On the campaign trail, voters ask many questions about a wide variety of issues. Here are a few links to more information:

1) How will climate change affect Kalamazoo County?

The predictions presented by the National Conference of State Legislators are particularly relevant to the office of Drain Commissioner in that precipitation amounts and storm intensities are expected to increase in our area. Storm water control systems will likely be inadequate and/or be damaged by flooding. At the same time, the water supply is expected to decrease because of higher evaporation due to higher temperatures. Both problems will require an increase in surface storage design capacity and a greater need for flooding and erosion control.

Climate Change and The Economy: Michigan: Assessing the Costs of Climate Change National Conference of State Legislators

http://www.ncsl.org/print/environ/ClimatechangeMI.pdf

2) There is an abandoned meth lab located in a house near me. Should I be worrying about my well?

You probably do not need to worry about your well being affected. The hazards associated with meth production are primarily IMMEDIATE hazards associated with your body coming into contact with the ingredients. DO NOT investigate these situations yourself. Call the sheriff or Christine Rogers, Kalamazoo County Methamphetamine Response Team Coordinator, at (269) 373-5199.

Here is the link to the Kalamazoo County meth page:

http://www.kalcounty.com/eh/contact.htm

(Click on the blue methamphetamine button on the left.)

This is a list of sites of known meth contamination in our area:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Meth_Lab_Table_061215_181312_7.pdf

Here is an M-Live article mapping the sites:

http://blog.mlive.com/kalamazoo_gazette_extra/2007/09/methamphetamine_laboratories_i.html

3) What can one person do to help the environment?

Annie Leonard's “The Story of Stuff" is a clever 20 minute video sponsored by Tides Foundation & Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption designed to help you think about the big picture. It has some good suggestions.

http://www.storyofstuff.org/

 4) What are the official responsibilities of the Kalamazoo County Drain Commissioner?

The short version is that the Drain Commissioner protects the surface waters of the county by controlling lake levels, flooding, storm water, and erosion. These measures help prevent soil from filling in the waterways, control aquatic weed growth, replenish the groundwater with higher quality water, allow aquatic populations to thrive in more stabilized temperature and flow conditions, and send cleaner waters on to the Great Lakes. This benefits all County residents. The official version can be found at the County website:

http://www.kalcounty.com/Drain/responsibilities.htm