Op-Ed: Wastewater in the Air in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
By Tom Van Zoeren
Op-ed contributo
Ten local, state and national organizations have joined together in endorsing a statement calling on The Homestead Resort and the Michigan Department of Enviromental Quality to work together to correct the problem of partially-treated wastewater spray blowing into a portion of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, rendering it unavailable for public use.
The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan Environmental Council (MEC), National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Leelanau Independent Women for demococratic Action (LIWdA), Michigan Land Use Institute (MLUI), National Audubon Society (Grand Traverse Chapter), Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC), Sierra Club, Northern Michigan Environmental Action Coalition (NMEAC), and Drifters United came together in issuing the plea. The complete statement reads as follows:
“Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the signature National Park area in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. As such, it is a treasured public resource that must be protected for the use and benefit of all.”
“During recent years, it has been documented that partially treated wastewater from the Homestead Resort blows into the National Lakeshore park areas, which now display warning signs and are effectively lost to the public. The National Park Service has repeatedly asked the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and The Homestead Resort to correct this problem.”
“We call upon the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Homestead Resort to proceed with due diligence and finally correct this situation so that all of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is available for safe and enjoyable use by its rightful owners, the public.”
