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U.S. Senator Gary Peters' Motorcycle Tour makes stop in Grand Rapids

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters at The Mitten Brewing Co. photo
Patrick Center
/
WGVU

U.S. Senator Gary Peters continued his Motorcycle Tour of the state of the state with a Thursday stop in Grand Rapids. He spoke about additional coronavirus pandemic federal aid and PFAS cleanup.

U.S. Senator Gary Peters stopped in at Grand Rapids’ The Mitten Brewing Company applauding small businesses for their creativity and remaining operational during the coronavirus pandemic. While the first round of federal aid including the CARES Act and Paycheck Protection programs supported businesses, Senator Peters says additional assistance is needed.

“I’ll be going back to Washington next week. We need to have additional COVID relief. Folks are getting towards the end of the runway of help and we’re going to have to readjust and figure out who still needs help and there are certain industries that are going to need help for a longer period of time than others depending on how COVID impacts it.”

Peters says funding for states and local governments along with improving and expanding COVID-19 testing should be a part of any bipartisan legislation.

As for the cleanup of Michigan’s 200 sites contaminated with Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the Senator says his legislation has passed through the National Defense Authorization to phase out PFAS use at military bases and airports. Also, the Environmental Protection Agency is tasked with setting standards for cleanup.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.