LANSING – Michigan Senate Republicans expressed frustration with operations within the Department of Environmental Quality earlier this month in a letter to Governor Rick Snyder asking for his office to restore a mindset of being more responsive to customers to the agency.
Nearly all 27 Senate Republicans signed on to the September 6 letter to Snyder, in which they ask the governor to push for improved customer service at DEQ, according to a report from Crain’s Detroit Business.
The Republicans mention constituent concerns in their letter, arguing the agency has been overbearing in its enforcement methods and cost people time and money in seeking permits.
“While we can appreciate the role of the DEQ, we see a pattern of unreasonable overreach when it comes to implementation and enforcement of laws and regulations that is alarming, and it seems that this concern has become more evident over the last couple of years,” the senators told Mr. Snyder.
Concerns outlined by Republicans include heavy fines and tough enforcement measures. They also complain about delays in the permit approval process, among other concerns.
A request for comment from Snyder’s office wasn’t immediately returned.
Sen. Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba), in a September 13 Senate floor speech, gave what he said was an example of the agency’s overreach where his office became involved in a dispute between Republic Township (Marquette County) and the DEQ this summer.
DEQ officials told township leaders they would need a permit to operate the dam south of town during a popular fishing tournament along the Michigamme River despite having run the event for 26 years without a permit.
“They said, ‘You must get a permit or you can’t do the activity,'” Casperson said in his floor speech.
He said, after several weeks of effort, the event ultimately was able to move forward, but it took informing people, up to and including the governor’s office, of what was going on.
“That’s one isolated incident,” Casperson told lawmakers, saying he could go on all day citing further examples of what he considered state agency overreach.
“Governing is being done through rules,” Casperson said, which he alleged is being done by agencies that simply are changing rules to go around laws they don’t agree with. He told lawmakers they need to pay more attention to such efforts lest it undermines the legislative process.
DEQ Director Heidi Grether. In a prepared statement, said the concerns outlined in the letter from senators “do not fall on deaf ears” and the department will improve efforts to work with lawmakers on policy matters.
“We acknowledge that a closer interface with constituents is vital to our relationship with communities. Furthermore, we recognize that our department must continually meet their expectations,” Ms. Grether said. “That’s why we are renewing our commitment to implementing additional solution-oriented practices; making leadership more accessible for legislative feedback and embarking on a review of business protocols within the divisions.”
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