FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2022
CONTACT: Sean McBrearty, Clean Water Action, 616-516-7758
Christy McGillivray, Sierra Club, 808-726-5325
Leading Environmental Organizations Endorse Gretchen Whitmer for Governor
LANSING- Today, Clean Water Action and Sierra Club Michigan Chapter announced their endorsement of Gretchen Whitmer for Governor of Michigan.
“Gretchen Whitmer puts protecting the Great Lakes first," said Mary Brady-Enerson, Clean Water Action Michigan Director. "Governor Whitmer showed tremendous courage when she ordered the shut down of the dangerous Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. She took on the fossil fuel industry to protect one-fifth of the world’s fresh water, and that's the brave leadership we need. She stands up to polluters and prioritizes our water and public health. We need 4 more years of her leadership.”
Governor Whitmer used her first term to establish a series of firsts for environmental protection in Michigan. She created the first positions of Clean Water and Environmental Justice public advocate within the State Government. At her direction, Michigan entered into the US Climate Alliance, established the first ever advisory council on Environmental Justice, and she set up the first Climate Office within a state agency. When COVID-19 hit, Governor Whitmer put a stop to water and utility shut offs statewide, and her ongoing commitment to utility affordability created a direct energy assistance program. Under her leadership stakeholders came together to draft the MI Healthy Climate Plan, which maps out how Michigan should quickly transition to a renewable energy economy and support communities and jobs during the transition. Notably, Governor Whitmer also vetoed anti-democracy bills intended to limit access to the polls for Michiganders after the safe and secure 2020 election. Governor Whitmer knows that we can’t have a healthy environment without a healthy democracy. Her commitment to protecting voting rights is a commitment to protecting the environment.
“With Governor Whitmer at the helm, Michigan is prioritizing long overdue upgrades to our drinking and wastewater infrastructure. However, the job is not done. Years of neglect require years of investment to fix the problem, and we need Governor Whitmer fighting for our Great Lakes for another four years,” said Christy McGillivray, Political and Legislative Director for Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. “We are proud to endorse her campaign and look forward to continuing to work with her in her second term.”
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Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. Clean Water Action has over 135,000 members across the state. Through direct advocacy and education we organize Michigan residents to protect the Great Lakes and our water resources. Learn more at www.cleanwateraction.org/mi
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org