Preserve the Dunes, Inc v. Department of Environmental Quality

Defendant Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and defendant TechniSand, Inc., appeal a Court of Appeals decision holding that the DEQ improperly granted a sand dune mining *511permit to TechniSand, contrary to the Michigan environmental protection act (MEPA), MCL 324.1701 et seq.1 The only issue properly before us is whether MEPA authorizes a collateral challenge to the DEQ’s decision to issue a sand dune mining permit under the sand dune mining act (SDMA), MCL 324.63701 et seq., in an action that challenges flaws in the permitting process unrelated to whether the conduct involved…