Now They REALLY need Our Help

Our October meeting speaker, Michelle Hurd-Riddick, just sent us an e-mail confirming that the only thing that can stop HB4617 from becoming law now is a a veto by Gov. Granholm. Forunately, our Governor knows how to use her veto when she knows she needs to.

But she needs to know you care about our new friends along the Tittabawassee River. This is Michelle's message to us:

Dear Friends:

Please help the Lone Tree Council continue our fight to cleanup the Tittabawassee River and Saginaw River.

As many of you know, yesterday, the Michigan House and Senate passed concurring legislation HB 4617 (S3). This legislation was supported by industry and business across the state because it will make cleanup by Dow Chemical along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw River nearly impossible.

Legislators trying to protect Dow Chemical are proposing to change the way the State manages our cleanup laws. HB 4617/SB1 would remove the state's ability to designate some property as a "facility" or potentially contaminated. An amendment would also allow the polluter to contest whether a property can receive the designation. The result will be more expensive cleanups, slower cleanups, and increased liability for individual property owners whose property may be contaminated. Residents may actually lose the ability to force polluters to pay. In addition, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" provisions of the bill would prevent property owners from knowing that their property is contaminated, would prevent future owners from being informed, and would prevent the DEQ from doing anything about it, even if the property owners wanted a clean-up. This bill actually diminishes the rights of owners and future owners of properties.

This is our home and our watershed and we need to act today! Please call Governor Granholm and ask her to veto HB 4617 (s3). Her number is 1-517-373-3400. Please do it soon. E-mail me and let me know if you did this so we can track the calls. Anyone else you can think of to have place a call please do.

Thanks so very much for all your support. I cannot tell you how important a veto is.

Warm regards,

Michelle Hurd Riddick

Lone Tree Council

799-3313