Citizens have virtually no involvement. The majority of drain projects are exempted from the state Wetlands Act. Direct drain commissioners to protect natural resources. Subject drain projects to all applicable environmental laws. This 1981 law protects agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits if they follow generally accepted management principles.
Compliance is voluntary.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture is charged with resolving complaints about odors, manure spills, and misuse of agrichemicals. The magnitude of the manure runoff risk in Michigan has grown significantly in the last five years with the increase in large-scale confinement systems that concentrate thousands of animals and their manure in small areas. An interagency agreement allows the DEQ to intervene only if an environmental emergency exists or if the state agriculture department asks. Require regular environmental inspections of industrial livestock operations. Give DEQ more authority to require compliance and enforce manure management standards.