate $79 million annually to fund critical environmental protection needs while enhancing Michigan’s recycling efforts and waste management planning initiatives. Other Midwest states charge as much as $13.00/ton.

The following day the Governor announced the creation of a new Great Lakes Basin Partnership to Block Asian Carp that will commit strategic and financial resources to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Tentatively Selected Plan. The partnership will offer a combination of solutions to reduce the risk of invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, something that has become an increase concern over the past few years.

Lastly, on Thursday Governor Snyder announced a plan to improve Michigan’s water infrastructure by investing $110 million annually for critical updates. Funding would be used for priority local projects including water main and lead service line replacements upgrades for failing infrastructure through a new emergency fund, and integrated asset management. Gov. Snyder’s 21st Century Infrastructure Commission’s report estimated that there is an $800 million annual gap in funding to meet our state’s critical water and sewer infrastructure needs. The Governor’s proposed plan to implement an affordable assessment on public water supply systems would generate approximately $110 million annually to help stimulate needed investments. The state assessment on public water supply systems would be phased in with $1 added per year for five years. Eighty percent of the assessment collected would be allocated to the region in which it was generated, ensuring the money raised stays in the communities that are providing it.

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