Rep. Hertel offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 142.

            A resolution to express support for the reinstatement of the real-time water quality monitoring network between Lake Huron and Lake Erie and the establishment of similar networks across the state.

            Whereas, Beginning in 2006, a state-of-the-art monitoring system protected drinking water quality for more than 4 million people living in southeast Michigan. Real-time water quality monitoring between Port Huron and Monroe provided an early warning system to detect oil spills, chemical leaks, and other contaminants that could impact drinking water quality delivered from fourteen treatment plants; and

            Whereas, The Huron-to-Erie monitoring system was allowed to deteriorate for lack of funding. Originally developed and funded through a partnership among the federal, state, and local governments, including over $3 million in legislative appropriations, the local communities benefited by the system were unable to come to an agreement on a long-term, sustainable funding mechanism; and

            Whereas, The monitoring system was an effective means to ensure safe drinking water for Michigan's residents. There are about 60 Canadian petrochemical plants upstream of drinking water intakes on the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River, and a long history of spills from these plants not being reported promptly, or at all, to drinking water plant operators. The system demonstrated its effectiveness in 2011 when it detected a spill from a paper mill and operators were able to shut down the Port Huron drinking water plant to protect residents; and

            Whereas, Safe drinking water is critical and cannot be taken for granted. As demonstrated in the city of Flint, the failure to detect a problem can have widespread and lethal consequences. Real-time water quality monitoring provides a crucial early warning that helps ensure contaminated drinking water never reaches homes; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we express support for the reinstatement of the real-time water quality monitoring network between Lake Huron and Lake Erie and the establishment of similar networks across the state; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and the county commissioners of Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties.