FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: David Holtz
Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007 Phone: (517) 203-0754
Clean Water Action: Drolet is Poster Boy for Special Interests
Former State Representative continues to pander to wealthy trash industry
LANSING – While serving in the Michigan House, former State Representative Leon Drolet used his position to further the best interests of the trash industry rather than the people of Michigan – and he's continuing that misguided work now as a Macomb County commissioner, the environmental group Clean Water Action said today.
"As a state representative, Leon Drolet repeatedly voted against the people of Michigan when he cast numerous votes opposing House Democrats' anti-trash plan that would keep Canadian and out-of-state trash out of Michigan landfills," said David Holtz, Michigan director of Clean Water Action. "Now, as a Macomb County commissioner, he has voted to pave the way for the Pine Tree Acres landfill to expand and accept more trash from Canada. We can't allow Michigan to be exploited by special interests, and that's exactly what Leon is working to do."
On July 26, Drolet cast a roll call vote during a meeting of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners that would clear the way for a 189-acre expansion of Pine Tree Acres landfill and allow it to accept more trash from Canada [1]. Pine Tree Acres accepted 1.8 million tons of Canadian trash in 2006 – more than any other landfill in Michigan, according to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
During his time in the Michigan House of Representatives, Drolet also voted against a plan that would attack the economics of the trash trade and effectively end the trashing of Michigan by increasing Michigan's dumping charge [2]. He also voted against a plan to ban the expansion of landfills [3] and another plan that would send money raised from an increased dumping charge back to local communities [4].
"Leon Drolet is the poster boy for special interests – most notably, the wealthy trash industry," Holtz said. "He parades around Michigan with his enormous pig, calling for his version of taxpayer justice, when in reality he has voted time and again against the people of Michigan. He is NOT fighting for the best interests of the people of Michigan – he's fighting for the special interests."
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[1] Macomb County Board of Commissioners minutes, July 26, 2007
[2] HB 4758, Roll Call Vote 127, 5/18/05
[3] HB 4760, Roll Call Vote 129, 5/18/05
[4] HB 4759, Roll Call Vote 128, 5/18/05