Paul Egan, and Matthew Dolan

Detroit Free Press

LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder's choice of a former oil and gas industry lobbyist and executive to head the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality set off a firestorm of criticism Thursday, with at least one environmentalist saying Heidi Grether should recuse herself from pending decisions on the controversial Enbridge Line 5 pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac.

Snyder named Grether of Williamston, currently deputy director at the Michigan Agency for Energy, to replace Keith Creagh, who has served as interim DEQ director since late December, about three months after the Flint drinking water crisis erupted as a major issue.

►Editorial:Like a sick joke: Snyder appoints BP lobbyist to head MDEQ

Grether worked in external affairs for BP America from 1993 to 2012, where she was a lobbyist and manager heavily involved in the company's response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico, according to her LinkedIn page. Before that, she worked for Amoco Corp. as director of government affairs.

“Heidi has decades of experience in environmental quality issues, and has effectively served during times of crises and recovery,” Snyder said in a news release. “Her expertise in delivering good customer service from a large organization will be of great value as we continue working to reinvent the department and act more proactively to address issues that arise."

But critics said the appointment sends the wrong message after the lead contamination of Flint's drinking water, which was linked to DEQ failures, and with mounting concerns about the potential for a pipeline rupture and oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac.

"I am infuriated but not shocked that Snyder chose to appoint someone who had a hand in one of the worst man-made water disasters and cleanup failures in history to head the MDEQ,” said Flint activist Melissa Mays, of Water You Fighting For and Flint Rising.

David Holtz, chair of the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club, said that with an independent risk analysis of Line 5 about to get under way, Grether should recuse herself from all decisions on the issue.

"Protecting the Great Lakes shouldn’t fall to someone with such close ties to an industry whose profits will be directly impacted by her decisions as a public official," Holtz said in a news release.

Snyder spokeswoman Anna Heaton said: "Heidi was a standout among the candidates for the job because she has stepped up to challenges in the past and managed recovery efforts."

Heaton added: "It’s unfortunate that people choose to publicly criticize her within hours of her appointment, rather than reach out to meet with her and discuss her plans for the department."

Grether, who was not available for comment, managed the state response to federal carbon requirements as deputy director at the Michigan Agency for Energy, Snyder said.

Grether also has worked in both chambers of the Michigan Legislature, including as legislative director for former Republican House Speaker Paul Hillegonds.

The appointment is effective Aug. 1 and subject to the consent of the state Senate.

Lisa Wozniak, executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, said her group is disappointed by the announcement.

"While we are committed to working with Ms. Grether in this new role, we do question the Governor’s priorities in appointing someone with deep ties to the oil industry to the task of rebuilding Michiganders’ trust in our state environmental protection agency," Wozniak said in a news release. "After the Flint water crisis clearly demonstrated there were cultural problems within the DEQ, this appointment is a concerning development."

But Rich Studley, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, said Snyder made a sound choice and Grether should be commended for accepting what is a difficult and often thankless job, at the best of times.

"The suggestion that someone with knowledge and experience in the private sector should be automatically disqualified would be a dangerous and troubling precedent," Studley said. Are critics suggesting that only candidates with a record of "animosity or antagonism" toward the oil and gas industry should be eligible? he asked.

"Elections have consequences, and it's the governor's responsibility," with Senate consent, to make such appointments, Studley said.

The Environmental group Clean Water Action also criticized Snyder's choice.

Brandon Dillon, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, said Snyder "has again shown he is completely out of touch with the people of this state and the problems they face."

"Flint is still reeling from the worst man-made environmental disaster in Michigan’s history, yet Rick Snyder decides to tap a former BP executive -- one of the worst polluters in the world -- to lead our state’s Departmental of Environmental Quality?" Dillon asked.

The liberal group Progress Michigan said "this is another example of Snyder choosing his corporate donors over the well-being of Michiganders and the communities where they stake their livelihoods and futures.”

And Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said Grether "faces a steep climb in restoring trust that the MDEQ will have a culture of putting the public’s health first."

In any case, "more public oversight and involvement is a must," he said.

Creagh, who took over at DEQ after Snyder accepted the resignation of former director Dan Wyant in late December, is returning to his former post as director of the Department of Natural Resources.

“I want to thank Keith Creagh for managing the DEQ during the last six months," Snyder said. "He stepped into this role during a very challenging time and has worked tirelessly to improve internal operations, as well as share his expertise on the ground in Flint to aid in water-quality improvement. I will always be grateful for his leadership.”

Grether has a bachelor's degree in political science and public administration and a master's degree in natural resource economics and policy, both from Michigan State University. She is a member of many environmental advocacy organizations, including the Michigan Nature Association, the Nature Conservancy and the American Bird Conservancy.

Flint's drinking water became contaminated with lead in April 2014, while the city was under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager, after the city switched from Detroit-supplied water to the Flint River, as a cost-cutting move.

The DEQ failed to require the addition of needed corrosion-control chemicals as part of the treatment process, and the more-corrosive river water ate into pipes, joints and fixtures, sending unsafe levels of lead into Flint homes and businesses. The city returned to the Detroit water system in October, but a potential hazard remains because of damage done to the water distribution system.

The switch in the water source also could be linked to 12 deaths in the Flint area from Legionnaires' disease, officials say.

On Enbridge Line 5, there is growing concern about the damage an oil spill could do to the Great Lakes, tourism and other aspects of Michigan's economy.

Enbridge insists the pipelines, which were built in 1953 and carry nearly 23 million gallons of oil a day, are safe. Line 5 is a 30-inch pipeline from Superior, Wis., to Sarnia, Ontario, which splits into two 20-inch lines under the straits.

But others say the risk is too great, given the age of the pipelines, the damage a spill would do and Enbridge's track record, which includes a 2010 pipeline burst and spill of more than 1 million gallons of heavy tar sands oil into the Kalamazoo River watershed.

The recently announced risk studies, expected to be completed in summer 2017, are intended to help state officials make decisions about the future of the pipelines.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.