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Legislative Priorities

Energy & Environment

Mike Alaimo

Director of Environmental and Energy Affairs

(517) 371-7673

Michigan businesses need certainty when it comes to environmental regulations and should only bear costs that are necessary and reasonable. Improving the regulatory climate for environmental rules and remediation practices will help clean up contaminated properties through the state and increase their usefulness.

We must remain focused on the goal of making Michigan an ideal place to do business.  Energy costs will always be a primary driver for business decisions, which is why ensuring Michigan has access to competitively priced oil, natural gas and electricity is essential to continued economic growth.

Priorities

Energy

  • Work cooperatively with electric utilities and customers, to enact legislation that will reduce the cost of energy for consumers without subsidies or rate shifts.
  • Improve Michigan’s energy independence by encouraging safe energy exploration conducted pursuant to state and federal guidelines.

Permits

  • Advocate for the reasonable development and implementation of policies as they pertain to air, water – and waste-permitting and work with the Department to ensure permitting process is streamlined, efficient and transparent.
  • Oppose excessive new or additional environmental fees or surcharges by state and local governments and ensure that all environmental fees support the related program.

Waste and Recycling

  • Pursue comprehensive sustainable materials management planning and infrastructure, to minimize waste and support inclusive recycling technologies. Work to advance legislative efforts, to create the statutory framework to meet these goals that do not conflict with Part 115, as well as Part 201 as it pertains to the regulation of emergent contaminants.

Remediation and Redevelopment

  • Establish a formal stakeholder process with EGLE, to ensure that enforcement and any updates to the Part 201 clean up criteria. and pursue legislation to provide clarity on how state agencies identify emerging contaminants, develop screening levels, guidance and implement action plans for testing and remediation.
  • Support cost-effective and consistent remediation practices and processes across divisions within EGLE that do not impose unreasonable burdens on business and are streamlined, based on realistic conditions and protective of the environment, so that contaminated properties can be put to productive use.

Climate

  • Ensure the business community is meaningfully engaged and informed on climate change policy discussions at local, state and federal levels.
  • As part of the policy discussions around climate change, ensure that the energy transition associated with these policies address the state’s energy needs and economic competitiveness, be effective, transparent, market-driven, support economic development efforts and be in the best interest of Michigan and the United States.