It disturbs me that we might not adopt these amendments. I’m encouraging everybody, regardless of how you feel about climate change, to vote “yes” on these amendments.
The first amendment would allow EGLE to have the authority to deny a permit if it will pose a risk to groundwater, drinking water, public health, and the environment. That seems pretty simple, and in a community like mine that has a lot of pore space, I think, and that may receive a lot of carbon, I can tell you that we have a lot of well issues already in groundwater. Issues from other things that have been put into our ground or taken out so my community would really appreciate your “yes” vote. It wouldn’t allow sequestration or unitization of ecologically sensitive areas or in local parks or natural areas. It would require setbacks from surface water, local parks, and residences for sequestration for pipelines.
The second amendment would allow liability to transfer to the state 50 years after the last injection. The current draft includes a loophole that allows the division director to transfer liability sooner. The state taking on liability for industrial, privately-led activity is extreme and this is just putting a few more guardrails on that extreme change.
The third amendment means that in the case of drinking water, alternative drinking water would be provided within 24 hours because this could poison somebody’s drinking water, and right now there are no provisions for them to have safe drinking water.
Fourth: it increases the per-ton fee to $1.20. We’re already quibbling about dumping fees in Michigan. Let’s do it right this time.
Amendment No. 5: ensure that we are not using carbon sequestration fees or royalties generated from state pore space to destroy forests or fund ineffective carbon credit programs.
Again, I urge a “yes” vote.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 398, entitled
A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled “Public health code,” by amending sections 6230 and 6234 (MCL 333.6230 and 333.6234), as added by 2012 PA 501.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows: