Lawmakers, residents press to ease permits for mechanical removal of Lake St. Clair "muck"

LANSING — The Michigan House Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism on Wednesday heard testimony on House Bill 4314, sponsored by Representative Saint Germain, which would streamline or exempt certain mechanical removal of free-floating algae and organic mats — described repeatedly in testimony as "muck" or ammolae — from the permitting requirements administered by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).

Supporters told the committee that allowing private property owners and contractors to use weed-harvesting equipment and other mechanical means without the current lengthy permitting process would let homeowners, marinas and municipalities act sooner to remove surface biomass from coves and shorelines before it consolidates and becomes more costly to remove.

"We don't need any more bureaucratic hurdles. We need to fix this now, not later," Representative Saint Germain told the committee, urging a faster path for mechanical removal that she said would protect boating, recreation and waterfront property.

Testimony from Macomb County and local business owners described the scale and local impacts. John Kerrin, community services coordinator for Macomb County Public Works and a St. Clair Shores city councilman, said a recent two-year…