Reps. Tlaib, Kandrevas, Coulouris, Geiss, Switalski, Constan, Liss, Barnett, Slezak, Warren, Scripps, Ebli, Valentine, Lipton, Polidori, Gonzales, Donigan, Dean, Stanley, Durhal, Gregory, Haugh, LeBlanc, Meadows and Spade offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 44.

A resolution to urge the United States Coast Guard to study the health, human, and environmental impact of the proposed twin spanning of the Ambassador Bridge on the city of Detroit, region, and the residents of the Southwest Detroit community and to determine that an environmental impact study is needed.

            Whereas, The United States Coast Guard has released its draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed twin spanning of the Ambassador Bridge across the Detroit River. The draft report contains several inaccuracies that do not consider the bi-national study findings that the proposed twin span has significant impact on air quality and raises homeland security concerns; and

            Whereas, A full, proper and appropriate Environmental Impact Statement not only assesses the potential environmental harm that will result from the construction of a twin span, but it will also provide guidelines to ensure that these risks are sufficiently mitigated; and

            Whereas, The environmental impact of the twin spanning proposal on the Southwest Detroit community will be significant and far-reaching. The area already has some of the poorest air quality in the state. The Coast Guard is obligated to consider federal laws, including those that regulate coastal management, wetlands, endangered species, noise, clean air and water, and historic preservation. They are also obligated to consult with federal agencies with expertise in environmental matters, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, with whose help a more complete environmental impact study should be conducted; and

            Whereas, An environmental impact statement is of particular need due to recent actions of the Detroit International Bridge Company that go against agreements with the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Transportation Administration. Redesigning the Gateway Plaza to redirect traffic onto local streets goes against the purpose and need of the Gateway Project and will lead to significant environmental impacts to the neighborhoods surrounding the Ambassador Bridge. Already, unnecessary delays in construction and the failure to keep bridge traffic off the surface streets of the Southwest Detroit community have added to years of inconvenience and prolonged exposure to diesel fumes from trucks rerouted through the neighborhoods near the Ambassador Bridge; and

            Whereas, The private developers of the proposed twin-spanning of the Ambassador Bridge have moved forward with construction of their twin span without appropriate federal, local, or Canadian approval. They must be encouraged to sufficiently study air quality, traffic noise, security, and other potential impacts the project would have on the Southwest Detroit community; and

            Whereas, The cities of Detroit and Windsor and the Canadian provincial and national governments share concerns about truck traffic in the area and a desire for any new border crossing to be publicly owned. The Detroit River International Crossing Study, conducted by the Michigan Department of Transportation over the last 3 years, evaluated several proposed solutions to enhance traffic flow over the Detroit River and eliminated the twin spanning option for feasibility reasons. State and local permits and approval may not be obtainable because of the dramatic community impacts of the proposal on both sides of the border; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the United States Coast Guard to conduct further analysis and issue an environmental impact statement for the proposed twin spanning of the Detroit River at the Ambassador Bridge; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the United States Coast Guard.