Protect Michigan's Water from Toxic Power Plant Pollution

Summer Update 2013 Michigan currents protect michigan’s water from toxic power plant pollution Power plants still have virtually unlimited permits to pol- lute rivers lakes and streams. Toxic discharge standards have not been updated since 1982, and power plants’ toxic dumping into the nation’s waterways now totals billions of pounds per day. Clean Water Action is mobilizing its members to support the strongest possible standards to curb this toxic pollution. EPA is poised to issue new rules but public support is critical since Dirty Coal and the big electric utilities they supply threaten to weaken any new protections. In Michigan, where this toxic pollution directly threatens the Great Lakes, Clean Water Action staff and volunteers are organizing to submit 10,000 public comments that will become part of EPA’s official decision record. Michigan has 21 active coal-fired power plants, including 13 that have no discharge limits on arsenic, lead, mercury and other toxic metals. EPA’s proposed water pollution standards for power plants, first unveiled this spring would limit the amount of toxic metals that River Rouge power plant. can be dumped into rivers, lakes, and streams. Detroit Edison’s Monroe power plant illustrates the seriousness of the treat to Michigan’s water. Located south of Detroit, on Lake Erie the plant was had no limits on its toxic dumping until 2010. The state eventually required monitor- ing and reductions in the plant’s mercury pollution, but other toxic metals and still not even monitored. The plant is still allowed to dump 57.5 million gallons per day of toxic wastewater directly into Lake Erie. The popular Sterling State Park swimming beach is nearby, exposing thousands of Michiganders through their boating, fishing and swimming. Michigan cannot afford to allow this to continue. Every year brings new fish advisories, beach closings, and increas- ing numbers of impaired rivers and streams. Take action at www.cleanwater.org/powerplantwaterpollutioncomments

INSIDE: n Letter from the Director, page 2 n Lansing Can Do Better, page 2 n Lake St. Clair, page 3 n Save the Cherry, page 3 n Clean Energy Now, page 4 n Save the Harbor, page 4

www.CleanWaterAction.org Michigan Currents | Summer Update 2013 From the Michigan Director Nic Clark

The Dangers of Fracking You may have already seen the new documentary film released earlier this summer, Gasland 2. The film chronicles the risks and devastating impacts on local communities from under-regulated fracking. Josh Fox’s film gives a microphone to people across the country who have experienced flammable water, drinking water contamination, air pollution, spills and other negative impacts. We want to make sure Michigan residents do not end up starring in ‘Gasland 3.’ I grew up learning to hunt and fish near Starva- Protesting fracking on the steps of the Capitol with tion Lake in Kalkaska County. When you drive west State Reps Sarah Roberts, Andy Schor, and Tom on Highway 72 up north you can go north or south on Cochran. Sunset Trail. Within half a mile in either direction you more water than Traverse City uses in 2 years. will run into the state’s largest fracking operation, the The State House of Representatives recently intro- Exclesior wells. duced a package of bills that will give local communi- These wells were only supposed to use 5 million ties and residents the tools they need to safeguard their gallons of water. They ended up using more than 42 water, health, and families from the dangers of frack- million. The amount of water used to frack these wells ing. We can’t afford to get this one wrong; Michigan’s could fill at least 63 Olympic size swimming pools. To economy relies on billions of dollars in tourism, sup- make matters worse, the 2 mile long horizontal leg of ported by our state’s natural resources. Fracking poses the north well runs beneath the Manistee River, one of a danger to these resources, which are critical to jobs our largest and most pristine waterways. in our recreational fishing and boating industries. With Now, the same corporation has announced plans hundreds of new wells being planned statewide, we for more than 500 new well sites in Michigan. The proj- must take quick action and implement the proper pro- ect could contaminate 4 billion gallons of fresh water — tections for our Great Lakes State.

lansing can do better Lansing is home to the state’s largest municipal utility, the Lansing Board of Water and Light (LBWL). In July, LBWL opened its new REO town natural gas plant. This new plant generates enough energy that there is no need for LBWL to continue burning coal at its Eckert plant, yet the polluting Eckert burner remains in operation. Mary Brady, Mid-Michigan Campaign Organizer, is working with local coalition partners to urge the Board of Water and Light to phase out the Eckert plant in down- town Lansing. The Lansing Can Do Better coalition wants the Board of Water and Light to be a leader by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The coalition recently submitted 1,000 public comments urging the Board of Water and Light to strengthen its renewable energy and energy efficiency standards. REO town coal plant.

2 Michigan Currents | Summer Update 2013 www.CleanWaterAction.org lake st. clair Green Infrastructure for Lake St. Clair — Catch the rain where it falls! Stormwater runoff is the biggest polluter of Michigan’s water. Stormwater washes off paved surfaces, parking lots, roads, driveways and rooftops, collecting excess fertilizer, oil, trash and other pollutants along the way. When stormwater has the opportunity to filter naturally through soil, the majority of pollutants are eliminated before reaching waterways. Planting rain gardens, installing rain barrels, using porous pavement and other Clean Water Action’s Margi Armstrong (center) and sustainable development or retrofits can prevent billions rain garden crew. of gallons of polluted runoff from reaching Michigan’s sustainable practices: lakes, rivers and streams. rain gardens: Native plants catch That’s exactly what Clean Water Action did in St. stormwater as it falls, then naturally filter out Clair Shores, helping volunteers plant a rain garden to pollutants before entering our waterways. capture and filter stormwater runoff from a community permeable pavement: Paved surfaces garden parking lot. Before the rain garden, the parking made from porous asphalt, concrete, and lot runoff discharged directly into Lake St. Clair other materials that allow stormwater to through a storm drain. Dozens of volunteer hours were soak into the ground. spent digging, planting and weeding to create a natural rain barrels: Waterproof storage tanks filtration system that protects Lake St. Clair from used for capturing and storing rainwater harmful stormwater pollution. runoff from rooftops. The collected water can be used for watering your lawn or garden, Please check out www.cleanwater.org/lake-st-clair car washing, etc. for more information on how you can get involved.

save the cherry Climate change threatens Michigan’s agricultural heritage, and Clean Water Action has launched a statewide Save the Cherry campaign in response. Agriculture is major busi- ness in Michigan and the state must address climate change to keep this sector thriving. Carbon pollution is fueling climate change, triggering extreme weather events across the state that have devastating impacts many of Michigan’s specialty crops. Last year Mich- igan’s $60-million tart cherry crop was devastated by extreme heat, followed by freezes. Climate scientists have warned more extreme weather events including droughts, heat waves, flooding, and freezes are likely in the future. It is imperative that Michigan’s cherries and other crops are protected. This summer, President Obama laid out a common-sense plan to combat climate change, including placing the first-ever limits on carbon pollution spewing from power plants. If adopted, this plan would yield huge benefits for public health, agriculture and jobs in Michi- gan. Clean Water Action is continuing grassroots education and action on this issue, and helped to raise these concerns this summer at the At the Grand Royale Parade in National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. Traverse City. You can help protect Michigan from climate change. Submit a Letter-to-the-Editor of your local paper, http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2155/letter/?letter_KEY=1495

www.CleanWaterAction.org Michigan Currents | Summer Update 2013 3 clean energy now DTE Energy and Consumers Energy supply almost all of Michigan’s energy. The companies’ lack of planning means higher rates for Michigan residents, more air pollution, and is delaying the transition to a clean energy economy. DTE’s River Rouge plant alone dumps 356 million gallons of wastewater per day into the Detroit River. The utilities have yet to adopt clean energy plans to phase out dirty, expensive coal and other fossil fuels. These companies must implement clean energy plans to protect their customers’ health and pocketbooks and provide workers with the transition training they will need. Clean Water Action is organizing its members to attend shareholder meetings, table at community events, sign petitions, educate their neighbors about utilities’ dirty habits, and to submit public comments in support of clean energy. Get involved in your community, Clean Water Action delivered more than 5,000 petitions to DTE’s www.CleanWaterAction.org/MI shareholders supporting the transition to clean energy.

save the harbor Michigan experienced record low lake levels this year, and emergency dredging was approved for dozens of harbors across the Great Lakes shoreline. At the Harbor Days festival in Elk Rapids this August, Clean Water Action announced a new Save the Harbor campaign calling attention to the problem. Climate change from fossil fuel burning is causing severe summer heat and droughts and warmer winters with less rain, snow and ice cover. That means less water to replenish the lakes. The U.S. EPA has issued limits on carbon pollution from new power plants and is poised to issue limits on existing plants as well. “If temperatures continue to rise and the water keeps falling,” says Clean Water Action’s Nic Clark, “there won’t be a harbor to celebrate. No one wants to see that day come. Reducing pollution is good for our health, good for out economy, and good for the harbor.”

Michigan Currents Managing Editor: Jonathan Scott President and CEO: Robert Wendelgass Summer Update 2013 Writers: Nic Clark, Michigan Director, Marissa Luna, Michigan Clean Water Action is a national citizens’ organization working for Communications Coordinator clean, safe and affordable water, prevention of health-threatening Design: ES Design pollution, creation of environmentally-safe jobs and businesses, and empowerment of people to make democracy work. Reproduction in whole or part is permitted with proper credit. Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups, coalitions © Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. and campaigns to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life.

4 Michigan Currents | Summer Update 2013 www.CleanWaterAction.org