Re: E-M:/ Shutting Down Environmental Protection

["Anna Dorothy Graham" <grahama9@msu.edu>]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enviro-Mich message from "Anna Dorothy Graham" <grahama9@msu.edu>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know -- is there a "right" to a permit, or is it a discretionary 
function of the state?  I know that you can't have frivolous reasons for 
denying a permit application (I can't remember the exact wording for the 
standard), but I wonder if an inability to fund the activity of granting of 
a permit would be frivolous?  I think it would be an interesting argument to 
suggest that environmental enforcement would be the priority, while further 
permitting would have to await the budgetary resources ...
Dunno.
Anna 

Alexander J. Sagady writes: 

> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Enviro-Mich message from "Alexander J. Sagady" <ajs@sagady.com>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>
> Anna and Anne,  
>
> I don't think there is a statutory basis that exists to 
> shut down environmental permitting so it probably is 
> not realistic. 
>
> What is realistic is to set up a fee and regulatory structure to support both 
> permitting, environmental monitoring and enforcement.   We
> only have the shell of that now....and the fees we have 
> now are not sufficient to finance the program. 
>
> Every environmental permit should require a fee sufficient to 
> pay for the level of environmental review and public participation 
> necessary for its issuance.   Every regulated party should be subject
> to annual fees sufficient to finance monitoring and enforcement. 
>
> Past attempts to set up such fees have been gelded by "sacred 
> cow" considerations.....for example, a refusal by the Legislature
> to subject agricultural and publicly owned facilities to sufficient fees.
> Those sacred cows will have to get new fees sufficient to address
> the burden of regulating these facilities. 
>
>
> At 10:23 AM 03/29/2007, you wrote:
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Enviro-Mich message from "Anna Dorothy Graham" <grahama9@msu.edu>
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> >
> > I second this motion!  And I don't think it would hurt for others to chime in -- lawmakers need to hear that the electorate considers this an issue. 
> > > My first pick -- stop issuing ANY new permits of any sort, and put any
> > > meager funding there is entirely into enforcement.  Quality of life is what
> > > drives investment -- and we can't go back and undo the damage of much of the
> > > pollution in this state, we can't give back health to people who were
> > > harmed, and clean ups never really restore natural rivers or lands entirely. 
> > >  
> > > Anne  
> > >  
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
> > > Anne M. Woiwode, State Director, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter  - 109 E.
> > > Grand River Avenue, Lansing, MI 48906 
> > > 517-484-2372    fax 517-484-3108 --  <mailto:anne.woiwode@sierraclub.org>
> > > anne.woiwode@sierraclub.org  
> > > Sierra Club Michigan Chapter celebrating our 40th Anniversary on September
> > > 9, 2007 
> > > Visit us at  <http://michigan.sierraclub.org/index.shtml>
> > > http://michigan.sierraclub.org/index.shtml  
> > >  
> > > Act Today: Join our Legislative Alerts System!
> > > http://mackinac.sierraclubaction.org  
> > > Act FOR Tomorrow: Support the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter - contact Wendi
> > > Tilden at wendi.tilden@sierraclub.org  
> > >  
> > >  
> > >  
> >
> >
> > Anna Kirkwood Graham, J.D., Ph.D.
> > "There is no trifling with nature; it is always true, grave and severe; it is always in the right, and the faults and errors fall to our share."
> > -- Goethe  
> >
> >
> > ==============================================================
> > ENVIRO-MICH:  Internet List and Forum for Michigan Environmental
> > and Conservation Issues and Michigan-based Citizen Action.   Archives at
> > http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/enviro-mich/ 
> >
> > Postings to:  enviro-mich@great-lakes.net      For info, send email to
> > majordomo@great-lakes.net  with a one-line message body of  "info enviro-mich"
> > ==============================================================
>
> ==========================================
> Alex J. Sagady & Associates        http://www.sagady.com 
>
> Environmental Enforcement, Permit/Technical Review, Public Policy, 
> Expert Witness Review and Litigation Investigation on Air, Water and 
> Waste/Community Environmental and Resource Protection
> Prospectus at:  http://www.sagady.com/sagady.pdf  
>
> 657 Spartan Ave,  East Lansing, MI  48823  
> (517) 332-6971; (517) 332-8987 (fax); ajs@sagady.com
> ==========================================  
>
>  
>
> ==============================================================
> ENVIRO-MICH:  Internet List and Forum for Michigan Environmental
> and Conservation Issues and Michigan-based Citizen Action.   Archives at
> http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/enviro-mich/ 
>
> Postings to:  enviro-mich@great-lakes.net      For info, send email to
> majordomo@great-lakes.net  with a one-line message body of  "info enviro-mich"
> ============================================================== 



Anna Kirkwood Graham, J.D., Ph.D.
"There is no trifling with nature; it is always true, grave and severe; it 
is always in the right, and the faults and errors fall to our share."
-- Goethe 



==============================================================
ENVIRO-MICH:  Internet List and Forum for Michigan Environmental
and Conservation Issues and Michigan-based Citizen Action.   Archives at
http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/enviro-mich/

Postings to:  enviro-mich@great-lakes.net      For info, send email to
majordomo@great-lakes.net  with a one-line message body of  "info enviro-mich"
==============================================================