Cochran and Abed Call on Legislature to Make Polluters, not Taxpayers, Pay for Cleanups
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 |
Contact: Katie Carey Phone: (616) 240-3701
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Cochran and Abed Call on Legislature to Make Polluters, not Taxpayers, Pay for Cleanups
Candidates pledge to restore bipartisan air, water safeguards
LANSING – Tom Cochran, Democratic candidate for the 67th house district, and Theresa Abed, Democratic candidate for the 71st house district, today called on the Legislature to pass proposals that will hold corporate polluters accountable and make them – not taxpayers – pay for cleaning up toxic spills and other pollution that harm Michigan’s lakes, rivers, land and air.
“The Republican-led Legislature has damaged Michigan’s future by weakening our polluter pay laws,” said Cochran. “Polluted waterways and air won’t help us keep families and businesses in our communities — pollution will, instead, eventually drive them away. To keep Michigan’s economy and communities growing, we have to protect our natural resources and use them wisely, so I will fight for strong polluter pay laws when I go to the state Capitol.”
In recent years, the Republican-controlled Legislature approved measures that let corporate polluters off the hook when they pollute, meaning taxpayers bear the brunt of paying for cleanups. The Legislature also refused to restore bipartisan safeguards that protect Michigan’s air and water, which are vital to ensuring that families’ supply of drinking water is safe.
Cochran and Abed said they support plans that would:
§ Require corporate polluters to pay for cleanups – not taxpayers – and reverse Republican-passed legislation that weakens safeguards aimed at holding corporations accountable when they pollute.
§ Restore bipartisan safeguards to protect Michigan’s air and water, which would prevent corporate polluters from dumping toxic waste like arsenic and mercury into our air and water.
“I want to go to the state Capitol and work with Tom and the state Legislature
to restore our polluter pay laws that used to offer far better protection to our communities and our families,” said Abed. “It’s appalling that my opponent, Deb Shaughnessy, put the profits of corporate polluters ahead of the welfare and safety of our families when she voted to loosen our polluter pay laws. Our state can’t afford another spill like the Enbridge spill of 2010 where communities are still trying to recover. Good laws that protect our natural resources and communities by holding polluters responsible are necessary to keep Michigan moving forward.”
After causing the worst oil spill on land in U.S. history, Enbridge still has not adequately cleaned up the 800,000-plus gallons spilled into the Kalamazoo River in 2010. [1] Abed’s opponent in the 71st district race, incumbent Rep. Deb Shaughnessy, voted in support of laws that weaken oversight and accountability measures, effectively giving polluters a free pass when they contaminate Michigan lakes, groundwater, land and air.
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[1] Spangler, Todd. “Enbridge told more cleanup needed in Kalamazoo oil spill.” Oct 3, 2012. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012121003045
