State Roundup

Marshall Enbridge: Mich. oil spill cleanup may cost $700M MARSHALL, Mich. (AP) -- A pipeline company is increasing its estimate of the cleanup cost of last year's more than 800,000 gallon oil spill that contaminated southern Michigan's Kalamazoo River. Enbridge said Monday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that cleanup could cost about $700 million. The Battle Creek Enquirer and the Kalamazoo Gazette report that's about 20 percent more than the previous $585 million estimate. The Calgary, Alberta-based company says that would be more than the $650 million that it can be reimbursed by insurance. The estimate doesn't include any possible fines or penalties. Officials have said that the cleanup effort from the July 2010 spill could extend beyond this year. The spill occurred from a portion of an Enbridge Inc. pipeline running from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia, Ontario. Romulus Environmental regulators OK waste well permits ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) -- Environmental regulators are clearing the way for two deep underground waste disposal wells in Romulus that have been shuttered since 2006 to reopen. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced it had approved permit applications by Environmental Geo-Technologies LLC to operate the wells. It says the permits come with stricter conditions than in the past. Also Monday, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality announced it had issued key permits for the facility. The about 4,500-foot-deep wells are on a site near Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and previously had different owners. They were shut down after investigators uncovered violations including a cracked injection pipe that allowed hazardous material to escape. The wells long have drawn concern among area residents. Michigan Democratic U.S. Rep. John Dingell is among the wells' opponents. Lansing Snyder in Tokyo: Michigan retooled for trade LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has told a Tokyo audience of Midwestern and Japanese business and political leaders that Michigan is "a very different place" than when he took office in January. Snyder's office says the Republican governor told the annual meeting of the Japan Midwest U.S. Association that legislative and policy changes should "open new doors for trade" between Michigan and Japan. Snyder cites repealing the Michigan Business Tax and adopting a two-year balanced budget. Monday's stops included a meeting with officials of Michigan-based Graceland Fruit Inc. and Japan's Otsuka Foods Ltd., collaborators on a dried fruit product initiative. Snyder's eight-day, three country trade mission began Sunday and includes stops in Japan, China and South Korea. The international trade trip is the ex-Gateway computer executive's first as governor. Lansing No necktie? Maybe for governor, not some employees LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Even though Michigan's governor might not regularly wear a necktie during public appearances, that doesn't mean some state workers can do the same. A new policy went into effect Sept. 12 for about 3,700 employees at the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Lansing State Journal reported. Workers must wear attire such as dress shirts, slacks, suits or dresses when representing the agency on official business. The policy recommends ties for men. Mike Zimmer, the agency's chief deputy director, said the policy is part of a move to implement a consistent dress code among state bureaus and offices that merged this year to create the agency. "Some of the old bureaus had dress codes, others didn't," Zimmer said. "We thought it should be consistent throughout the department." Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who took office Jan. 1, has made a point of his disdain for ties -- he wore one only 39 of his first 182 days in office. Spokeswoman Sara Wurfel said the governor believes dress codes are appropriate on an agency-by-agency basis. "The governor feels strongly about empowering his cabinet to make decisions in the best interests of their departments, work and customers," Wurfel said. Under the new policy, employees other than those representing the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs on official business are permitted to wear shirts with collars and crew necks for men, and jumpers, slacks and skirts for women. That's described as "business casual." The policy makes it clear that bib overalls, flip-flops, denim garments, T-shirts, jogging suits and cargo pants are unacceptable. Michele Betz, an administrative assistant with the department, isn't happy that she must trade in her blue jeans and tennis shoes for a skirt or slacks and dressier footwear. She said she questions the need for the policy, and doesn't deal with the public in her job. "If you are dealing with the public, you should be dressed in a professional manner," Betz said. Otherwise, she said, "you should be allowed to wear what you want, as long as you aren't dressed like a slob." Lansing Snyder signs Mich. public worker health cost bill LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into a law a measure that will require many public employees with local governments and schools in Michigan to pay more for their health insurance coverage. The new law was to be filed with the Department of State on Tuesday. Snyder signed the bill last weekend before leaving on a trade trip to Asia. The final version of the bill was approved by the Republican-led Legislature last month. The legislation limits the amount of money a public employer can pay toward workers' health coverage, which will raise costs for workers in some cases. The caps range from $5,500 for a single employee to $15,000 for a family. Local governments could opt to require employees to pay 20 percent of their coverage instead of a cap. Marquette Man charged after 4,000 pounds of explosives found MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) -- A northern Michigan man has been found with more than 4,000 pounds of explosives and detonation equipment in the eastern Upper Peninsula, officials said. John Francis Lechner, 64, of Sault Ste. Marie, was ordered held by the U.S. District Court in Marquette at a Monday hearing, the Mining Journal reported. He was arrested last week and faces possession of explosives and other charges. "For reasons that are completely unexplained, the defendant was in possession of 4,000 pounds of explosives with enough blasting caps, detonator cord and boosters to ignite that," U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Greeley said. "The court has been given no reason for him to have that." It wasn't specified what authorities believed Lechner intended to do with the explosives, but they claim he had made anti-government statements. The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment to public defender Paul Peterson early Tuesday. Timothy DeClare, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, testified that with the help of an informant he found 4,150 pounds of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil. He said the explosive is used in commercial enterprises such as mining. Lechner had applied for a permit to legally possess the explosive in the past, but was never granted one, DeClare said. According to an affidavit in the case, the informant tipped the Chippewa County Sheriff's Department about the explosives. The informant helped Lechner move the material to a location in Dafter Township, the affidavit said, and ATF agents found more than 80 bags of material. A box of explosive boosters, two rolls of detonating cord and two boxes of blasting caps were found at his mother's home, the affidavit said. The other charges came earlier this month. According to court documents, Lechner was arraigned Sept. 13 in Chippewa County Circuit Court and charged with felony charges of false report of a felony, false pretenses and assaulting, resisting and obstructing a police officer. If convicted of the explosives charge, Lechner faces up to 10 years in prison. Lansing Recall wording targeting 2 Michigan Dems approved LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Recall petition language targeting two Democrats in the Michigan House has been approved as clear by local election boards. Democrats say the petition language targeting Reps. Lisa Brown of West Bloomfield and Jim Townsend of Royal Oak is the first approved against Democrats serving in the Michigan Legislature this year, Recall petition wording against more than 20 Republican lawmakers was approved earlier this year. Recall supporters are required to collect thousands of voter signatures to make the ballot after language has been approved as clear. A recall targeting Republican Rep. Paul Scott of Grand Blanc is the only one to advance that far, with the election scheduled for November. Democrats say they're disappointed in the recall efforts targeting them. Brown says he plans an appeal. Published: Wed, Sep 28, 2011