There are approximately 9,100 underground storage tanks in Michigan (LUSTs in environmental parlance) leaking fuel into the surrounding soils and water. While more than 13,000 such sites have been cleaned up over the years, Michigan’s current backlog is the second-largest in the nation. Half of the current sites fall under the responsibility of the state — and the fuel tax levy that’s long been used to fund cleanups is scheduled to expire at the end of 2012, barring action from the Legislature. Michigan’s cleanup efforts have, in fact, dropped by nearly 90 percent since 1997. (Map below courtesy of Circle of Blue. NOTE: Map is best viewed with Firefox or Chrome browser.)
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