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. PFAS — We must protect our great Lakes and Air. Our finite resources should never be a profit share or power grab for large corporations. We must set strict environmental safeguards, guardrails and industry standards. Our great lakes are a gift and sustain abundant ecosystems.
2. Clean Energy — Phasing out of coal & methane gas and replacing the jobs and infrastructure with green tech renewable energy. In having many conversations with union leaders, they want this too, our communities desire green tech renewable solutions, now is the time to provide the training and support to transition our workforces to renewable sources such as Wind, Solar, Hydro, and Biomass industries.
3. Conservation efforts to — Conservation efforts to protect our land and wildlife. I stand with HB 4392 Natural Resources Trust fund Allocations, allocating 41.8 million to acquire land for public conservation, protecting natural resources and improving recreational accessibility. I stand with SB 1124 to conserve 30% of the state’s total land by 2030. we must safe guard our natural spaces and ensure that generations to come will be able to interact and enjoy the beauty that's abundant in our great State of Michigan.
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
Maintain and continue to oush for bills and policies that will accelerate this timeline.
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?
We currently have 78 Data centers in Michigan. The burden of these Data Centers footprints and energy / natural resource consumption should never fall on everyday rate payers and families. While there is an inevitability to Data Centers in Michigan we must hold them to the strictest transparency standards and guidelines, not allow NDA's or for them to circumvent our justice system. Put the guardrails on for strict environmental guidelines and renewable energy standards ( they have the potential to be 100% renewable energy and I will be a legislature that holds them to this standard), and they need to be held to their own higher tax bracket which would help fund essential services in Michigan ( a minimum increase from 6-9% corporate tax). Their infrastructural burden is massive at 3 million square feet of facility our zoning standards and practices must be updated to ensure they would not overburden our infrastructure in rural areas or deplete natural resources such as water and adversely affect our water tables. The Highest level of scrutiny and proactive policy is needed to safeguard our state, people and natural resources. I will promote open and honest conversations between residents and data center planners. If a community decides it does not want a data center, we must listen to our community members.
Data centers must be held accountable:
- They must be in areas where the infrastructure can support them, avoids sprawl in addition to strain on our environment. - Never exploits tax loops that help data centers shift accountability to the public or onto other communities. - Commits to Prevailing wage standards, local hiring and safe workplace conditions. - Pays all grid costs , upgrades and additional burdens so tax/ratepayers do not end up with rate hikes and fronting the bill. - Limits on water discharge and use. Where water is dumped, screened for potential contaminants and temperature. - Must use existing municipal infrastructure for water delivery and must contribute to the water table. - 100 % renewable energy. Battery storage, clean energy utilization, no diesel or gas generators.
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?
Continuing to establish strict and stringent discharge limits on industrial polluters. we must stop PFAS contamination from the source! While Michigan has some of the strictest MCLs - Maximum Contaminant levels, we still must hold polluters to a higher standard before run off and discharge enters our wastewater, groundwater and biosolids.
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
Access to clean water for all Michiganders is a fundamental duty of our state and local governments and to provide reasonable accommodaƟons to low-income community members. I fully support SB 549-554 which caps water bills to 3% of total income and a $2 dollar fee paid on a monthly basis into a fund to help implement the program. I also support the added safeguards against water shutoffs and the extended criteria to ensure low income or criƟcal care customers are not deprived of a fundamental resource needed to sustain life.
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?
Absolutely! rate hikes should never fall on individual ratepayers. We Must hold large corporations responsible for shouldering the burden of rate increases. I stand with SB 768 for a three - year rate freeze, and AG Dana Nessels active challenge to DTEs proposed $474 million requests.
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?
We must find a safe and sustainable method for transporting 65% of the propane to the UP , 55% to the state of Michigan and 45% of our crude oil to the state. Until a safe and viable compromise has been met we must look to experts in their field to provide guidance moving forward. We must safeguard our finite resources and water systems.
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?
Access to clean water for all Michiganders is a fundamental duty of our state and local governments and to provide reasonable accommodations to low-income community members. I fully support SB 549-554 which caps water bills to 3% of total income and a $2 dollar fee paid on a monthly basis into a fund to help implement the program. I also support the added safeguards against water shutoffs and the extended criteria to ensure low income or critical care customers are not deprived of a fundamental resource needed to sustain life.
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 support Polluter pay laws such as SB 385-393, corporations must pay/ fund clean up efforts for their burden on our environment, not tax payers. The burden and adverse health effects from large corporations / polluters should not be shared by everyday Michiganders. What a sinister system that allows forever chemicals, harmful pathogens and carcinogens to be pumped into our environment without recourse. I support SB 605-606 to amend the "NREPA" and hold large polluters accountable:
To clean up sites Pay for their neglect and abuse of our environment Help deter site contamination Disclosure laws and increases the statute of limitations to decades post contamination.