The Engler claim is misleading and, in some areas, simply untrue. Great Lakes fish contaminants are increasing in some locations. Pollution of rivers and lakes is up. The total amount of toxic waste generated in Michigan is climbing. Air emissions of some key pollutants are creeping upward .
Enforcement is down.
Death rates for asthma have increased sharply. Polluting the State s Policies Matching the assault on individual communities is a continuing attack on the policies that once made Michigan a model of environmental protection for the nation. The failure of the Engler and Harding regime to protect the environment and enforce environmental laws is resulting in long-term deterioration that is not immediately apparent. In particular, the failure of state government to act aggressively to protect sensitive areas and farmland from urban sprawl will impoverish future generations of Michigan citizen. It will result in reduced capacity of the environment to absorb floodwaters and filter pollutants, sharply reduced wildlife and fisheries populations, and a decline in industries such as agriculture and tourism.