Michigan
Current Campaigns
Stop More Dangerous Coal Plant Emissions!
Clean Water Action is leading a petition drive that calls calls on Gov. Jennifer Granholm to help fight global warming by making carbon dioxide a factor in whether the state approves permits for up to seven proposed dirty coal plants.
Global warming is the most significant environmental and humanitarian emergency that our planet has ever faced and the Governor's leadership is critical is at this pivotal moment in our fight. The action of the Governor will help prevent the siting of more global warming coal-fired power plants and turn our state in the direction of clean, renewable energy.
Read the full story...
Tell Your Legislator: Stop The Coal Rush and Move Michigan Into a Clean Energy Future
Michigan's energy future is in the crosshairs. Our state is threatened with an onslaught of at least seven more dirty coal-fired power plants that will keep Michigan locked in the energy dark ages, dependent on imported fossil fuels and producing more dangerous global warming pollution. More outdated dirty coal plants will hamper the development of clean energy and the good paying jobs that come with it.
But the Legislature can stop this from happening now by passing a no new coal plant policy until Michigan has a strong clean energy plan!
Take Action Now: Tell your legislators No More Coal Plants
Great Lakes, Great Michigan
Michigan's Water: Ours or Theirs? Citizen's Town Hall to protect our Great Lakes.
Experts, activists to discuss threats that would allow 25% of some inland water for taking
The Great Lakes, Great Michigan coalition, environmental experts, elected officials and others will discuss a major threat facing Michigan waters: unchecked, large-scale water withdrawals and weak laws that open the door to water diversion.
These threats could happen because of loopholes in state law that do not put our freshwater under the public trust and opens the door to withdrawals of as much as 25 percent from some stretches of our inland streams and rivers. Michigan's most precious natural heritage, our Great Lakes and her inland lakes and streams, are coveted by thirsty southern states, large corporate users and water-takers.
This important Town Hall will be held on Tuesday, March 11, in Northville.Town Hall meeting
- When: Tuesday, March 11 @ 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Where: Northville Senior Center
303 W. Main Street
Northville, MI - Who: Environmental experts; members of the Great Lakes, Great Michigan coalition; State Representative Marc Corriveau; State Representative Richard LeBlanc; and State Representative Rebecca Warren.
On February 28, 2006 Governor Granholm signed into law the first ever package of bills regulating water withdrawals in Michigan. The new water use laws, encompassed in Public Acts 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 of 2006, reflect a compromise with the then Republican-controlled legislature and, while they contained some new protections, they carry new risks for our water.
Learn more about the Great Lakes Great Michigan campaign, about the Great Lakes Great Michigan 2007 platform, about the new laws regulating large quanity water withdrawals, and about the weaknesses in those laws. You can also find out more about Great Lakes work happening regionally.
Take Action: Oppose Thirsty States
Right now, some Michigan politicians are proposing large quantities of Michigan's rivers and streams be made available to send to places like Las Vegas, Arizona or even China.
Maybe these politicians don't realize that our streams, lakes and aquifers—our drinking water sources—are all connected in the Great Lakes system. Or maybe they care more about corporate lobbyists who want to profit from selling the Great Lakes.
We need your voice to protect our lakes. Tell Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop to stand-up to the international corporate lobbyists that want to take our water.
Healthy Michigan
Clean Water Action is working with the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health to reduce the threat of toxic chemicals and replace them with safer and more sustainable alternatives. We are also focusing on promoting research and development of chemicals and products that are safer for the health of Michigan's people, especially children who's developing bodies are uniquely vulnerable.
Why does Michigan need toxic chemical policy reform?
Chemistry gone green: How green chemistry can save our state!
Read more about Healthy Michigan's 2008 legislative priorities
Want to know more about lead in toys? Find out how 1,200 different toys measured up when tested by healthytoys.org or take action now to tell Michigan legislators to protect children from toxic chemicals.
Want to host a Home Safe Home party? Learn more...
Clean Kent County
Every day an estimated 1 million gallons of untreated waste from toilets and household drains is discharged from Kent County's failing septic systems.
Many residents, especially those who have been connected to a public wastewater system in the past, don't realize that septic systems need regular maintenance to avoid problems like toilets backing up and contaminating groundwater and nearby streams and lakes. Learn more...
Greening of Stormwater
Green roofs, rain gardens and pollution-absorbing ponds are safe and effective alternatives in combating pollution from stormwater runoff—the nation's leading cause of water pollution.
Learn more:
Press Release (pdf)
Report (6.5 MB, pdf)
Don't Trash Michigan Campaign
Michigan continues to be at the receiving end of increasing amounts out of state and Canadian trash. In 2005, roughly a third of all trash dumped in Michigan landfills was generated in Canada and other states.
Lawmaker Accountability
2005-2006 State Legislative Scorecards
View our State House Legislative Scorecard and our State Senate Legislative Scorecard to discover how your lawmaker voted on important environmental and public health issues during the 2005-2006 legislative session.
