Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice
March 26, 2020
Dear Governor Whitmer:
The undersigned members of the inaugural Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental
Justice appreciate your efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 through a wide variety of
measures. You appointed us to counsel you and your administration on environmental issues
impacting low-income households and people of color. To that end, we believe your urgent
action is needed to ensure that all Michiganders have access to affordable and safe drinking
water during the growing COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to limit the spread of COVID-19, it is recommended that people frequently wash their
hands and practice social distancing. However, people without running water will be forced to
leave their homes in an attempt to find water at understocked and overcrowded grocery stores
putting them in close contact with hundreds of others. What limited amounts of water people are
able to obtain will primarily be used for drinking and cooking. For such people, frequent hand
washing is simply not an option. With large numbers of residents being unable to follow basic
public health recommendations, the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to rapidly spread
throughout Michigan.
While the City of Detroit has committed to restoring water service and placing a moratorium on
water shutoffs, few other water systems have followed suit. Thousands of people across the State
are living without running water. This problem calls for your decisive action. Governors in
Maryland, New Hampshire, Indiana, Colorado, Delaware, and Washington have issued
Executive Orders requiring public water systems to provide safe and affordable water throughout
the pandemic. In total, nearly 20 states other have issued orders making sure all residents have
running water at this crucial time.
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented crisis. With cases continuing to increase,
it is necessary for all residents to be able to play their part in limiting the spread of COVID-19 by
practicing social distancing and frequently washing their hands. However, for the thousands of
Michiganders without running water this is not possible. We urge you to take the necessary
action by issuing an executive order to ensure that all Michiganders have access to affordable
and safe drinking water during the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

Monica Lewis Patrick

Nicholas Leonard

Monica Lewis-Patrick
We The People of Detroit

Nicholas Leonard, JD
Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

Justin Onwneu
Justin Onwenu
Sierra Club

Donavan McKinney
Donavan McKinney
Service Employees International Union

 Theresa Landrum

Paul Mohai

Theresa Landrum
Original Citizens of Southwest Detroit

Paul Mohai, Ph.D
University of Michigan

Tony G. Reames

Bryan Lewis

Tony G. Reames, Ph.D
University of Michigan

Bryan Lewis
National Resource Defense Council

Bryan Newland

Sylvia Orduño

Bryan Newland
Bay Mills Indian Community

Sylvia Orduño
Michigan Welfare Rights

John Petoskey

Keith Cooley

John Petoskey
Grand Traverse Band

Keith Cooley
Principia, LLC

Frank Houston

Salah Ali

Frank Houston
MAC- EJ Member

Salah Ali
Michigan League of Conservation Voters