(The Center Square) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed $81 billion budget for 2025 aims to add 88 new full-time employees to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
The agency protects Michigan’s land, air, water and public health.
Director Phil Roos welcomed the budget.
“Our budget prioritizes clean water, climate action, contaminated and brownfield site clean-ups and redevelopment, improved customer service, and new opportunities for communities,” Roos said in a statement. “These investments will help protect public health, increase economic opportunity, safeguard drinking water, fight climate change, revitalize communities, and reduce pollution across the state.”
The proposed EGLE budget includes an additional 88 full-time employees for a total of 1,704 with a budget of $1.1 billion, a 5% increase from the 2024 EGLE budget.
The water infrastructure and climate dollars outlined in EGLE’s budget proposal will target at least 40% of the benefits for deployment in disadvantaged communities.
Whitmer’s proposed budget includes:
$47 million for charging infrastructure$40 million to support drinking water infrastructure$25 million for clean water infrastructure$20 million to transition fleets to electric vehicles.$15 million for climate resilience.$5.9 million for critical water projects$5 million to plug wells and reduce methane emissions$1.9 million to sequester carbon to mitigate climate change.
