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Everyone,
Please take a look at the following message from Mark Richardson. He is the Macomb County Environmental Prosecutor and a good conservationist. He is looking for some people who might be interested in joining the lawsuit below. Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested in getting involved. Thanks, Brett Levin The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office is attempting to protect a cold water fishery by contesting a clean water act permit issued to a new sewage treatment plant to be located east of the Village of Romeo in Macomb County. The St. Clair Channel Keeper and Clean Water Action organizations have joined in the appeal. The permit would allow the Armada Industrial Park Waste Water Treatment Plant to discharge up to 250 thousand gallons of treated sewage per day into East Pond Creek. East Pond Creek is a designated cold water fishery upstream of East Mill Lake. According to officials of the Department of Natural Resources, East Pond Creek is one of only 4 or 5 spring fed brook trout streams remaining in southeast Michigan, and the only cold water fishery left in Macomb County. The Prosecutor's office is particularly concerned that MDEQ is not following the "anti-degradation rule." Rule 98 of the Water Quality Rules forbids any degradation of high quality waters unless "necessary to accommodate important social or economic development." The Prosecutor's office believes that this rule requires those applying for permits to discharge into high quality waters to offer convincing proof that their degradation is necessary for community welfare and that are no genuine alternatives. If the DEQ or the courts accept the Prosecutor's interpretation, the case could have statewide or even national significance. For further information, contact Mark Richardson, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Water Quality, at 586-469-5593. |
