Waterford, Mich., — In response to the resolution introduced today before the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, I find it necessary to correct some of the resolution’s erroneous allegations about the source of pollution impacting Lake St. Clair. I would note that the resolution, which was passed unanimously earlier this week by a joint meeting of the Finance, Public Services, Audit and Budget Committees, advances numerous unfounded claims about my office allegedly contributing to Lake St. Clair’s water quality issues.
Specifically, the resolution claims that billions of gallons of discharged sewage from Oakland County have caused pollution that harms the property values and the economy of the area. That allegation is false. In fact, there is extensive evidence to the contrary, as referenced below.
The resolution also claims that these discharges result in harmful levels of E. coli in the water and on the beaches. It alleges the discharges create a public health emergency and are responsible for the foul-smelling weeds that collect along the shoreline. While I don’t dispute that Macomb has experienced these problems, it is not true that these harms were caused by any action taken by Oakland County.
The facts actually paint a much different picture. State and federal agencies have looked at the evidence and have said there is no correlation between these discharges and Lake St. Clair’s algae problems and subsequent beach closings.
The U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center has performed extensive research regarding the cause of the beach closings and has concluded that waterfowl, primarily geese, are the source of the E. coli problem along the lake’s shoreline.
Additionally, scientific studies from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Water Resources Division clearly indicate that there is no correlation between beach closings and the operations of Oakland County’s state-of-the-art facilities.
In fact, Macomb County’s Health Department’s own studies have determined that numerous drains flowing into Lake St. Clair have extremely high levels of E. coli. Testing revealed that these drains are polluted with human waste from failing septic fields in Macomb County. Further, it also found two things about the foul-smelling decaying algae evident along the banks of Lake St. Clair—especially in Harrison Township. First, it presents no imminent public health hazard. Second, its presence is not indicative of raw sewage. In other words, these ills are not the result of any discharge from the facilities I oversee. In that respect, the resolution misses the mark.
It should be emphasized that nearly 20 years ago, Oakland County invested more than $150 million in our George W. Kuhn Retention and Treatment Facility that addresses water quality flowing into Lake St. Clair. I applaud Macomb County’s plan to finally start making significant investments in its own infrastructure over the next few years.
I would like to conclude by saying I find no fault with the passion of the authors of the resolution. While I take exception to the veracity of some of the resolution’s claims, I’m sure the commissioners who voted for it were acting with the best interests of their constituents firmly in mind. However, a more efficient approach to Lake St. Clair’s pollution problem will be found when we work together to address this critical issue. I would be happy to meet with Macomb County officials to help find a regional solution. I recognize that Lake St. Clair is a treasured asset not only for Macomb County, but for the entire region as well.
About the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office
The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office is dedicated to protecting public health and safety, preserving natural resources and a healthy environment, maintaining reliable, high-quality service, ensuring the value of investment and contributing to economic prosperity. We set goals that encourage efforts to meet or exceed local, state and federal water quality standards, environmental regulations and safety requirements within our control. To learn more about us, visit www.oakgov.com/water
