LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday, July 27, signed legislation sponsored by State Senator Sean McCann of Kalamazoo, allowing Michigan to set stronger environmental protections.
Senate Bill 14 repeals Michigan’s “no stricter than federal” law established in 2018 that prevents state officials from strengthening environmental and public health protections that exceed federal standards.
Prior to the signing of the bill, the law required state officials to build a case for better protections any time they exceeded national standards, which supporters of the bill say delayed the adoption of best practices and left residents vulnerable.
“Gov. Whitmer and I recognize the importance of ensuring that Michigan has the ability to go beyond minimum federal standards to defend our natural resources and public health,” said McCann. “We recognize that federal standards should be viewed as the floor, not the ceiling. Every state has unique needs, and the Great Lakes State is certainly no exception. Michigan has a history of going beyond federal standards, whether it’s to protect Lake Erie from algae blooms in the 1970s or address the Flint Water Crisis. This law will ensure our state can act swiftly with the best science available in the future.”
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