LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order to protect the Great Lakes and Michigan's drinking water.
The new order will replace a previous one that was voted down by the Michigan Legislature.
Whitmer says she is committed to creating the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, aka EGLE.
“Every Michigander deserves safe, clean drinking water, and I’m not going to let partisan politics slow down the important work that needs to get done right now to protect public health,” said Whitmer. “That’s why I’m taking action to sign this new executive order so we can start cleaning up our drinking water, protect the Great Lakes, and take action to address climate change.”
The new order restructures the Department of Environmental Quality to EGLE, which will focus on improving the quality of air, land and water; protecting public health and working toward using more alternative energy sources, according to a press release.
The order eliminates the Environmental Science Advisory Board but keeps intact the Environmental Rules Review Committee and the Environmental Permit Review Commission, unless Attorney General Dana Nessel finds the commissions illegal, according to the release.
