In a state looking to protect its waters, Michigan Senator Patty Birkholz steps up to defend those who say bottled water harms the environment. In response to a column by Mike Delp, Birkholz writes in the Traverse City Record-Eagle:
Michigan citizens must study issues concerning water protection thoroughly. Otherwise, they will lose sight of our main goal, which is to protect Michigan’s natural resources.
Mr. Delp’s column focused on bottled water usage. If he had studied current usage in Michigan, he would have learned that bottled water is a small percentage of overall use and not a significant threat, any more than agribusinesses or other commonly accepted water users.
The senator then goes on to outline the real challenges to the mitten-shaped state’s water systems, “while keeping [water] available for reasonable use at the same time.”