On Wednesday, February 6th, the MCC held its 2019 Policy Day at the Capitol, which featured speakers from the MDEQ, the Governor’s office, and the Legislature.
MCC members also discussed the organization’s 2019 legislative and regulatory policy priorities, including issues like PFAS, energy competitiveness, infrastructure, and chemicals regulation.
In 2014, Gov. Rick Snyder announced a statewide plan to double Michigan's residential recycling rate, and tasked the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) with developing strategies to boost recycling in the state. Key components of the Governor's plan include improving measurement, education, access, and marketing. The Governor's Recycling Council is a nine-member panel formed as part of the plan to advise the DEQ.
To provide input to the Governor's Recycling Council on the issue of plastics recycling, the Michigan Chemistry Council (MCC) and American Chemistry Council (ACC) provided comments on January 12th, 2016. The comments note the significant nationwide increases in plastics recycling and discuss proven strategies to achieve further gains in Michigan. The comments also urge the adoption of a sustainable materials management approach that combines recycling with other approaches and technologies to reduce overall environmental impacts.
EPA finalizes demand for 36 states to remove automatic SSM exemptions from SIPs, no later than Nov. 22, 2016.
Neither EPA nor the states may provide facilities with an affirmative defense for Clean Air Act violations that would alter the jurisdiction of the federal courts to assess civil penalties.
On Tuesday, June 16th, a package of Senate bills (SB 400, 401, and 402) was introduced to implement changes to the Part 121 Liquid Industrial Waste Rules. These changes are a product of a stakeholder workgroup formed to address an ORR recommendation that the DEQ streamline the process of handling these materials. The legislation has been referred to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources.
The MCC and member company representatives participated in the stakeholder process to develop these recommendations. Please let us know as soon as soon as possible if you have any questions or concerns about the changes.
