On Wednesday July 31^st, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 5-2 regarding the right of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to intensify control over pollution from CAFOs.  At issue was the petition, regarded as a delaying tactic requiring the Department to engage in a prolonged rule-making process involving public meetings, comment and evaluation.  There are currently close to 300 CAFOs in Michigan generating a prodigious quantity of waste spread on farm fields as a fertilizer and resulting in runoff, pollution of waterways and eutrophication.

Environmental rules in Michigan are designed to maintain the quality of water feeding the Great Lakes.  Efforts made by states bordering the lakes have resulted in restoration of water quality, the return of native aquatic species and suppression of algae blooms.