Clean water is good for business = =97 say experts

From: Subject: =?Windows-1252?Q?Clean_water_is_good_for_business_=97_say_experts?= Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:07:16 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_005A_01C9FA33.B646D020" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_005A_01C9FA33.B646D020 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/2009/6-24-09/Clean-water-good-biz.asp Clean water is good for business = =97 say experts

Clean water is good for business =97 say = experts=20

By Terry Oparka
C & G Staff Writer

MACOMB/OAKLAND =97 Restoring the Great Lakes and its = tributaries is=20 good for business and the environment, says a panel of=20 environmentalists and other stakeholders.

Melissa Damaschke, representative of Sierra Club Great = Lakes,=20 said that according to the Oakland County Planning and = Economic=20 Development Service, lakes add more than $1 billion in = property=20 value to Oakland County.

However, studies completed in New York have shown that = polluted=20 bodies of water reduce property values by 5 percent, = Damaschke said.=20

=93There=92s real value to the economy to restore the = Great Lakes and=20 local rivers,=94 she said.

Every inch of rain or snow in the Clinton River = Watershed, which=20 encompasses a large part of Oakland County and all of = Macomb, drains=20 to the mouth of the Clinton River in Harrison Township, = explained=20 Dan Keifer, community outreach coordinator of the Clinton = River=20 Watershed Council. He and others spoke to a group of about = 50 people=20 who attended the Great Lakes Forum, hosted by the Sierra = Club at the=20 Troy Community Center June 24.

Kiefer noted that the Clinton River was known in the = =9160s and=20 =9170s as the most polluted body of water in the state.

He said that although that has changed, areas of concern = remain,=20 such as storm water runoff that can cause sanitary sewer = overflows=20 and invasive species.

=93We=92re asking the system to handle way more water = than it can,=94=20 Keifer said. =93Much more work needs to be done on storm = water=20 management.=94

He praised the federal legislation that President George = W. Bush=20 signed into law last fall that stopped large-scale = withdrawal of=20 water from the Great Lakes and the $475 million slated for = restoring=20 the Great Lakes through an annual funding bill from the U.S. = Department of the Interior and Environmental Protection = Agency,=20 which lawmakers recently passed in the U.S. House. The bill = now goes=20 to the Senate for approval.

U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, explained in a = prepared=20 statement that the Great Lakes restoration initiative would = begin to=20 address longstanding problems such as invasive species, = pollution,=20 habitat and fisheries loss, and contaminated sediment. =

Gerard Santoro, senior planner of the Macomb County = Department of=20 Planning and Economic and Development, cited the Great Lakes = Economic Initiative, titled =93Great Lakes Healthy Waters, = Strong=20 Economy,=94 released by Brookings Institution in 2007. It = states that=20 the close proximity to bodies of water increases state = property=20 values by $12 billion to $19 billion. =93It makes the region = more=20 attractive to businesses and workers,=94 he said.

=93Now it=92s time to focus on ecology,=94 he said.

=93There are no rivers in Troy,=94 said Jennifer Lawson,=20 environmental specialist with the city of Troy Engineering=20 Department. However, Troy is home to both the Rouge River = and=20 Clinton River watersheds.

She explained that in the area=92s agricultural past, = swamps were=20 drained in order to grow corn, wheat and melons.

Lawson said the city has signed an agreement with the = Alliance of=20 Rouge Communities for a study on the number of trees in the=20 watershed. Lawson said a grant would fund the study.

Aerial photos will be taken to determine the amount of = tree=20 cover, since more trees result in better storm water = runoff. =20 =93We can plant more trees to save money,=94 she said.

The city has stabilized the stream banks at Sylvan Glen = Golf=20 Course and established a wetland area on the site, and hopes = to=20 install 5,000 rain barrels in the city in the next five = years.

She urged people to serve as watchdogs and report things = such as=20 oil dripping from vehicles and trash violations, and to = participate=20 in and sponsor environmental initiatives.

Troy resident Margaret McLand, chair of the Emerald Lakes = Village=20 Homeowner=92s Association, said that she and her neighbors = stopped=20 using fertilizer with phosphorus after they learned that = phosphorous=20 levels in the lake near their home were high. =93We = haven=92t been=20 able to swim in our lake for five years,=94 she said.

She asked Lawson if the city could place a ban on = property owners=20 using fertilizers containing phosphorus.

Lawson noted that fertilizers containing phosphorus are = widely=20 available, and funding for enforcement is tight in the = current=20 economy.

=93All our habits impact the watershed,=94 said John = McCulloch,=20 Oakland County water resources commissioner.

He noted that Oakland County is home to five major = watersheds:=20 Flint, Shiawassee, Huron, Clinton and Rouge rivers.

=93They all discharge to the Clinton River,=94 he said. = He said it is=20 imperative for St. Clair, Oakland and Macomb counties work=20 together.

He said that Gov. Jennifer Granholm has indicated she = wants to=20 turn enforcement of water quality in the state over to the = EPA and=20 Army Corps of Engineers to save money, which he opposes = because=20 state rules and regulations are stricter than federal = standards.=20

=93We lead the country,=94 he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Terry Oparka at toparka@candgnews.com or at=20 (586) 498-1054.

Copyright =A9 2008 C = & G=20 Publishing
Advertiser Times =95 Birmingham-Bloomfield = Eagle =95=20 Eastsider =95 Farmington Press =95 Fraser-Clinton Chronicle = =95
Grosse=20 Pointe Times =95 Journal =95 Macomb Chronicle =95 = Madison-Park News =95=20 Rochester Post =95 Royal Oak Review =95
St. Clair Shores = Sentinel =95=20 Shelby-Utica News =95 Southfield Sun =95 Sterling Heights = Sentry =95=20
Troy Times =95 Warren Weekly =95 West Bloomfield Beacon = =95 Woodward=20 Talk

=0A= _uacct =3D "UA-1725200-1";=0A= urchinTracker();=0A=