Schuette Files Suit Against Two Companies Over Flint

Attorney General Bill Schuette announced Wednesday, the state is suing two water engineering companies for allegedly allowing the Flint water crisis to not only continue, but to worsen.

Mr. Schuette filed a civil lawsuit against France’s water company Veolia for fraud, professional negligence, and public nuisance; and filed another suit against Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam (LAN) for professional negligence and public nuisance. The suit is seeking damages potentially in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The suit alleges both companies either knew or should have known the city was not using corrosion control treatment, and instead the companies recommended Flint double its dosage of ferric chloride, which increased the corrosion.

Specifically, Veolia was hired with the intention of taking a comprehensive look at the city’s water system. After a 160-hour assessment, the company concluded the water was safe and presented that information, which the suit argues was fraud. LAN issued reports in 2014 and 2015 that said Flint was in compliance and took no action to implement corrosion control. LAN instead recommended the city flush its fire hydrants, which the suit alleges caused the residential water tests to show low lead levels.

According to Special Counsel Todd Flood, if damages were awarded in these suits, the funds would go toward rebuilding the city of Flint.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, June 24, 2016 11:03 AM
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Waukesha Diversion Approved

Governor Rick Snyder approved Waukesha, Wisconsin’s application to draw water from Lake Michigan. Michigan has now officially joined the other seven Great Lakes States in approving the measure.

Waukesha’s current water source is polluted with radium, and officials applied for the diversion as an economic option for the city. The diversion is approved under the Great Lakes Compact, which allows water use for communities in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. The city, under the agreement, can draw 8.2 million gallons per day from Lake Michigan as long as it replaces the equivalent back in treated water. This practice has shown to have a low environmental impact. The agreement also requires the city to monitor the daily withdrawals and have those records open for review.

Despite the unanimous approval among state governors, Attorney General Bill Schuette, U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) and U.S. Representative Candice Miller (R-Harrison Township) disagreed with the approval.

posted by PAA Online , 11:00 AM
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Snyder Signs Detroit Bills, Among Others

Governor Rick Snyder signed several bills this week, including the Detroit Public School (DPS) reform, which has the district splitting into two with the old district handling the debt.

The DPS package has $617 million for the district with $467 allocated toward debt retirement. The current district will remain in place until the debt is cleared. All of the bills in the package (HB 5383, HB 5384, HB 5387, SB 711, SB 820, and SB 822) have immediate effect save for HB 5387, which takes effect September 19. A private ceremony was held during the signing with key sponsors and backers attending.

Other bills signed by Governor Snyder include SB 251, which gives judges further opportunities to sentence juvenile offenders to rehabilitation instead of traditional jailing. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will now oversee vending machines under SB 774. Additional legislation signed includes SB 632 regarding probate courts, SB 672 regarding parental waivers, SB 957 dealing with quality assurance assessments, and finally HB 5521 and SB 482 regarding foster care reform.

posted by PAA Online , 11:00 AM
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PAAdvisory Briefs

Enbridge Invests in Cleanup Equipment

Enbridge Energy announced its plan to invest $7 million in new spill cleanup equipment attached to the Line 5 pipeline. The new equipment should contain and skim any oil that might reach the shore and will remove oil in deep water and under ice. Stephen Lloyd, senior manager for emergency response, said the goal is to exceed regulatory requirements.

Kid Count Data Released

The Annie E. Casey Foundation 2016 Kids Count Data Book ranks Michigan 31^st in the nation overall for child well-being. States are ranked in economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. Michigan is ranked 28^th in economic well-being, 40^th in education, 14^th in health, and 29^th in family and community.

Teacher Union Merger

The Michigan Education Association and American Federation of Teachers Michigan announced that the two unions have been discussing a merger, but have not officially reached a decision. A potential combined union has the potential to represent more members and the whole state. Both unions have seen a decrease in membership as school districts have shrunk and right-to-work laws became applicable.

Uninsured Population Falls

The Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation found that only 5 percent of Michigan residents reported not having health insurance in 2015, a large decrease from 2012 when 14 percent of the population reported having no insurance. The survey conducted did not ask respondents what type of coverage they had, such as private or through Medicaid.

posted by PAA Online , 10:59 AM
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