Re: E-M:/ Judge OKs dune waste pipe

[Kym Spring <grandrapids@cleanwater.org>]

Bill and other Enviro-michers,

It seems you are mistaking this Muskegon Save Our Shoreline group
with the one on your side of the state focused on extreme property rights
to allow wetlands destruction, etc.  This Muskegon SOS group has
worked (and continues to work) diligently to prevent shoreline
destruction by the proposed Nugent Sand Company to put a pipeline through
a critical dune and build a structure on the beach to direct an 8 million
gallon a day discharge into Lake MIchigan -- for which they have already
received a NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit
from the DEQ.  Muskegon Save Our Shoreline has garnered
support from twenty-five
organizations and has convinced four municipalities to officially oppose
Nugent Sand's project.  They have delivered over 1300 letters and
signatures to Governor Granholm’s office opposing the project.  They
definitely need and deserve our support.   -Kym Spring

Kym Spring, Community
Organizer
Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund
Ph- 616-742-4084
E-mail: 
grandrapids@cleanwater.org
959 Wealthy St SE,
#2
Grand Rapids, MI  49506
www.cleanwateraction.org
www.cleanwaterfund.org

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At 12:01 PM 2/27/2004 -0500, Huron Ecologic LLC wrote:

Since SOS owns our shoreline, I'm not sure whether to say more power to the ALJs or that this is an excellent opportunity for SOS to educate themselves and work with Michigan environmentalists on a MEPA suit. This is just one of many egregious decisions by these ALJs we have studied. The EPA was even critical of them in its review of Michigan's wetland program. Engler used his imagination to get what he wanted, and I can only hope this administration would do the same. One way or another, Granholm should get the DEQ out from under these ALJs to the extent possible (understanding that most agency decisions are subject to administrative review), whether by recombining the DEQ with the DNR (and saving $$ while we're at it), creating the promised NRC-type citizen commission for the DEQ, or reorganizing the Civil Service Commission. In other words, "Her Majesty" should get a "bustle" in the "hedgerow" and do a little "spring clean for the May Queen".

FALL 2002:

Key elements of the Granholm/Cherry environmental plan include:

* A ban on new sand dune mining in coastal dunes.

* Expansion of Michigan's bottle deposit law to generate additional revenue

for the Natural Resources Trust Fund for purchasing critical dunes and

habitats.

* Creation of a citizen oversight commission for the DEQ to assure public

participation in decisions on sand dune protection and other critical

environmental issues.

* Protection of more than 12,000 acres of critical dunes identified by

scientific experts but never brought under protection by the

Engler-Posthumus Administration.

* Vigorous enforcement of environmental laws and a crack down on polluters.

 
Bill Collins
 
Huron Ecologic, LLC
3335 Crooks Road
Rochester Hills, Michigan 48309 USA
phone & fax: 248-852-4682
e-mail: huronecologic@netzero.net
 
Huron Ecologic provides wetland delineations, wetland permitting, wetland mitigation design & monitoring, tree inventories, botanical & ecological surveys, natural area protection, nature education, and technical training.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: HAMILTREEF@aol.com <HAMILTREEF@aol.com>
To: enviro-mich@great-lakes.net <enviro-mich@great-lakes.net>
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2004 12:11 PM
Subject: E-M:/ Judge OKs dune waste pipe

Judge OKs dune waste pipe

A state judge recommended Wednesday Nugent Sand Co. be allowed to build a pipeline through a protected 4,000-year-old Lake Michigan dune.

Saying the environmental impact of millions of gallons of treated wastewater flowing over the Lake Michigan beach will be minimal, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality administrative law judge Richard A. Patterson sided with Nugent. He overturned a denial of the permit by the DEQ's Grand Rapids district office.

Darlene DeHudy, vice-president of Save Our Shoreline, a local citizen's group opposed to the project, blasted Patterson's decision.

"The public is nearly unanimously against the Nugent pipeline and discharge into Lake Michigan," said DeHudy. "Twenty-five organizations and three municipalities have declared opposition to the project. Over 1,250 letters and signatures have been delivered to Gov. Granholm opposing the project."

The case then goes before DEQ Director Steven Chester, who will make the agency's final decision on Nugent's request.

"The director can accept it, reject, modify it or send it back for a rehearing," said Dennis Mack, an administrative law judge with the DEQ.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-4/107781391557870.xml