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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    Snyder Must Review Wolverine Air Quality Permit


    By jenkuz, Section News
    Posted on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 07:22:47 AM EST
    Tags: coal, environmentalism, government regulation, green energy, Jennifer Granholm, MDEQ, MDNR, MDNRE, Michigan, Mike Cox, MPSC, power plant, Rick Snyder, sierra club, Wolverine Energy (all tags)

    Cross-posted
    First of all, I want to heap lavish praise on Governor-elect Rick Snyder for splitting the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality.  In my view, when the state legislature approved the combination of the DNR with the DEQ, it bottle-necked the permit process and lent to the nearly 1,000 day wait for eventual denial of the permit.

    At the time, state lawmakers were giddy with the notion that they were helping "streamline" government by combining the two departments.  One of our Republican state lawmakers was a facebook friend of mine back then, and beneath her ecstatic status update that trumpeted the great news, I commented, "But, doesn't this mean that when we try to extract our natural resources, any industry will be shut down due to environmental concerns?  It seems to me that this is a windfall for the radical environmentalists."  That comment was deleted very quickly, but I still think it's true.  I thought it was foolhardy to trust Granholm's bureaucracy especially after all the studying I did about the Wolverine Clean Energy Venture and how the Granholm administration worked hand in hand with the Sierra Club and other radical groups.  If you don't think the Sierra Club is a radical environmental group, you have not seen what happened here in Rogers City.

    So now that Snyder has said the two departments will be split, it is along that line that I call on Governor-Elect Rick Snyder to review the permit to install for Wolverine Clean Energy Venture.

    The Granholm administration went out of their way to deny this top-of-the-line clean coal energy plant.  Granholm, an attorney by profession, utilized her bureaucracy to make up regulations and make new unconstitutional laws by executive order.  She and her administration lied repeatedly to consumers, and denied the air permit based on her shredded process, rather than science, and the law.

    In accordance with the campaign promise from his commercial during the 2010 election season, "We'll dump that tax, thin the regulations and jobs will come back," Snyder must review the Wolverine air quality permit denial.

    A brief synopsis, in case this post gets to the governor-elect's desk.

    In May, 2006, Wolverine Energy announced they were seeking to build a base-load clean coal plant in Rogers City, within the largest limestone quarry in the world, which would take advantage of both the limestone for the scrubbing process, and the deep-sea port for the transport of supplies.  An air quality permit was sought in September of 2007.  A battle ensued with local and national environmental groups, but the process of the most important permit needed for installation of the plant continued when the Michigan DEQ held public hearings and announced that the proposed top-of-the-line clean coal base-load plant was environmentally sound, in October of 2008.  All the data was reviewed, the townspeople were assured that even the scientists sitting in front of them, were completely comfortable with the idea of raising their families in Rogers City with the coal plant in operation.  In January of 2009, Jennifer Granholm issued her plans to make Michigan "green" and discontinue coal as a source of power, replacing it with conservation and wind/solar energy.  She issued an executive order that said that all coal plant permit applications will have to go through the MPSC, but that EO was challenged as unconstitutional by then AG Mike Cox and had to be rescinded. Nevertheless, it was the MPSC that determined that the clean coal plant be denied installation, citing that Wolverine "failed to demonstrate the plant was needed to meet future supply needs," a finding that was not true, nor in accordance with the law.  The Granholm administration continually moved the target on this permit application, and in the end, denied it ignoring the law and scientific fact.

    The process of getting an air quality permit, or permit to install from the DEQ was knee-capped by three main reasons.  One, the administration sat on the permit for 2 years and 8 months, a typical permit takes 3 months to 1 1/2 years.  Two, the DEQ no longer existed to issue the permit, even though they approved the air quality in October of 2008.  Three, Jennifer Granholm acted unlawfully and against scientific fact when she used faulty predictions of need, relying on the MPSC rather than the DEQ.

    The northeastern lower peninsula has some of the highest unemployment numbers in the state.  That plant would have generated 2,000+ jobs within the first year of installation, and put our city and townships at a tax revenue level never before seen here.  It was unlawfully denied by an administration with absolutely no thought of improving our economy and our energy future.

    More on the Rogers City Coal Plant can be found at jennerationx. com.

    < Up In Smoke: Sources and Zealots | Additives >


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    I have forwarded this link along (none / 0) (#1)
    by JGillman on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 11:07:39 AM EST
    to his people. Assuming my contact info is still good.

    I also mentioned that this ought to be a priority, as we find out the delays build fast.  Aproject that should be half built already, the Rogers City plant is just plain good news for Michigan families, economy, and manufacturing.

    Split the Departments? (none / 0) (#2)
    by MichWolverine on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 01:01:31 PM EST
    Since I'm a Conservative/Federalist, I believe in smaller Government.  I do not believe that adding more bureaus, commissions, agencies, or public sector employees will solve anything.

    The bottleneck, or the length of time to receive permits/denials, under the Granholm administration was by design.  More departments and employees would not have made any difference in the eventual outcome.

    An efficiently-run agency, with an agenda of growing business in Michigan, would have been much more responsive.

    I recall when Governor Engler took office, he already had a plan to cut numerous agencies, commissions and bureaus, as well as to privatize as much as possible.  He hit the ground running with these cuts.  It made him very unpopular, especially with the state employees (boo hoo), but it was great for our bottom line.  It was all but forgotten when re-election time rolled around because his cuts were successful.

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