Special Report

III. EARLY WARNINGS

The state of Michigan took steps in both 1989 and 1992 to evaluate whether its policies adequately protect water supplies. But state leaders have failed to act on the recommendations of two distinguished panels: The 1989 Groundwater Coordinating Council and the 1992 Environment and Relative Risk Report.

The Groundwater Coordinating Council, a group that former Democratic Governor James Blanchard appointed in 1989, outlined a reasonable set of groundwater protection goals:

ï Protect the environment and public health by preventing future degradation of groundwater and restoring contaminated groundwater for productive use.

ï Manage and protect groundwater as part of overall state water management.

ï Recognize the inter-relationship between groundwater and surface water.

ï Create a cooperative regulatory atmosphere that rewards groundwater protection and encourages communication among governments, businesses, and citizen organizations.

Michigan’s 1992 Environment and Relative Risk report, commissioned by Republican Gov. Engler, also recommended strongly that the state extend greater attention to groundwater quantity. The report found that one of the most troublesome and least recognized problems was large-scale groundwater withdrawals for agricultural, industrial, and suburban growth. The report also identified potential problems related to these unregulated, large-scale water withdrawals, including dry drinking water wells, habitat loss during drought periods, and drastic reductions in surface water flow.