LANSING – State Representative Fred Miller (D-Mount Clemens) announced today that the House has passed a 2008 state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) budget that earmarks $250,000 for a water-quality testing program that will include Lake St. Clair.
Miller proposed the plan that secured these funds and was instrumental in its passage Wednesday evening.
"There is nothing more important than guarding against potential health threats to our residents," Miller said. "We must be vigilant about protecting the quality of our water supply, and this funding from the Department of Environmental Quality is crucial because it will help ensure that contaminants are not tainting our waters."
The funding for water-quality testing will pay for monitoring of water intakes on Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River to detect any chemical contamination.
"As a State Representative from Macomb County, it is my job to protect programs that enhance the quality of life for our residents," Miller said. "I am pleased that the House passed the legislation that provided for this funding in the 2008 DEQ budget."
The House on Wednesday evening passed a budget for the 2008 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. This budget will allow the DEQ to maintain key regulatory programs and restore services that have declined in recent years – especially in air quality, groundwater protection, and land and water management programs. The DEQ budget provides needed funding to improve Michigan's air-quality program to ensure that federal requirements are met and provides Michigan's groundwater-discharge permitting program with funds to add a compliance-sampling inspection program.