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Michigan Should Do More to Encourage Private Investment in the State's Water Infrastructure
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(102 seconds)
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(OPEN):
THE E-P-A ESTIMATES THAT MICHIGAN NEEDS NEARLY 15-BILLION
DOLLARS--IN CAPITAL-SPENDING, OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS--TO MAINTAIN THE
WATER-SYSTEMS THAT WE RELY ON, EVERY DAY, FOR DRINKING, WASHING, AND
BATHING. MANY BELIEVE THAT IMPROVEMENTS IN MICHIGAN'S
WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE WILL ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY-DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVE THE
ENVIRONMENT, AND ENHANCE WATER-SYSTEM PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, TODAY,
THE MOST-IMPORTANT REASON TO INVEST IN PIPES AND TREATMENT-FACILITIES
MAY LIE IN JOB-CREATION--AND THE RESULTING-STIMULUS THAT OCCURS.
WATER-POLICY EXPERT, AND NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WATER COMPANIES
EXECUTIVE-DIRECTOR, MICHAEL DEANE, SAYS THAT--OUT OF ALL THE
SOLUTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO EASE MICHIGAN'S WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE
WOES--PRIVATE-INVESTMENT OFFERS THE MOST LASTING-BENEFITS...
(DEANE):
"WITH AN ALREADY-STORMY ECONOMIC-CLIMATE AND
NECESSARY-REPAIRS AHEAD, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A LOT OF GOOD-NEWS.
BUT, THERE ARE EXISTING-SOLUTIONS [THAT ARE] BEING EMPLOYED IN OTHER
STATES THAT CAN ALSO HELP LESSEN MICHIGAN'S WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE
CHALLENGES. WHAT THESE SOLUTIONS HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT THEY'RE
ALL INNOVATIVE, THEY'RE SUSTAINABLE, AND THEY INCREASE OVERALL
PRIVATE-INVESTMENT IN WATER."
(BRIDGE):
WITH MICHIGAN'S WASTE-WATER- AND DRINKING-WATER-RELATED
INFRASTRUCTURE-NEEDS NOW CLOSE TO 15-BILLION DOLLARS, DEANE
BELIEVES THAT IT'S TIME TO ASK WHAT POLICYMAKERS ARE DOING TO ENCOURAGE
PRIVATE-INVESTMENT...
(DEANE):
"INVESTMENT
IN WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE WILL DO MORE THAN [JUST] IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF
[BOTH] OUR WATER AND OUR ENVIRONMENT. THE SIMPLE-TRUTH IS THAT
INFRASTRUCTURE-INVESTMENT ALSO MEANS MUCH-NEEDED JOBS, ACROSS OUR
COMMUNITIES--IMPACTING CONTRACTORS, MANUFACTURERS, SERVICE-PEOPLE, AND
BUSINESSES. ALL INVESTMENT IN WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE IS LOCAL--AND
OUR FUTURE IS AN INVESTMENT [THAT] WE CAN ALL GET BEHIND."
(CLOSE):
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT "WATER IS YOUR BUSINESS"--AND THE
IMPORTANCE OF NEW PRIVATE WATER-INVESTMENT IN MICHIGAN--VISIT
"WATER-IS-YOUR-BUSINESS"-DOT-ORG.
