So, after some hard work by the environmental community, it appears that the Michigan Strategic Fund will now adopt policies which would allow interest free bonds for Recycling projects, but NOT landfills!!! Note that this funding to WMI [and others] has been going on for years [see the archives for my previous posts], but with some changes in membership of this Board under an environmentally friendlier governor, the egregious practice may finally be stopped.
--- Begin Message ---
- Subject: RE: STOP THE PRESSES on Waste Management piece
- From: "Anne Woiwode" <anne.woiwode@no.address>
- Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 12:23:31 -0400
- Domainkey-signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=simple; s=test1; d=earthlink.net; h=From:Sender:To:Subject:Date:Message-ID:MIME-Version:Content-Type:X-Priority:X-MSMail-Priority:X-Mailer:Importance:X-MimeOLE:In-Reply-To; b=plViUCI71XpEVtNNeFhrj7lu8Qclb7XP4fglsNtfu9KmgenLyUGoiOks03Q2Mc5N;
Rack up one for the good guys!! The Michigan Strategic Fund Board met today
and adopted (with the expectation of minor tweaking) a policy that would end
the use of the IDRB funds for the construction of landfills! The policy
states, in keeping with IRS codes, etc., that the IDRB financing be used
for:
1) Small Issue Manufacturing projects ($10M cap)
2) Exempt facilities, i.e., solid waste, wastewater treatment water
systems to handle the waste generated by the company itself (no cap)
3) Recycling projects (no cap)
There also was discussion about the funding of CAFOs, and I had testified
again asking them to discontinue economic development support for CAFOs.
John Czarnecki, who staffs the MSFBoard said that they are looking at what
the policy should be on CAFOs and the staff will be making a recommendation
to the Board either in May or June on this, and that this recommendation
would be expected to be wrapped into the newly adopted policy.
The policy also notes as well if the full allocation of financing authority
(the allocation is set by federal statute) is not used up by these projects
during the FY, they will return that to Treasury to be used for the Michigan
Higher Education Student Loan Authority and/or MSHDA, with preference on the
student loans.
Brad and I both have copies of the document handed out to the Board with
background and the proposed policy - it is called "ISSUE: USE OF IDRB
FINANCING FOR SOLID WASTE" and I would be happy to fax it to anyone who
wants to see it!
Anne Woiwode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne Woiwode, Michigan State Director
Sierra Club Mackinac Chapter
109 East Grand River Avenue, Lansing, MI 48906
517-484-2372 fax 517-484-3108
www.michigan.sierraclub.org
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-eccotrash@no.address [mailto:owner-eccotrash@no.address]
On Behalf Of Brad van Guilder
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 11:22 AM
To: Don't Trash MI
Subject: Fwd: STOP THE PRESSES on Waste Management piece
Mike,
Since Hollister is a member of the MSF board, your comment to him on Monday
about WMI's proposal may have been what tipped the balance. In any case a
"Thanks" and confirmation of his actions might help our position with him on
a number of other issues in the pipeline.
Brad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Peter Morman <Pmorman@no.address>
Date: April 5, 2005 9:27:06 AM EDT
To: bradvg@no.address
Cc: Azlan Ibrahim <Aibrahim@no.address>, Daniel Farough
<Dfarough@no.address>, Mark Fisk <Mfisk@no.address>
Subject: Re: STOP THE PRESSES on Waste Management piece
The resolution will propose use of the following to prioritize the use of
Industrial Development Revenue Bonds:
1. Manufacturing projects under $10 million.
2. Solid waste needs of specific companies.
3. Recycling projects.
#2 was explained to me as the potential use of IDRBs to assist a
manufacturer with a solid waste project, but not for waste management
companies to build/expand landfills.
By the way, here is the composition of the Strategic Fund Board:
Greg Burkart, Attorney at Law
Squire Sanders & Dempsey LLC
Cleveland, OH
(Term Expires 12/31/05)
Linda Ewing, Research Director
UAW
Detroit, MI
(Term Expires 12/31/07)
James Herbert, President
(Chair of MSF Board)
Neogen Corporation
Lansing, MI
(Pleasure of Governor)
David C. Hollister, Director
Dept. of Labor & Economic Growth
Lansing, MI
Donald Jakeway, President & CEO
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Lansing, MI
(Pleasure of Governor)
Jay Rising, State Treasurer
Michigan Department of Treasury
Treasury Building, 1st Floor
Lansing, MI
Jay (Jayprakash) B. Shah
President and Chairman of the Board
Spalding De Decker Associates, Inc.
Rochester Hills, MI
(Term Expires 12/31/2007)
Mark Walker, President
First Preferred Mortgage Company
Port Huron, MI
(Term Expires 12/31/05)
Richard D. Wilcox, President and CEO
Wilcox Associates, Inc.
Cadillac, MI
(Term Expires 12/31/05)
>>> Brad van Guilder <bradvg@no.address> 4/4/2005 5:02:14 PM >>>
Peter,
Do you have any details on the suggested changes? This could turn into
an opportunity to applaud a better policy and celebrate WMI's action to
withdraw.
Brad
On Apr 4, 2005, at 4:26 PM, Peter Morman wrote:
> I've just been told by MEDC that Waste Management's Application will
> be withdrawn. Instead, the Strategic Fund Board will consider a
> resolution to establish a new priority policy to determine what kind
> of projects will be approved for Industrial Revenue Bonds in
> the future.
Brad van Guilder, Ph. D.
Community Organizer
Ecology Center
117 North Division Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1580
(734) 663-2400 ext 114
(734) 663-2414 FAX
(313) 205-6386 CELL Not available while driving!
bradvg@no.address
http://www.ecocenter.org
http://www.stoptrash.org
UAW Local 174 Environmental Committee Chair
UAW Region 1A Toxic Waste Squad
Brad van Guilder, Ph. D.
Community Organizer
Ecology Center
117 North Division Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1580
(734) 663-2400 ext 114
(734) 663-2414 FAX
(313) 205-6386 CELL Not available while driving!
bradvg@no.address
http://www.ecocenter.org
http://www.stoptrash.org
UAW Local 174 Environmental Committee Chair
UAW Region 1A Toxic Waste Squad
--- End Message ---
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