Michigan Businesses Band Together for Clean Water

Campaign focuses on importance of water to state’s economy

GRAND RAPIDS (May 15, 2019) – Driven by the importance of water to the state’s economy, Michigan business leaders are banding together to call on lawmakers to pass smart policies to ensure safe, sufficient and clean water from source to tap.

Businesses for Clean Water, a new campaign designed to communicate the economic costs of water quality and the economic benefits of improving Michigan’s pipes and pollution controls, launched Wednesday at Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids. The campaign is organized by the national non-partisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs).

“Clean Water is crucial to our business,” said Kris Spaulding, who with husband Jason owns Brewery Vivant and also Broad Leaf Local Beer in Kentwood. “That’s why we support smart policies that work to protect the Great Lakes and our drinking water.”

State Sen. Winnie Brinks, who is leading the legislature’s efforts to clean up water pollution, said:“Michigan knows what can happen if we don’t do more to protect our drinking water. It impacts people, it impacts businesses and it impacts the economy of our state.”

In addition to the public launch of  Businesses for Clean Water and a call for business leaders who care about clean water to add their names to a petition to lawmakers, E2 this week launched a major advertising campaign to raise awareness about the importance of clean water to Michigan’s economy. The campaign includes ads in the Grand Rapids Press, the Grand Rapids Business Journal, MLive.com and MiBiz.com

“Water is the lifeblood of Michigan’s economy and environment,” said E2 executive director Bob Keefe. “Businesses in every industry depend on clean water. If the state doesn’t do more to clean up old pipes, address pollution like PFAS and protect drinking water from source to tap, all of Michigan suffers.”

According to E2:

• Clean water is key to Michigan’s outdoor tourism industry, which accounts for more than 232,000 jobs and $26.6 billion in consumer spending.
• Michigan ranks 1^st among Great Lakes states for jobs creating from fishing and hunting, generating more than 171,000 jobs and $11.2 billion in annual revenues.
• The Flint water crisis alone will result in an estimated $400 million in economic and related social cost, a Columbia University Study found.
• Michigan agricultural businesses that rely on – and also can impact – clean water provide more than 923,000 jobs – about 22 percent of the state’s workforce. This includes suppliers to the state’s 129 wineries and 200+ micro-breweries.

For more information, please contact Michael Timberlake at (202) 289-2407, mtimberlake@e2.org.

###

Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Our members have founded or funded more than 2,500 companies, created more than 600,000 jobs, and manage more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org or follow us on Twitter at @e2org.