[CPEO-BIF] Michigan cleanup funds run dry

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

[One reason, I suspect, that the state ran out of cleanup funding is 
that Brownfields subsidies have been available as general subsidies for 
business development. - LS]

Michigan has 11,000 toxic spots, finds only $150M for cleanup

By TINA LAM
Detroit Free Press
December 12, 2010




Michigan came close to having to shut down contamination cleanups across 
the state, until legislators last week approved a rescue package of $150 
million that will keep some going for another three to four years.

Experts say the state is at a crossroads: It has more than 11,000 
contaminated sites and leaky underground storage tanks, many without 
owners, and can't keep using Band-Aids to fix them.

The latest infusion of money will pay for cleanups only at the riskiest 
contaminated sites, and was raided from a sewer-repair program. 
Legislators took money from a clean-up fund for underground storage 
tanks to plug other budget holes.

The state is out of money from two voter-approved bond issues that were 
used to clean up contamination for the last 22 years.

...

For the entire article, see
http://www.freep.com/article/20101212/NEWS05/12120622/1001/NEWS/Michigan-has-11000-toxic-spots-finds-only-150M-for-cleanup

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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