Weekly Column: Calling Out the Governor’s Harbor-Killing Mandate
Washington,
April 3, 2025
Last week, I sent a letter to Governor Whitmer regarding the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) new, vague policy requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to test for PFAS in Michigan harbors before dredging the inner harbors. EGLE had not previously required the Army Corps to test for PFAS but created a new policy allegedly based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. However, when my office contacted the EPA, we were told EGLE is independently imposing this testing requirement.
There has been a critical lack of communication with communities as well as on the specifics regarding the PFAS standards. The Army Corps recently informed my office that their headquarters will not authorize PFAS testing until the State of Michigan defines the threshold for acceptable levels. Without this clarification from the state, new dredging cannot occur. The inability to remove material from inner harbors – where freighters deliver aggregate material – threatens imminent shoaling, harbor closures, and delivery of critical construction materials. Governor Whitmer’s “act first, define later” approach to dredging will hurt families, communities, small businesses, and job creation across Michigan. This is the equivalent of writing a speeding a ticket when there is no posted speed limit. This is why I am urging EGLE to halt its implementation until the impacts can be further discussed and defined, and so that dredging activities can resume as needed. As Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force and a founding member of the PFAS Task Force, I understand the threat of PFAS in our communities. Our efforts to combat PFAS contamination, however, are undermined by vague regulatory requirements, like this one, which would impact harbors at 14 locations across Michigan, including Holland, South Haven, and St. Joseph. As a result, shoaling could block cargo ships and cripple our local economies up and down the lakeshore. If aggregate material is not able to be shipped in, it will dramatically raise the taxpayer cost of infrastructure improvements, especially for roads. We cannot allow this to happen. If you need assistance navigating a federal agency, please contact my office at Huizenga.House.Gov. |
