LANSING, MI – The Senator representing people whose water has been contaminated by chemicals from a Wolverine dump site has asked Senate leadership to push pause on a bill that would stop the state from enacting regulations stricter than federal ones.
The bill in question, House Bill 4205, would prohibit a state agency from adopting rules stricter than federally mandated standards in most cases.
"We’re going to hold off on that just because I don’t want people to think that 4205 was because of what was happening in Belmont or not," said Sen. Peter MacGregor, R-Rockford.
Area residents complain of cancer and thyroid problems. Whole-house filters are on their way, but some residents and students at a Rockford middle school are drinking bottled water.
This week, residents came to Lansing to express concerns about how House Bill 4205 could affect a situation like theirs.
"No one deserves to live with contaminated water because a new law says we can’t do more than the absolute minimum to protect drinking water," said area resident Ann Geers at a press conference Tuesday.
Snyder earlier in his tenure vetoed a bill similar to House Bill 4205.
The bill has passed the House and made it through the Senate Oversight Committee MacGregor heads.
Ananich wants to meet with MacGregor and other senators whose districts are struggling with water issues to look at a way to address them statewide, and not as one-off, local issues.