Letter to the Editor: Nash Wants a Clean Environment For Future Generations

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser.

I want to thank the voters of Oakland County for their support of my candidacy for Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner. My time serving as Oakland County Commissioner was an honor and the most rewarding experience of my life. I have had the opportunity to serve with so many dedicated public servants and community volunteers, at the county, region, state and national levels. We can be truly proud of the people who work for us and those who volunteer in so many important capacities.

From the beginning, I focused my efforts on green building and sustainability, both as county policies and in public/private planning and economic development efforts. I have worked with dedicated public employees in these areas also, through the Facilities department, IT and Planning and Economic Development, where we lead the state and nation in many aspects of our operations.

Likewise, I have taken over an agency that has a huge impact countywide and a shining record of accomplishment in serving our communities. They are a group of dedicated workers in a wide range of jobs, directly impacting our citizens in many ways that have a lasting environmental and economic impact. From administrators to engineers to service workers, they work hard to make our water and sewer infrastructure the best it can be. I will always honor the work of my employees and ensure they are treated like the professionals they are.

I take the county’s excellent AAA credit rating very seriously and will continue all the policies that contribute to our great fiscal record. I will always work toward the triple bottom line of economic success, environmental protection and social equity, and consider long-term consequences of all decisions. I promise to work with all our communities, to foster effective collaboration on our infrastructure issues. I can’t say we will always agree but I will always listen to and consider all sides.

I am planning a series of Town Hall meetings on oil drilling and “fracking” in Oakland County. Fracking (short for hydraulic fracturing) is the drilling technique which involves injecting toxic chemicals, sand, and millions of gallons of water under high pressure directly into the ground to release natural gas in shale deposits. My first Town Hall meeting was in West Bloomfield last month and my second will be in Ferndale in April. I will be bringing experts on the issues to talk to communities and help them understand the issues we face with oil exploration in such a densely populated area. My office is also organizing a regional Storm Water Summit for this fall. We will bring together all our counties, communities and watersheds, along with state and federal agencies, to look at the storm water problems we face and how a regional approach can help solve them.

I am also working on the issues surrounding the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. My office is working with leaders from Oakland County, Southeast Michigan and Lansing to bring a new and sustainable regional water and sewer authority into being. With a fair and economical regional system in place we can better plan our future growth and development.

In Michigan, we are surrounded by 20 percent of the world’s fresh water supply; we must be very careful how we use that water and what we allow to be put into it. Our economic, social and environmental future depends on the protection of our water supply and recreational waters. I will work regionally to ensure we pass on a clean environment to our children and grandchildren.

Jim Nash
Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner

The viewpoints in this letter are those of the writers, and Patch is not responsible for any ideas portrayed as facts. For questions and clarifications, please leave a comment below or contact editor Laura Houser at laura.houser@patch.com or 248-534-9780.