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.
I think one of the main issues we need to be concerned about environmentally in this area and throughout the country is the rise of these data centers, and the industries which may surround them and the environmental impact of the products and processes they use with the amount of money that seems to be involved combined with what seems like urgency can be a recipe for environmental disaster. 2. Pollution from industries of the past factory sites, industries long gone, out of business, and while nature may reclaim the land on the surface, relatively quickly, the soil and the toxins released can last for generations.3.
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 believe that, at the current rate of technological advance, the 2040 deadline for 100% clean energy is attainable. My main concern is losing any ground gained to future legislators. Stay the course
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 the duty of the state government to create a framework that safeguards communities from the predatory purchasing power of large corporations with vast financial resources. The state should ensure that no community is left at the mercy of a company’s bottom line, and instead, it should empower residents to weigh the costs and benefits of these major projects, so that they can make the right decisions for their community and their future.
Ultimately, I believe that a local community should be the final authority on whether a data center is approved. Moreover, the corporation must prove that the project delivers a dramatic benefit to the community—something beyond simply buying land or paying additional taxes. The benefit must be tangible, something that improves the quality of life, provides lasting community infrastructure, or creates a legacy that reaches far beyond just jobs or short-term economic gain.
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?
Did not respond to this question.
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
Many communities who are currently, or have in the past, hosted more than their share of industrial facilities have paid—and are still paying—the price, not only environmentally but also through devastating health impacts and financial burdens. I think regulators should be required to assess the cumulative environmental and health impacts on these overburdened communities before issuing new permits for polluting industries.
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?
Public utilities do have the ability to request rate adjustments when they need to fund critical upgrades or infrastructure. However, it is the government's responsibility to rigorously evaluate these requests, ensuring that any cost increase is justified, equitable, and does not place an unfair strain on residents. Whether or not that involves increasing or decreasing the level of governmental interaction, it absolutely requires enforcing the current laws.
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?
Did not respond to this question.
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?
We should protect the water rights of low income residents and ensure that everyone has access to safe drinking water. This could mean capping water bills so that no family is forced to choose between clean water and other basic needs.
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
I see firsthand why we need strong environmental regulations. I grew up in the shadow of the Trenton McLouth Steel, a plant built in the late 1940s that closed in the late 90s, leaving behind a toxic site now on the Superfund National Priorities List. This legacy of contamination didn’t just harm the land; it cost lives and livelihoods. We owe it to families to enforce rigorous environmental protections, so that no other community is left with a legacy of illness and decay.