VOICES: Biden-Harris team tackles Michigan’s urgent water safety issues

LANSING, Mich. – Highlighting the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to ensure clean water for every citizen, Planet Detroit yesterday published this important perspective by Ebony Twilly Martin, the former executive director of Greenpeace USA.

In her column, Martin writes:

“Flint’s crisis shocked the nation, but some governments’ promises of help have been empty. Prior Republican Governor Rick Snyder was criminally charged by the Attorney General but eventually escaped prosecution. Former President Trump repeatedly promised to pass national legislation to get ‘crystal clean water.'”

“He never did. While Michigan and other states passed tougher laws to crack down on dirty water, the Trump Administration actually rolled back legal protections provided by federal environmental laws and cut clean water funding.”

“Trump doubled the time allowed to replace lead pipes – even after the Flint water scandal. At a recent campaign event in Flint, the former President did not even mention the issue.”

The contrast between Trump’s Big Oil agenda and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to clean air and water could not be more clear, Martin writes:

“Through policies eliminating billions of tons of pollution, Vice President Harris has prioritized working Americans’ health and wellbeing over profits for big polluters.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration is investing $55 billion to expand access to clean drinking water for households, businesses, schools, and childcare centers by improving water recycling and wastewater treatment infrastructure in communities across the country.”

For Martin, it comes down to trust:

“Do you trust former President Trump, who has promised to help big corporations that give him millions in campaign contributions and who has a track record of the worst environmental protection in history?”

“Or do you trust Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, whose track record on clean water spending and public protection is unmatched?”

“Vote as if your access to clean water depends on it – because it does.”

###