HOUSE BILL No. 4999

 

September 21, 2011, Introduced by Reps. Tlaib, Durhal, Howze, Rutledge, Nathan, Lipton, Olumba, Santana and Jackson and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

 

     A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

(MCL 324.101 to 324.90106) by adding section 5506a.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 5506a. (1) An application for a permit under this part

 

for a source located or proposed to be located in a likely

 

disparate impact area shall include a report paid for by the

 

applicant on cumulative pollution levels and effects. The report is

 

subject to department review and approval. The area of study for

 

the report shall be identified through air dispersion modeling of

 

criteria pollutants and toxic air contaminants. The modeling

 

protocols and results are subject to department review and

 

approval.

 

     (2) The department shall hold at least 1 public meeting on an

 


application for a permit described in subsection (1) and at least 1

 

public meeting on a proposed draft permit. The applicant shall

 

participate in the meetings.

 

     (3) In addition to other requirements of this part, the

 

department shall not issue a permit described in subsection (1)

 

unless the department has considered cumulative pollution levels

 

and effects. The department may deny or place conditions on the

 

permit based on cumulative pollution levels and effects.

 

     (4) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Cumulative pollution levels and effects" means cumulative

 

levels and effects of past and current environmental pollution from

 

all origins and in all media on the environment and residents of

 

the geographic area within which the source's air emissions are

 

likely to be deposited.

 

     (b) "Likely disparate impact area" means a location within a

 

zip code containing 35 or more active permits under this part.