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Wetlands and toxic cleanup among subjects of new bills

Joshua Vissers/Daily Mining Gazette Large wetlands connected to rivers, like the Sturgeon River Sloughs pictured above, will still have protections under Michigan law, but many smaller wetlands and those not connected to waterways may become open to development and other use under a new law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday.

With the passing of New Year’s Day, the stack of bills being advanced to Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk by the Republican-controlled legislature has come to a halt. There are still dozens of recently passed bills to review for readers.

Senate Bill 1211 was introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson on Nov. 27, 2018, and quickly passed the House and Senate close to party lines. Snyder signed the bill into law on Friday.

The bill gives more specific definitions for wetlands and waterways that give state officials less discretion in protecting properties from certain development or use.

The bill was supported by the Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan Realtors, the Michigan Home Builders Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Michigan Forest Products Council and Grossman Forestry Company.

Opposition logged in the legislative analysis included the Nature Conservancy, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and 21 other environmental, hunting, fishing and conservation groups.

Senate Bill 1244 will change the rules for toxic cleanups in Michigan. Among other things, it allows people and companies responsible for cleaning up a toxic site to file final paperwork before completion of the work, gives additional persons the opportunity to file a dispute with the Department of Environmental Quality over decisions in the cleanup process, and pin cleanup standards to federal toxicity values.

It was supported by the Michigan and Grand Rapids Chambers of Commerce, Michigan Manufacturers and Petroleum Associations, DOW Chemical and the Michigan Chemistry Council.

Michigan League of Conservation Voters and Clean Water Action group both testified against the bill, and the Michigan Environmental Council, Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner, Michigan Sierra Club, Michigan Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Michigan Demands Action group also opposed the bill.

House Bill 5526 was signed by Snyder on Friday, and institutes a letter-grade system for Michigan schools. Opponents have doubted the system, and the implementation process, will advance learning in schools, but supporters think parents will have an easier time judging school systems.

Each school does not receive a cumulative letter grade, but instead receives a grade for each of six categories; math and English proficiency, math and English progress, progress of those learning English as a second language, graduation and absentee rates and the level of participation on statewide tests.

The bill passed by only three votes in the House and four in the Senate.

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