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Mich. Senate passes bill to gut coal regulations and raise utility rates

House should reject Senate's dangerous giveaway to dirty coal companies, environmental leaders say

LANSING - The Michigan Senate passed a bill today that would force the state to ignore critical environmental and economic factors when evaluating Clean Air Act permits, a move that is being roundly panned by leading environmental groups throughout Michigan.

"The Senate is heaving a ‘hail Mary' pass to the House on behalf of the state's big utilities and it smacks of dangerous desperation," said Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club's Michigan Director.

The Senate substitute for House Bill 5220, which would amend the Natural Resources Protection Act, calls for the state to ignore alternative energy sources or economic needs when deciding whether to allow the construction of new coal plants. The Senate's action comes despite the Michigan Public Service Commission staff's recent assertion that Michigan doesn't need another coal plant to meet the state's energy needs.

Clean Water Action, the Sierra Club, the Ecology Center and the Michigan Environmental Council are all urging the House to reject the Senate's substitute bill.

"While many of our country's leaders are pushing for a treaty in Copenhagen on climate change, Michigan's Republican Senate majority just hours ago approved legislation that would all but guarantee a new polluting coal plant will be built in Michigan," said Cyndi Roper, Clean Water Action Michigan Director. "Other states have rejected more than 100 new coal plants, but some Michigan politicians just don't get it. We urge the House of Representatives to reject the Senate's eleventh-hour attempt to gut Michigan's Natural Resources Protection Act."

Prior to today's Senate vote, it was announced that many northern Michigan residents will see up to a 33-percent hike in their utility rates, thanks to the unnecessary approval of a new coal plant in Wisconsin.

"On the same day that Northern Michigan residents got socked with a huge utility increase, the state Senate saw it wise to pass a bill that will stick even more of us with higher energy costs by forcing us to pay billions of dollars for a new coal plant," said Mike Shriberg, Policy Director for the Ecology Center. "We urge the state House to let common sense to prevail and immediately reject the Senate's dangerous and costly plan."