LANSING – The Michigan House Appropriations Environmental Quality Subcommittee agreed with most of the fee changes Governor Rick Snyder had proposed, but reduced some of the funding available to the Air Quality Program.
The key change to the air program, reducing the fee to $51.15 per ton to generate $1.2 million in new funds and reinserting $1.3 million from the Environmental Pollution Prevention Fund, came at the department’s request, Rep. Roger Victory (R-Georgetown Township), chair of the subcommittee, said.
Removing the pollution prevention funding had been an error, he said. The governor had recommended $2.3 million additional revenue to the program, but all from a fee increase to $65 from the current $47.95.
The subcommittee, though, cut $150,000 in General Funds from the program. It also required that one of the employees of the program be dedicated to air pollution issues in the Upper Peninsula.
It also cut $150,000 from the Drinking Water and Environmental Health Program.
The changes left the budget $300,000 GF less than the governor’s recommendation at $35.078 million. Gross spending was $487.91 million, $13,000 less than the executive. Gross spending represented a 6 percent cut from current year and GF a 6.4 percent cut.
The subcommittee did approve an amendment from Rep. Sarah Roberts (D-St. Clair Shores) adding a placeholder for a statewide septic code study. She said the state was one of few to not have a septic code.
The subcommittee rejected the rest of Roberts’ amendments, including requiring public hearings, if requested, on wells using hydraulic fracturing and adding back the funds to the drinking water program.
The budget (HB 4093 ) was reported unanimously.
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