Reps. Valentine, Donigan, Kathleen Law, Robert Jones, Espinoza, Coulouris, LeBlanc, Byrnes, Virgil Smith, Sak, Gillard, Wojno, Polidori, Hood, Warren, Bieda, Lindberg, Scott, Lemmons, Hammon, Sheltrown, Byrum, Young, Constan, Bennett, Condino, Dean, Melton, Vagnozzi, Ebli and McDowell offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 172.
A resolution to urge the Congress of the United States and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to address the recent approval of increased pollution by British Petroleum into the Great Lakes.
Whereas, Lake Michigan is a national treasure and a vital natural resource shared by four states in trust for the entire nation. Lake Michigan is a drinking water source for millions of people and a recreational haven for swimming, fishing, and boating in all the states. Tourism and recreation based around Lake Michigan are worth billions of dollars each year to these states' economies; and
Whereas, Michigan and the other states bordering Lake Michigan rely on the federal Clean Water Act to limit polluted discharges originating from other states. Pollution originating from any state can negatively affect the public health and economy of the other states that use Lake Michigan water. Improving and preserving Lake Michigan's water quality are imperative to support the many uses of its water; and
Whereas, Despite provisions in the federal Clean Water Act that prohibit degradation of water quality, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management approved, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency concurred with, a permit that allows the British Petroleum (BP) refinery in Whiting, Indiana, to increase significantly the dumping of industrial pollutants into Lake Michigan. These discharges threaten other uses of Lake Michigan water and are inconsistent with regional efforts to clean up the Great Lakes; and
Whereas, This decision sets a poor precedent for the future. States could approve increased pollution discharges to interstate waters for industries that economically benefit that state at the expense of other states that rely on that water; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the Congress of the United States and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to address the recent approval of increased pollution by British Petroleum into the Great Lakes; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, and the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.