George James

Michigan Food Security Council Addresses Food Insecurity

The Michigan Food Security Council has made recommendations to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to maintain food security during the ongoing pandemic. The Council’s goal is to help struggling Michiganders, both those who face food insecurity on a regular basis and those who are experiencing it for the first time, to be able to feed nutritious food to their families.

The recommendations include addressing food needs by pursuing existing federal food program services and seeking flexible service options such as home delivery and incentives for retailers to accept food assistance benefits. Over 1.2 million Michigan residents get food benefits. Collaboration with partners to improve the infrastructure for food and nutrition programs is also proposed, along with helping communities to develop local community response programs. 

Michigan’s food supply has remained sufficient throughout the pandemic, but the Council recommended developing strategies to address panic buying, prioritizing food workers for PPE, and engaging restaurants to deliver prepared meals to vulnerable populations. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Radon Testing Urged as Families Spend More Time at Home

January is Radon Action Month. Radon is a radioactive gas and is produced through natural decomposition in soil. The gas can migrate from the ground and into basements and entire buildings.

Radon is second only to smoking as a leading cause of lung cancer and is considered to be a leading environmental culprit for cancer deaths in the nation. With many people setting up home offices in the basement or elsewhere throughout their homes during the pandemic, as well as being home more than ever before, it is important to know the risk in every home.

There is no way to know if there is radon in a home without testing. Radon testing should be done every two to five years. Test kits are available at hardware and home improvement stores. If radon is detected, mitigation systems, which circulate the contaminated air out of the house quickly, can be installed. At least one quarter of all homes in Michigan are estimated to have radon levels above the acceptable limit.

More information and a link to obtain a test kit can be found at Michigan.gov/radon.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

State-Ordered Review of EGLE is Complete

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, or “EGLE”, has been under scrutiny since the handling of the environmental disaster that led to hazardous material leaking onto I-696 in Madison Heights. A review of compliance monitoring and enforcement procedures was ordered after the debacle in December 2019.

The review came up with eleven high-level recommendations to improve procedures but also noted that EGLE had strong internal policies, education, outreach and compliance assistance to regulated businesses.

The deficits noted include internal structures, staffing, and governance, management of cases, communication and collaboration, and use of data.  

EGLE Director Liesl Clark said, “The changes suggested in this report will help EGLE more quickly identify and address violations that can cause public health and environmental risks. It is important that EGLE accomplishes this critical role in a timely, transparent and consistent manner. The public and those we regulate should expect EGLE to make reasonable decisions that restore compliance with the law as quickly as possible.” 

A link to the full report can be found at:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/egle/EGLE_Compliance_and_Enforcement_Report_2020_712405_7.pdf 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

DNR Looking for Camp Hosts for State Campgrounds

Even in January, families who camp are looking ahead to summer and thinking about reserving their camping sites in Michigan State Parks. Those site fees can be waived for a special group of campers: Camp Hosts.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which manages the vast campground and park system, is looking for Camp Hosts to help with activities, programming, office work, and light maintenance. Thirty hours of service per week, including weekends and holidays, are required of camp hosts. In exchange, the site fees are waived.

There are also host openings at East Tawas and Presque Isle and Straits State Harbors where boat slip fees are waived for hosts.

According to the DNR, camp host applicants are screened and interviewed by park managers and selected on availability, familiarity of camping and state parks, special skills and knowledge of the area. Individuals and couples may apply. Applications are accepted year-round. Some campgrounds have already hired their hosts, but there are still many vacancies. A link to the page with vacancies and application instructions can be found at:

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79137_79767_79866_96973_96975—,00.html

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Michigan and Illinois Working Together to Keep Asian Carp Out of Great Lakes

Michigan and Illinois are working together to protect the Great Lakes from invasive Asian Carp. The agreement gives Illinois the right to use up to $8 million in funds appropriated in 2018 by the Michigan Legislature. The money will go toward the pre-construction engineering and design phase of the Brandon Road Ecosystem Project.

The Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet is a critical “pinchpoint” for snagging bighead, silver and black carp before they get free reign on the Great Lakes. The advanced technology will include an electric barrier, underwater sound, an air bubble curtain, and a flushing lock in a newly engineered channel to keep the invasive carp away while still allowing commercial barge traffic.

Michigan DNR Director Dan Eichinger said, “Michigan and Illinois agree on the importance of keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes, and natural resources staff from both states have been working together to support the Army Corps’ actions to deter and remove invasive carp in the waterway. This agreement is the natural progression of our existing partnership as we take steps toward a more permanent solution to prevent this serious threat to the economy and ecology of the Great Lakes.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Crime Victims’ Addresses to Be Kept Confidential

The Michigan Office of the Attorney General has started working to protect survivors of crime by keeping their personal information secure. The action was prompted by the passage of the Address Confidentiality Program Act.

The AG has two years to implement the system once the Legislature appropriates funds. The Office is working with stakeholders within state government to create an online system that keeps personal information secure for crime victims. The new program will issue new ID cards with post office boxes and will be protected from Freedom of Information Act disclosure.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “We are in the early planning stages of creating a system that will help protect the personal information of survivors, and I am excited for my department to be a part of this significant development. My office understands the importance of this new law and the critical protections it provides, and we intend to work swiftly so that survivors may gain some peace of mind under this program.”  

Implementation is expected to take a while, according to Nessel’s office.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland