(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/28/2025) Rep. Douglas Wozniak (R-Shelby Township) introduced a bill Tuesday imposing an up to $1 million monthly fine on counties for letting sewage spill into public waterways.  

He said he proposed the fine in response to Oakland County discharging its overflow sewage into the Red Run Drain during a rainstorm, which impacts Macomb County. The sewage subsequently trickles down to the Clinton River through the drain and eventually ends up in Lake St. Clair. 

“Sporadic weather conditions, including heavy rains for days on end, are not uncommon in Michigan,” Wozniak said. “When unforeseen circumstances arise, the water has to go somewhere. But that doesn’t mean a county should make it a habit to dump its waste into public waterways. With this plan, we’re trying to stop another county from developing the same dangerous habits Oakland has become so unwilling to shake.”  

The legislation would require a county to submit a discharge recovery plan to the Department of Great Lakes and Energy after its first violation. The fee would be imposed if the county fails to submit a plan yielding at least a 50% sewage reduction rate over the span of five years, or if the county does not implement the plan.  

“No county should be dumping its waste onto another county, especially when the dumping practice is a direct result of blatant mismanagement,” said Wozniak. “It should go without saying that no county should be treated as a dumping ground by another. My home in Macomb may be most affected by this issue now – but this legislation would prohibit these disgusting practices from occurring across Michigan.”