Congressmen Bill Huizenga and Tim Walberg have sent a joint letter to the EPA regarding an agency decision on air pollution in southwest Michigan. They say the decision on nonattainment areas affecting Allegan, Berrien, and Muskegon counties could lead to increased regulation and damage to the region’s economy. The congressmen the EPA’s measurement of air pollution isn’t accurate because there are “strong indications that the actual source of the pollution is not in Allegan, Berrien, or Muskegon Counties, but industry heavy cities on the other side of Lake Michigan.” The two say the EPA must recognize that given these counties’ locations, weather factors likely brought the pollutants into the region from more major industrial areas like Chicago, Gary, and Milwaukee. The EPA decision means manufacturers in southwest Michigan could be penalized. Supporting Walberg and Huizenga is Cornerstone Alliance with President Rob Cleveland saying “Berrien County residents will suffer the consequences of actions from companies that are more than 100 miles away, and in completely different states.”
