Right before the Michigan Legislature recessed for their two-week spring break, the House Natural Resources voted out House Bills 4454-4461 to the House floor to be taken up after the break. Stakeholders from environmental advocates, local governments, EGLE, and across issue areas have collaborated for over six years to bring forward long-awaited reforms to Michigan’s solid waste and disposal police. Legislatively, Chairman Gary Howell has made this a top priority for this term.
The League is supportive of House Bills 4454-4461as introduced and had no issue with the H-1 brought forward for HBs 4457, 4460, & 4461 which addressed technical corrections raised by EGLE. The MML also provided testimony to the Committee in support of the package available here: MML_Part115.
Many groups expressed their support, but some opposition came from solid waste industry advocates that disagreed with aspects of local control, specifically in HB 4461, related to municipalities adjacent to counties establishing their materials management plan (MMP) having direct input in the planning process and the ability for local units to establish and enforce ordinances related to hours of operation, landscaping, screening, ancillary construction, operating records and reporting requirements outside of the MMP process. While House Committee members largely supported local units’ ability to address issues as they arise as written, this conversation will likely continue as the bills move to the Senate.
As the package continues, the League will continue to keep our members updated on proposed and ongoing changes related to local governments.
Herasanna Richards is a legislative associate handling energy, environmental, elections, and external municipal services for the League. She can be reached at [email protected] or 517-908-0309.