The Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency came to Michigan at the invitation of Congressman Fred Upton this week to announce “remarkable improvements in air quality.”
U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler is making the rounds in Southwest Michigan with Upton and they met yesterday with the Michigan Manufacturers Association, whose President and CEO John Walsh expressed gratitude, saying, “We want to thank Administrator Wheeler for recognizing the success of manufacturers in reducing emissions and improving Michigan’s air quality.” Walsh contends, “The perception significantly lags behind the reality of manufacturing’s achievements in environmental stewardship. Our members are committed to a clean environment as well as a thriving economy and believe that these are intrinsically connected, not mutually exclusive goals.”
Walsh points out that the largest sector of the state economy, Michigan’s manufacturers have consistently and significantly improved emissions in Michigan, saying, “We believe Michigan’s manufacturers have set the standard for emissions reductions and other areas can mirror manufacturing’s great work to reduce their emissions.” He concludes, “We look forward to working with local, state, and federal partners to continue to improve air quality for Michigan citizens and businesses.”
In addition to EPA Administrator Wheeler, Congressman Upton and MMA’s John Walsh, EPA Regional Administrator Kurt Thiede and Rick Baker, President & CEO of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the important effort being done by the business community to improve air quality.
Later in the day, Wheeler and Upton stopped off at St. Joe’s North Pier, where the EPA leader said, “Michigan has proved to be an important partner to President Trump as we work together on achieving improved environment outcomes,” and added, “Southwest Michigan is benefiting from cleaner air, a cleaner Lake Michigan, and major settlement to clean-up the Kalamazoo Superfund site.”
The two had also toured the Superfund site in Kalamazoo at the Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River site, which first appeared on the National Priorities list 20 years ago in 1990.
The photo of Andrew Wheeler accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
