Lansing crowd urges Gov. and DEQ to approve permits; mayor Hall inspires pro-union crowd
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
About 2,000 people gathered on the steps and lawn of the state capitol building Tuesday to urge state lawmakers to approve two coal-fired power plant projects being proposed in Bay City and Rogers City. Many in the audience were skilled trades union members, but a contingent from Rogers City was part of the crowd trying to ?move some politicians in the right direction,? said retired Rogers City Police officer Bill Stevenson, following the one-hour rally. The Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council and Protect Michigan, a coalition of the state’s major labor organizations, organized the rally with the support of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Manufacturers Association, and other members of the Michigan Jobs and Energy Coalition.
Chants of ?Put us to work!? filled the air during the noon rally, which featured speeches from leaders of business and labor groups and a bipartisan slate of lawmakers. Most of those attending the rally wore T-shirts saying: ?Put us to work!? They also waved signs saying ?Put us to work! Approve these projects!? and “Clean Coal = Michigan Jobs.? ROGERS CITY mayor Beach Hall, the only speaker from the lakefront town, told the audience of the ?overwhelming support? the Wolverine Clean Energy Venture has received, including a ?Welcome? ad in the Advance from businesses and individuals, 3,500 petition signatures ?in a town of 3,300? and 400 yard signs.
Citing the economic well-being of the region and the future power needs of the state, Hall urged Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) ?to hurry up and approve Wolverine?s air quality permit so people can be put to work now,? Hall said in his speech.
?For Rogers City and the northeast Michigan counties of Presque Isle, Alpena, Cheboygan and Montmorency, a billion dollar project in northeast Michigan is huge. The possibility of up to 1,700 construction jobs for several years is huge. The possibility of over 500 direct and in-direct permanent jobs, including over 200 jobs supplying biomass for the plant is huge, anywhere, but especially in northeast Michigan.? Hall said local and state tax revenue from the project would increase at no cost to the state.
?I urge the DEQ and the governor to expedite approval of Wolverine?s air quality permit so that construction jobs become available and economic recovery can start in northeast Michigan. Let?s start putting people to work, and the sooner the better, that would be really huge.? OTHER SPEAKERS emphasized that the clean coal plants proposed near Bay City and Rogers City by Consumers Energ
?It went very well,? said Lena Turske of Dockside Printing, who rode on a bus to Lansing. ?There were a lot of people, a lot of support.? ?It brought everyone together and it is sending a big message to the governor,? said local businessman John Vogelheim. Stevenson said the aim was to ?Try to move some politicians in the right direction and let them know Michigan wants to work.? Additionally, a recent statewide poll of likely voters in Michigan shows that nearly three of four voters support the two plants.
Seventy-four percent of voters say they support Consumers Energy?s plan, while 72 percent said they would support Wolverine?s project. While the strongest support for these new power plants comes from the regions where they would be located, they receive robust support from all areas of the state.