The Michigan Senate will hold a hearing on Governor Rick Snyder’s pick to lead the Department of Environmental Quality in the wake of
Flint’s water crisis. A spokeswoman for Senate Republicans said Tuesday that the Senate Natural Resources Committee will meet September 7 to consider the appointment of Heidi Grether. The selection of the former oil and gas lobbyist has drawn criticism from Democrats and environmentalists. But Grether, who began the job on August 1, is unlikely to be rejected by the GOP-led Senate. Senators last year let stand the Republican governor’s choice for the Michigan Public Service Commission despite the appointee’s past ties to a major utility that the panel regulates. Grether replaces Dan Wyant, who resigned in December because of the DEQ’s role in Flint’s lead contamination.
