For more than a year MEC has been sounding the alarm about the state's plan to deregulate emissions of some 500 toxic chemicals into Michigan's air.

In what has become a national news story and a full-fledged public health emergency, state officials now acknowledge that unsafe drinking water has exposed children, pregnant women and other Flint residents to dangerous levels of lead.

Two landmark marches for climate justice are coming up in Michigan.

A new loan and grant fund aims to improve public health and drive economic growth in Michigan by expanding access to healthy food in underserved communities.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality last week kicked off a "Year of Clean Air" to celebrate 50 years of protecting Michigan residents from air pollution.

The $54.5 billion state budget approved yesterday by the Legislature includes $1.75 million for programs to prevent lead poisoning, marking three straight years of budget success by MEC and our partners in the Michigan Alliance for Lead Safe Homes (MIALSH).

MEC rallied at the Capitol this week with dozens of concerned parents to educate legislators about the negative health impacts coal plants have on children.

The Michigan Environmental Council joined more than 30 advocates at the State Capitol yesterday to educate lawmakers about the dangers of lead poisoning and the urgent need to maintain the state's current funding for removing lead hazards from homes.

With Michigan's lame duck session in full swing, we thought we'd update Michigan Distilled readers on what has been a veryinteresting-yes, we'll go with interesting-week at the Capitol.

Update 2: The Senate did not take up HB 5205 before the end of the legislative session, so the bill is dead (for now). Thanks to everyone who spoke out against this bad legislation and in support of real renewable energy!

Update: The House has approved HB 5205. Please join MEC in urging your senator to stop this irresponsible bill from moving any further.

The Michigan Environmental Council and Zero Waste Detroit are urging lawmakers to vote down legislation approved by a House committee that would expand the state's definition of renewable energy to include the burning of hazardous waste, warning that it would harm the health of Michigan residents and hobble the state's growing clean-energy industry