LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – On Wednesday, several Republican Legislators submitted a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urging her to consider their concerns regarding her intentions for expanding Camp Grayling, the largest National Guard Training Facility in the country.
In the letter, State Representatives led by Ken Borton (R-Gaylord), and signed by Rep. John R. Roth, (R-Interlochen), Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan), and Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) detailing some of their thoughts on the matter.
MORE NEWS: Kamala Harris is Running Pro-Palestinian Ads in Michigan and Pro-Israel Ads in Pennsylvania
“We are proud to represent a large area containing many of Michigan’s finest natural resources. These natural resources are very important to the well-being of Michiganders and the longevity of the environmental health of Michigan. Many of the constituents we share are deeply concerned about the ramifications of the proposed expansion of Camp Grayling. We, as elected representatives of the people, have a voice in these considerations, on behalf of our constituents.”
Earlier in the DNR review process for the Guard’s proposal to double the property in size by leasing more than 160,000 acres of nearby land, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s Remediation and Redevelopment Division cautioned the agency primarily because of past PFAs contamination.
“EGLE Gaylord RRD does not support the expansion of Camp Grayling based upon the inability to take timely action to investigate, mitigate, and remediate significant areas of contamination at Camp Grayling,” District Supervisor of Remediation and Redevelopment Division Randall Rothe said in a letter, “It is EGLE Gaylord RRD’s recommendation to the Michigan DNR not to accept an expansion of Camp Grayling until significant progress and timely action is taken.”
Borton’s letter to Whitmer suggested that the concerns were not for a lack of respect for the military.
“There is absolutely no way we can express enough gratitude for the veterans and active military members who sacrifice so much to protect our individual freedoms,” the letter said, “We fully support our military and law enforcement branches and do not want this to be interpreted as a letter of opposition against them in any way.”
The cautionary letter to the governor came out of a place of concern for the natural resources of their districts and safety of the constituents according to the letter.
“There are many uncertainties surrounding the progress of the acquisition: what the acquired land could be used for, and what effects this expansion will have to those we represent,” the letter later read, “It is our belief that proposed expansions have the potential to threaten the health, safety, and general welfare of the people in this region, and we should therefore be granted some authority on the expansion with respects to the protection of the air, water, wildlife, and other natural resources of the state from pollution, impairment, and destruction.”
Several communities have already expressed their wishes against the camp’s expansion including: Roscommon County Board of Commissioners, and Otsego and Crawford Counties.
The DNR had its final public comment hearing on Feb. 8 after receiving public comments since June of last year after receiving several thousand comments.
Leave a Comment
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.