Planet Detroit Candidate Survey
What are the three most pressing environmental issues facing the communities you seek to serve? Please rank them in order of priority and briefly explain why you chose each.
1. Clean Drinking Water — Should not be a privilege. As emergency manager of Genesee County I am familiar with the risks at stake when people do not have it accessible and how that can reach into every part of one’s life. It is basic humanity to ensure that every resident of this state has it readily accessible.
2. PFAS — Industrial pollution and environmental injustice have a disproportionate and distinct effect on marginalized communities. The amount of brownfields that are not properly addressed is startling and the effects of PFAS, heavy metals, and other toxic runoffs have long term implications.
3. Water Systems — S to prevent flooding and further downstream consequences, such as being affected by toxic water or increased insurance rates. If better systems were to be put in place it would bring stability regarding health, the economy, and the environment in areas at risk of flooding.
Michigan law requires utilities to reach 100% clean energy by 2040. If elected, would you support maintaining this law, or would you support revising or repealing it? Please explain your position.
Maintain the current law and timeline
- I will maintain the current law and timeline. The facts are simple and clear—in order for our state to thrive in the future, we must seek long-term stability. There are many benefits to this law. It ensures that Michigan receives badly needed federal funding to address environmental and infrastructure needs. Second, it will create jobs in solar and wind energy as well as energy storage sectors. Third, it will lower pollution and decrease the downstream health effects from it. Lastly, it will make the energy grid cheaper and more resilient since it does not rely on global market spikes.
More than two dozen Michigan communities are considering or have approved large-scale data center developments. These facilities can consume as much electricity as a small city and place significant demands on local water and energy infrastructure. What role should state government play in overseeing data center development, and what guardrails should the state legislature enact to protect communities where data centers are proposed?
It is never good government to exclude local voices, and it’s critical that Michigan taxpayers and ratepayers be held harmless by large corporations, especially multi-billion-dollar conglomerates. I support a built-in escrow account funded by prospective corporations to protect against a project being abandoned after community planning and resources have been committed and spent. We must also implement legislation requiring signed legal commitments of promise and limitations on tax credits/incentives for needs-based reasons only prior to any agreements being made.
PFAS contamination has been detected in drinking water, groundwater, and surface water across Michigan. Cleanup efforts are underway, but many affected communities are still waiting for action. What is the single most important step the officeholder in this position should take on PFAS in the next term?
- As governor, I would exercise executive powers in order to declare a state of emergency in highly contaminated areas. This would direct agencies to expedite cleanup efforts and deliver clean drinking water, filters, and funds to impacted communities. Furthermore I would seek to establish state-level maximum contaminant levels that are higher than the federal ones.
Michigan residents in some communities face disproportionate exposure to air pollution, contaminated water, and industrial waste. Do you support requiring Michigan regulators to assess cumulative environmental and health impacts on overburdened communities before approving new permits for polluting facilities?
Yes
- Yes, as emergency manager in Genesee County, I collaborated with Attorney General Dana Nessel in order to hold Lockhart chemical accountable when they polluted the Flint River so I am aware of the need to create points in the manufacturing process to assess and monitor potential threats to our communities. Not only will this lead to lower rates of pollution, but also higher levels of trust between the government and our residents showing them they are the priority in this process.
Utility rate cases directly affect what Michigan residents pay for electricity and gas. DTE and Consumers Energy have requested frequent significant rate increases in recent years. Should elected officials play a greater role in holding utility companies accountable for rate hikes and rising energy costs?
- First, I have pledged to issue an executive order my first day in office placing a moratorium on rate hikes from DTE and Consumers. During that moratorium I will direct agencies to investigate whether the recent rate hikes have been accompanied by increased service. I believe undoubtedly that elected officials need to protect their constituents from unreadable and financially taxing practices such as these. I have also pledged not to take PAC money from these utilities. Our politicians must be accountable to the people of Michigan, not utility conglomerates.
Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline runs through the Straits of Mackinac and carries crude oil and natural gas liquids between Wisconsin and Ontario. A proposed tunnel beneath the lakebed to house a replacement pipeline has faced legal and regulatory challenges for years. What is your position on the future of Line 5?
Michigan’s regulatory arms must demand and ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for environmental protections and the public health and safety of our residents.
Drinking water is becoming increasingly unaffordable for Michiganders in both rural and urban areas, leading to water shutoffs. Would you support legislation that caps water bills for low-income Michiganders and adds shutoff protections?
Yes
Michigan is home to more than 18,000 contaminated sites. Do you support or oppose legislation to hold polluters accountable for cleaning up these sites?
Support
As emergency manager in Genesee County I have seen how pollution and contaminated sites affect people’s health and wellbeing. Holding polluters accountable will be the minimum price for admission for doing business this state when I am Governor.