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Bills to make landfills safer and divert reusable materials
signed by the Governor.
Jennifer Granholm on Friday signed legislation that insures that all waste entering into Michigan landfills meets our standards. In addition, the bills extend the list of banned products to include whole used tires and beverage containers. Agreement in the works on water discharge permit fees The House and Senate took action to reconsider the votes that approved the first conference committee report on SB 252, and rejected the report. Conferees for a second committee have been named. The Governor also issues a release announcing that a new agreement have been reached. Details are not available yet, but the agreement is purported to raise approximately $3.0 million in NPDES fees (water discharge and $1.2 million from he stormwater program. In addition, House Bill 5670, will amend the Administrative Procedures Act to vest complete responsibility for the processing and promulgation of administrative rules in the executive branch. Recognizing the important role for appropriate legislative review, the legislation will extend the time period for review of administrative rules from a mandatory 21 calendar days under current law, to an optional review period of up to 15 legislative session days. The new conference committee is expected to take action this week. Groundwater Program still in peril -- will cease operations in April if fee bills is not enacted The conference committee for the groundwater fee bill was scheduled for Thursday, then canceled. In a quote to a local news service, the chair Sen. McManus stated she expected the legislation to be taken up but maybe not until after the legislators took their spring break (the first two weeks of April). The uncertainty will result in the department needing to continue putting into place plans to end the program. Director Steve Chester last week notified permit holders that they will discontinue the groundwater discharge permitting program on April 23, 2004 if fees are not passed by April 1. No new permits, or modification of current permits would be processed and no enforcement efforts will be conducted. SB 560 - Groundwater Discharge Fees - The Governor had proposed $3.58 million in fees. The Senate bill included $1.38 million in new groundwater discharge fees. The House amended the bill to provide exemptions to small businesses, non profits, agricultural facilities resulting in the bill only raising $330,000 (an insufficient amount to run the program). Senate Passed: SR 214 -- A resolution to urge the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Office of the Great Lakes to work with the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office to develop a pilot project to provide real-time monitoring of water quality for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River. On the calendar: SB 1066 --Department of Environmental Quality Budget -- The full Appropriations Committee voted out the Senate substitute he FY 2004-05 Budget for the Department of Environmental Quality. General fund is reduced to $38 million next year, down from $53 million last year, and $101 million in 2001. Major changes proposed by Governor Granholm included: Major changes proposed in the Senate version include:
New fees were added for inspecting water facilities at public swimming pools and campgrounds, water and sewer facilities at manufactured housing communities, and to assist local health departments with inspection of septage waste facilities. The Governor proposed the following major change:
The Senate made the following significant changes:
SB 977 -- A bill to establish pollution; water pollution reporting protocol under part 31. SB 217 - The bill to amend the drain code was reported from the Agriculture Committee. Recycling bills: SB 532 and SB 533-- anti-littering legislation SB 853 -- Reporting on the nature and the amount of litter collected under the adopt-a-river program SB 854 - creates statewide recycling coordinator position SB 855 - Reporting on the nature and the amount of litter collected under the adopt-a-shoreline program SB 856 - Requires the state to conduct a comprehensive study on littering and create a marketing program to reduce litter SB 857 - Reporting on the nature and the amount of litter collected under the adopt-a-trail program SB 858 - Reporting on the nature and the amount of litter collected under the adopt-a-park program SB 860 - Establishes a 1-800 number for reporting littering violations SB 861 - Sets statewide goals for recycling rates (30% by 2009, 50% by 2014) In committee: Commerce & Labor Committee will meet on Tuesday (3/30) at 3:00 PM for a presentation by the Michigan Association of Home Builders Judiciary Committee will meet Tuesday (3/30) at 12:00 PM to take up a number of bills including HB 5029 - a bill to establish a season for hunting mourning doves. House On the calendar: SB 510 -- a bill to establish stormwater fees (could be used to amend the same sections as SB 252 that may be vetoed by the Governor). HB 5312 -- allows hunters to donate an additional $1.00 when purchasing hunting or fishing licensing to support the sportsmen against hunger program SB 193 -- Provides for a specialty license plates for ducks unlimited In committee: Agriculture and Resource Management will meet on Tuesday (3/30) at 10:30 AM to take up: HB 5695 -- Exempt fish farms from DNR oversight in respects to nonnative species. HB 5665 -- Give preference to paper products that the state purchases to those derived from sustainable managed forests Government Operations will meet on Tuesday (3/30) at 2:00 PM or after committees are given leave by the House to meet, whichever time is later to take up two bills including, SB 653 -- to extend the sunset on the baseline environmental assessment fees. Local Government and Urban Policy will meet on Tuesday (3/30)
at 9:00 AM for a presentation by Rep. Richardville to committee on status
of manufactured housing fee structure legislation and to take up HB
5671 - which requires notification to certain property owners of scheduled
public hearings for annexation.
Submitted by: James Clift
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