EGLE director urges fee modernizations, pitching $5 tipping fee to backfill Renew Michigan

Director Travis Roos, who leads the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), told the House Committee on Environmental Great Lakes on June 24 that the department’s executive budget for fiscal 2026–27 emphasizes protecting core services and modernizing decades‑old fees to avoid fiscal shortfalls.

"Michigan's an enduring national leader in environmental protection," Roos said, framing his presentation around an agency ‘‘Vision 2027’’ and arguing that environmental cleanup and water infrastructure deliver measurable economic benefits. He told the committee EGLE has invested about $6.3 billion since 2019 in drinking‑water, wastewater and stormwater projects that, he said, support roughly 100,000 jobs.

Why it matters: Roos said most of EGLE’s funding is restricted (about 89%), the department represents roughly 1% of the state budget and the governor faces a roughly $1.8 billion budget shortfall statewide. To preserve core services, EGLE proposes fee updates to stabilize programs and to invest in digitization and preparedness.

Key proposals and figures

Tipping fee and Renew Michigan: Roos proposed raising Michigan’s solid‑waste surcharge (tipping fee) from 36¢ per ton to $5 per ton. He estimated the increase would raise about $80 million annually and said nearly all proceeds would be redirected to backfill the Renew Michigan program, freeing roughly $69–70 million currently used there. "This would raise $80,000,000 by raising the solid waste surcharge or tipping fee to $5," Roos said, adding that the household impact would be small — "less than $4 a household increase annually," while acknowledging larger haulers would feel the increase more.

Water infrastructure and lead service lines: Roos said the state has invested about $6.3 billion since 2019 in water infrastructure and replacement programs and reported that EGLE has replaced "about 70,000" lead service lines since 2024; he said EGLE expects close to $300 million in federal lead‑service‑line replacement funding next year.

Contaminated sites and brownfields: Roos said EGLE now addresses roughly 940 contaminated sites annually (up from about 250 per year several years ago) after completing risk‑level assessments for an estimated 27,000 known contaminated sites. He highlighted the Brownfield Redevelopment Program, which he said uses about $200 million in grants and leverages roughly $8 billion in private investment.

Fee modernizations across programs: Roos told the committee many permit and program fees have not been updated for decades — some NPDES and stormwater fees since 2003, hazardous‑waste fees since 1995 and underground storage fees since 1998 — producing shortfalls and, in some areas, negative balances. He said digitization (MyEnviro), lean process changes and some staffing additions have yielded improvements — including a reported 15% reduction in water‑resources permitting times — but argued fee adjustments are needed to sustain services.

Preparedness and supplemental authority: EGLE asked for a one‑time $2 million appropriation for flooding and disaster preparedness to fund a short‑to‑medium‑term risk assessment and prioritization plan. Roos also summarized a $238 million supplemental request consisting largely of federal grants that require state spending authority; he said those awards have no general‑fund impact but could be at risk without approval.

Committee questions and responses

Members pressed Roos on how fee increases would improve service delivery without expanding operational headcount and on regulatory consistency given a wave of newer staff. Roos said fee revenue would shore up near‑term budget holes and fund centralized IT and process improvements to increase consistency and efficiency. He described revamped new‑employee orientation, centralized subject‑matter experts, division training programs and QA/QC review of denial letters to improve uniformity across regions.

On workforce and digital tools, Roos said digitization and additional staff are complementary: online systems remove repetitive back‑and‑forth and automation can save time, while more staff enable more personalized applicant interactions. He told the committee EGLE has been packaging existing guidance into permitting guidebooks and working with stakeholders, including the Farm Bureau, to make materials easier to use.

Other program notes

Roos highlighted the recent delisting of Muskegon Lake, saying restoration generated local economic benefits and citing an estimated $28 million annual boost and about $8 million invested in that effort. He noted EGLE removed or replaced 19 high‑hazard dams with help from a $15 million Dam Risk Reduction Grant Program and said new legislation is proposed to modernize dam safety work.

What the committee did: The committee heard the presentation and asked questions but took no formal votes on the budget proposals that day. Earlier in the session the committee approved the minutes from its June 24 meeting without objection.

The next steps: EGLE and committee members discussed follow‑up materials, including a grants‑and‑loans dashboard and detail on supplemental federal awards; no further committee action on the executive recommendations was recorded at the session’s close, and the meeting was adjourned.