“I am very glad that the state, through the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, has finally submitted a plan to the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions in Wayne County. This is particularly important for my district, House District 6, which has the dubious honor of being home to the ZIP code with the most polluted air in the state. This plan was due to the federal government in April 2015 to address the fact that Wayne County was not in attainment with our federal standard for sulfur dioxide.
For a long time now, I have been urging the MDEQ and EPA to act because I am concerned about the health of residents in Southwest Detroit and River Rouge. Addressing sulfur dioxide and air pollution in Wayne County is critical to the public health especially because of the instance of asthma and other respiratory diseases. It is timely that the plan was submitted by the MDEQ on the last day of May, which is designated Air Quality Month and Asthma Awareness Month. I will be reviewing the State Implementation Plan and am optimistic that it is a good step forward toward cleaner air. We must do all that we can to improve air quality in Michigan to address public health for our residents.”