Judy Freed

https://greatlakes.org/2024/04/thank-you-for-helping-our-great-lakes-shine/

Download the full report – Adopt-a-Beach: 20 Years of Great Lakes Litter Data, A Story of Plastic Pollution Told Through Citizen Science

New Report: Vast Majority of Great Lakes Litter is Plastic

On: April 11, 2024

In: Adopt-a-Beach, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

Litter Material: 2003-2023. Plastic: 86%. Other: 14%.

CHICAGO, IL (April 11, 2024) – Eighty six percent of litter collected on Great Lakes beaches is composed either partially or fully of plastic, according to a new report released by the Alliance for the Great Lakes. The report is based on 20 years of data collected from more than 14,000 Adopt-a-Beach cleanups on all five Great Lakes. The new analysis details the most common types of plastic items found on Great Lakes shorelines and outlines potential solutions to reduce plastic pollution. In the environment, plastics never go away. Instead, they break down into toxic microplastic particles that make their way into the Great Lakes, a source of drinking water for 40 million people.

Plastic pollution threatens human health & the environment

“Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is a threat to both human health and the environment,” said Olivia Reda, the author of the report and the Volunteer Engagement Manager at the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “The volume of plastic found on our shorelines demonstrates the urgent need to pass federal, state, and local laws that reduce plastic pollution getting into the lakes. While our dedicated volunteers are cleaning up literally tons of litter each year, more of this plastic litter enters our waters, where it breaks down into tiny particles that are found in our drinking water.”

Litter type: 2014-2023. Tiny trash: 40%. Food related: 27%. Smoking related: 22%. Other: 11%.

The data in the report, Adopt-a-Beach: 20 Years of Great Lakes Litter Data, reveals alarming and consistent patterns. Most of the litter is plastic, and many are single-use items – used once and left behind – which contain plastic. Volunteers categorize each piece of litter into a type, such as cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, or “tiny trash” including plastic pieces, foam pieces, and glass pieces measuring 2.5 cm or less. For the last 10 years, the top litter items collected are tiny plastic pieces, followed by cigarette butts, tiny foam pieces, plastic bottle caps, and food wrappers. Forty percent of all litter is in the “tiny trash” category.

Solutions require action beyond individual behavior change

While it’s important for individuals to reduce their plastic use, the report notes that substantially reducing plastic pollution will require action from businesses, governments, and manufacturers. The Alliance for the Great Lakes is calling for implementing Extended Producer Responsibility policies — holding producers responsible across the life cycle of their products and packaging from design and materials to end-of-life management. Such policies have been in place for years in Europe and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. More recently California, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon have passed versions of these common-sense solutions, which are now being considered across the Great Lakes basin.

Shorter-term solutions include reducing or eliminating the most problematic plastics like single-use bags and foam, deploying new technologies such as microfilters in washing machines to remove plastic microfibers before they enter our water systems, stopping the spills of industrial plastic pellets in the Great Lakes, and increasing access to water refilling stations as well as reuse and refill packaging. These types of policy solutions are moving forward in several Great Lakes states.

The power of citizen science

Since launching in 1991, the Alliance’s Adopt-a-Beach cleanups have evolved into the most extensive volunteer program ever to collect data on Great Lakes beach litter. Volunteers receive training and resources to host year-round cleanups in communities in all eight Great Lakes states. Since the start of the program, over 200,000 volunteers have participated in cleanups, removing over 9,700,000 individual pieces and over 535,000 pounds of litter from the shoreline. In 2003, Adopt-a-Beach launched an online database, which is now the largest litter dataset exclusively for the Great Lakes. The data is available publicly and has been used by educators, community advocates, policy makers, and academic researchers.

“This dataset demonstrates the power of citizen science, when members of the public come together to collect datasets far larger than any single researcher could build,” said Reda. “We are so thankful to the hundreds of thousands of volunteers and supporters who participated in Adopt-a-Beach cleanups over the years. They are environmental heroes committed to reducing litter in their communities and are collecting one-of-a-kind data that will continue shining a light on plastic pollution.”

Report cover, Adopt-a-Beach: 20 Years of Great Lakes Litter Data.

Read the Report

Download the Executive Summary

If you would like to join the efforts, sign up for an Adopt-a-Beach cleanup. Learn more about plastic pollution here.

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Contact: Don Carr, Media Director, dcarr@greatlakes.org

Join the Fight Against Plastic Pollution

Over 200,000 volunteers have participated in Great Lakes beach cleanups through our Adopt-a-Beach program. 86% of the litter they found is made either partially or fully of plastic.

Read About Plastic Pollution & Solutions Host or Join a Shoreline Cleanup

The post New Report: Vast Majority of Great Lakes Litter is Plastic appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2024/04/new-report-vast-majority-of-great-lakes-litter-is-plastic/

New MDARD Partnership Will Improve Water Quality Monitoring

On: April 3, 2024

In: Agricultural runoff, Lake Erie algal bloom

LANSING, MI (April 3, 2024) – Nutrient pollution is a severe threat to water quality across the Great Lakes region and is particularly important in the Western Basin of Lake Erie. Understanding, tracking, and predicting where this pollution comes from is difficult due to weather and cropping complexities and a lack of data. This makes it difficult to properly target where conservation funding should be spent.

Through a new $4.86 million grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and a $600,000 grant from the Erb Family Foundation, the Alliance for the Great Lakes will work in partnership with MDARD to increase the agency’s ability track and monitor water quality in five of Michigan’s priority subwatersheds of the Western Basin of Lake Erie. Technical assistance will be provided by the Michigan State University Institute of Water Research and LimnoTech.

The partnership aims to increase monitoring capacity by deploying higher spatial density monitoring instrumentation with a particular focus on understanding phosphorus trends. The information gleaned from this effort will help MDARD better understand various drivers of nutrient transport and allow for better targeting of conservation efforts to combat nutrient pollution.

“Ultimately, understanding where nutrient pollution is coming from and how it travels through the watershed will allow agencies and practitioners to better target conservation and land management practices to improve water quality outcomes. We are excited to partner with MDARD on this effort and applaud the leadership of Director Boring who has continually emphasized the importance of expanding monitoring and data collection to help guide conservation decision making,” said Tom Zimnicki, Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Agriculture and Restoration Policy Director.

“Our department has recognized the need for improved water quality monitoring in WLEB. We know that more holistic farm management focusing on soil health and regenerative agriculture principles can be expected to improve nutrient losses. Through the State of Michigan’s Domestic Action Plan adaptive management approach of continuous assessment and improvement, the scientific outcomes of this work improve our ability to make meaningful progress toward water quality improvements,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring.

The project will run from 2024 to 2029 and cover five of Michigan’s priority sub watersheds – Lime Creek, Stony Creek (South Branch River Raisin), Headwaters of the Saline River, Nile Ditch, and the S.S. LaPointe Drain. Area hydrology, sediment transport, and phosphorus transport in the sub watersheds will be tracked by the program. Data collected will be publicly available.

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Contact: Don Carr, Media Director, dcarr@greatlakes.org

More about Nutrient Pollution

Read more about agricultural runoff and harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.

The post New MDARD Partnership Will Improve Water Quality Monitoring appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2024/04/new-mdard-partnership-will-improve-water-quality-monitoring/

A fact sheet on microfibers can be found here.

New Bill to Protect Great Lakes, Drinking Water from Microplastics Receives Support from Environmental Groups

On: March 25, 2024

In: microplastics, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

CHICAGO, IL (March 25, 2024) – Last week on World Water Day, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Ocean Conservancy, Illinois Environmental Council, and Loyola University scientists held a press conference with partners at the Museum of Science and Industry to discuss protecting the Great Lakes and waterways from the environmental and health risks of microfiber pollution. The Great Lakes provide drinking water for more than 30 million people and are home to diverse and increasingly threatened wildlife. However, the Great Lakes are in the midst of a plastic pollution crisis, with plastic waste increasingly accumulating in our waterways. To address this issue, Illinois lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require microfiber capture devices on all washing machines sold in Illinois by 2030.

“What happens in Illinois impacts the ocean – whether through the Great Lakes, whose water flows through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic, or through the Mississippi River flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Microplastics can even be carried by evaporated water and spread through our weather systems around the world. Washing machines are a major contributor to plastic microfiber pollution, and Ocean Conservancy is proud to support this bill to stop microplastics at the source,” said Jeff Watters, Vice President, External Affairs at Ocean Conservancy.

“For over 30 years, Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-a-Beach volunteers have been on the front lines of keeping litter off our beaches and out of the Great Lakes by removing over half a million pounds of litter from shorelines since 1991. Most of the litter collected is composed either partially or fully of plastic. The good news is that if we act now, we can stop the pollution before it makes its way into our waterways through simple washing machine filters like those used in dryers. Our dedicated volunteers shouldn’t be the only means to keep plastic pollution out of the Great Lakes. We need smart policies to reduce microplastic pollution, which is why we fully support Illinois House Bill 4269,” said Molly Flanagan, Chief Operating Officer & Vice President for Programs of the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

“Our research group has been studying litter in our waterways for over 10 years. The vast majority of the trash we find is plastic, and increasingly, microfibers are the most common microplastic in our waterways. Preventing pollution at the source is critical; washing machine filters are a simple and cost-effective solution. This approach is important and can make meaningful improvements to reduce pollution,” said Dr. Tim Hoellein, Associate Professor, Loyola University, Director Aquatic Ecology Lab.

Plastic microfibers that come from plastic-based textiles and clothing are of growing concern. Microfibers are the most prevalent form of microplastics in environmental samples and represent over 90% of microplastics ingested by marine animals.  In animals, ingestion of microfibers has been shown to reduce food consumption, reduce energy for growth, alter gene expression, and block digestive tracts.

In many cases, microfibers that are shed from clothing during household and commercial laundering escape wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and flow with the discharge into our waterways. An existing technology, washing machine microfiber filters, have been shown to be a cost-effective solution that can capture up to 90% of microfibers from each load of laundry, leading to a significant reduction in microfibers in wastewater treatment plants.

Photos from the event can be found here.

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About Alliance for the Great Lakes

The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the region to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes. For more information, visit greatlakes.org.

About Ocean Conservancy 

Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

Contact:

Don Carr, Media Director, Alliance for the Great Lakes, dcarr@greatlakes.org, +1 (651) 395-4270
Roya Fox, Communications Manager, Ocean Conservancy, rfox@oceanconservancy.org, +1 (206) 948-7874

Great Lakes Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution is a serious problem for the Great Lakes. Learn more about plastic pollution and how to stop it.

The post New Bill to Protect Great Lakes, Drinking Water from Microplastics Receives Support from Environmental Groups appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2024/03/new-bill-to-protect-great-lakes-drinking-water-from-microplastics-receives-support-from-environmental-groups/

Time is running out to keep invasive carp out of Lake Michigan

On: March 8, 2024

In: invasive carp

This opinion piece was first published by the Chicago Sun-Times.

By Molly Flanagan, COO & Vice President for Programs

While Illinois didn’t bring ecosystem-destroying invasive carp to the United States, the state is setting itself up for the blame if the voracious fish overrun the Great Lakes.

Just after Thanksgiving last year, when all of us were still too full to eat another bite, almost a million pounds of hungry invasive carp were pulled from the Illinois River in just one day. Using the Illinois River and other waterways to expand their territory, invasive carp pose a significant threat to the ecological and economic health of Lake Michigan.

Invasive carp have already wreaked havoc on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. They cause serious damage to native fish populations when they invade lakes and rivers because they out-compete other fish for food. They jump into the air, posing the risk of serious injury to people and making infested waters off-limits to boating. Great Lakes’ communities and industries would be deeply harmed if Invasive carp get into the Great Lakes and its tributaries and inland lakes.

Invasive carp are located less than 50 miles from Lake Michigan. With no known predators once they are past the juvenile stage, these fish pose a severe threat to the economic health of the Great Lakes, specifically the region’s $7 billion commercial and sport fishing industry and its $16 billion recreational boating industry.

For that reason, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) has identified building additional structural measures at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet as the most feasible way to prevent the upstream migration of invasive carp. By using a series of measures designed to stymie invasive carp, the Brandon Road project will act as the choke point to stop invasive carp from traveling from the Mississippi River Basin into the Great Lakes.

The $1.3 billion project is scheduled to begin construction in October of 2024. That’s good news, because those nearly million pounds of carp taken in one day — the same amount harvested in all of 2022 — are amassed only two locks down from Brandon Road. The bad news is that there’s a huge obstacle to building the defenses at Brandon Road: the state of Illinois.

Michigan and Illinois have agreed to pay $114 million, the entire amount required from local partners, for construction of the project. The federal government has $274 million on hand ready to spend to complete design and engineering, and for the first increment of construction. The project is ready to start once Illinois signs the Project Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps. The state’s manageable concerns about the project have been the subject of seemingly endless delays, even as the state of Michigan has come forward cash in hand and the feds are ready to break ground.

For every month that Illinois does not sign the agreement with the Army Corps, more time is lost. And time is running out to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. Luckily, the state of Michigan is patiently waiting as a willing partner to move Brandon Road forward. All Illinois needs to do to is to say yes to the partnership. Surely the strongest protection for our Great Lakes after a decade of planning is enough of a reason for Illinois to sign on the line.

Keep Invasive Carp Out of Lake Michigan

Learn more about the Brandon Road Lock & Dam project and keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.

The post Time is running out to keep invasive carp out of Lake Michigan appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2024/03/time-is-running-out-to-keep-invasive-carp-out-of-lake-michigan/

Download the water infrastructure fact sheet.

Top 5 Great Lakes Federal Policy Priorities for 2024

On: February 20, 2024

In: Agricultural runoff, Drinking Water, great lakes restoration, invasive species, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

Significant progress continues to be made in protecting and restoring the Great Lakes, but much more needs to be done. Although increased federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment Act these last two years has allowed states and the federal government to address some key issues, including water infrastructure and the cleanup of toxic legacy pollution, we still have too many Great Lakers experiencing polluted water. Invasive species continue to threaten the lakes, nutrient runoff continues to negatively affect our water quality, and plastic pollutes our beaches and drinking water.

In our 2024 federal policy priorities, we’ve identified the top five opportunities for Congress and federal agencies to address these challenges. Many of these priorities are familiar and are carried over from last year when Congress made little progress on substantive legislation. For the upcoming year, Congress and the administration must address key issues. These include passing an annual federal budget to provide states with sufficient federal resources to fix our ailing water infrastructure; enacting a Farm Bill that will reduce the flow of nutrient pollution into the lakes; maintaining progress on key federal projects intended to stop invasive species; and providing funding and reauthorization for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to continue support for on-the-ground restoration projects.

Equity and justice are embedded throughout these policy priorities and must be considered at every step of the federal decision-making process to ensure that all Great Lakers have access to safe, clean, affordable water. Repairing the long-term harm from environmental injustices isn’t a one-off action and federal decision-makers must prioritize disadvantaged communities where the burden of pollution and the lack of essential services often hit the hardest. Congress and the administration must ensure that community voices are at the table – and listened to – from the beginning of all decision-making.

Read on for full details of our 2024 Great Lakes federal policy priorities, or download the fact sheet to learn more.

Increase water infrastructure funding, prioritize funding for communities most in need

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress late in 2021 was an important down payment to fix the nation’s failing and outdated water infrastructure. The funding will jump-start efforts to replace dangerous lead pipes, fix leaky pipes, and stop sewage overflows.

However, the funding is only a start. EPA’s 7^th national Drinking Water Needs Information Survey and Assessment, completed just last year, estimates that the Great Lakes region will need at least $225.2 billion over the next twenty years to fix our water infrastructure problems. This is an increase from the last national survey and indicates that federal funding is not keeping up with needs. Currently, the infrastructure bill will provide Great Lakes states with an additional $1.8 billion per year for the next five years. It is clearly not enough. We need to keep the pressure on Congress to provide additional funds for water infrastructure programs. Additionally, funding programs must be structured to ensure that money reaches communities with the highest need, such as those with many lead pipes.

In 2024, we urge Congress to:

Increase annual funding to at least $9.3 billion for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds
Increase by $1 billion annual funding levels for lead service line replacement and emerging contaminants
Set aside at least 20 percent of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund as grants for green infrastructure projects such as green roofs, permeable pavement, and additional green spaces
Pass a federal ban on residential water shutoffs
Establish a federal program to provide financial assistance for water and sewer bills

In 2024 we urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to:

Require that states accepting federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 are increasing funding and technical assistance for disadvantaged communities so that they are equipped to advance through the SRF selection process
Issue a final Lead and Copper Rule requiring cities to meet ambitious timelines for lead service line replacement

Pass a Farm Bill that prioritizes clean water

Agriculture is the largest unaddressed source of nonpoint pollution in the Great Lakes region. Runoff from agricultural lands puts the Great Lakes at risk. It pollutes drinking water, threatens wildlife, harms the regional economy, and prevents people from enjoying recreation on the Great Lakes.

Every five years, Congress develops a “Farm Bill,” a major package of legislation that sets the agenda and funding for national farm and food policy. Congress passed a one-year extension of the Farm Bill in 2023, so in 2024 Congress can pass a Farm Bill that ensures farms produce clean water, not pollution, along with their crops.

In 2024, we urge Congress to pass a Farm Bill that:

Increases funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs
Includes provisions to ensure accountability for farm conservation programs aimed at stopping runoff pollution from agricultural lands
Reduces funding for concentrated animal feeding operations

Download the agriculture fact sheet.

Pass legislation to stop plastic pollution

Researchers estimate that 22 million pounds of plastic pollution enter the Great Lakes each year. Plastic pollution isn’t just an unsightly problem in our waterways. It’s estimated that humans ingest a credit card-sized amount of plastic each week, with unknown long-term consequences for our health.

For many years, efforts to stop plastic pollution put the responsibility on the end-user, such as recycling. But only a fraction of plastic produced each year is recycled, leaving the remainder to end up in landfills or as litter that lands in our waterways. The alternative is to require plastic producers to be responsible for their products through their lifecycle, which is called extended producer responsibility. Congress has an opportunity to be a leader on this issue.

In 2024, we urge Congress to pass legislation that:

Makes plastic waste producers responsible for its reduction
Reduces the federal government’s use of single-use plastics, including polystyrene foam
Funds additional research on the public health impact of plastics

Download the plastic pollution fact sheet.

Protect the Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species

Invasive species have caused irreparable harm to the Great Lakes ecosystem and cost the region billions of dollars since the late 1980s. Preventing them from ever entering is the best way to protect the Great Lakes. The battle against invasive species is focused on two fronts – stopping invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes and cleaning up ship ballast tanks.

Established populations of invasive carp are only 50 miles from Chicago and Lake Michigan. But it’s not too late to prevent them from reaching the lakes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has proposed constructing additional carp prevention measures at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. The facility is a critical choke point in the waterways leading to Lake Michigan. Congress and federal agencies must continue to support this project.

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened the Great Lakes to direct ocean-going shipping. Unfortunately, ships brought invasive species along for the ride in their ballast tanks. Although regulations to clean up ship ballast tanks have reduced introductions, loopholes remain for “lakers,” ships operating solely in the Great Lakes. The U.S. EPA can close that loophole.

In 2024, we urge Congress to:

Include language in the next Water Resources Development Act to authorize 100 percent federal funding for the annual operations and maintenance of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, which is being implemented to stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes

In 2024, we urge federal agencies to take the following actions:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should execute a Project Partnership Agreement with the State of Illinois for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project so that the project may proceed to phase 1 construction this fall and continue public participation for the project’s implementation
The U.S. EPA should issue final rules requiring all vessels operating on the Great Lakes, including lakers, to clean up their ballast tanks

Download the invasive species fact sheet.

Fund, update, and reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is one of the most important tools in the region’s toolbox to protect and restore the lakes. The program provides funding for on-the-ground restoration projects, from wetland restoration to cleaning up toxic hotspots. In addition to environmental benefits, GLRI funding garners an additional 3-to-1 return in economic benefits.

While we need continued investment in Great Lakes restoration, the strategy guiding the GLRI was developed almost 20 years ago and needs an update. Federal agencies should revise the Great Lakes restoration strategy to address the next generation of threats to the lakes, including climate change and long-standing environmental injustices. In addition, the program’s authorization will expire in 2026, so action will be needed by Congress in the near future to reauthorize and extend the GLRI program.

In 2024, we urge Congress to:

Fund the GLRI with at least $450 million in FY 2024
Reauthorize the GLRI program at $500 million per year for five years from FY 2027-2031

In 2024, we urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take the following action:

U.S. EPA should issue the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan IV to address environmental injustice, climate resilience, and the next generation of risks to the Great Lakes

Download the Great Lakes restoration fact sheet.

Tell Congress: Protect the Great Lakes in 2024

Too many Great Lakers experience polluted water – whether it’s lead-tainted tap water or algal blooms fouling waterways. Invasive species threaten our lakes. Plastic pollutes our beaches and drinking water.

The post Top 5 Great Lakes Federal Policy Priorities for 2024 appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2024/02/top-5-great-lakes-federal-policy-priorities-for-2024/

Pop Quiz: Great Lakes Restoration

On: February 13, 2024

In: great lakes restoration

The post Pop Quiz: Great Lakes Restoration appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2024/02/pop-quiz-great-lakes-restoration/

Health of the Lakes and Strength of Local Economies Relies on Reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

On: February 6, 2024

In: Agricultural runoff, great lakes restoration, invasive species

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 6, 2024) – Today, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI), and Representative David Joyce (R-OH) sponsored the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2024, a bill intended to reauthorize the GLRI program for a five-year period at $500 million per year.

GLRI funding assists states, tribes and local communities in implementing crucial on-the-ground projects, including habitat restoration, helping farmers do more to combat non-point source agrichemical run-off, cleaning up legacy pollution and toxic sediments, and preventing the establishment or spread of destructive invasive species. It is a well-established program that helps protect 22% of the world’s source of freshwater.

“The Alliance would like to thank Senators Stabenow and Vance, and Representatives Dingell and Joyce for sponsoring bipartisan legislation to continue this important program that directly benefits the tens of millions of Americans living in the Great Lakes region,” said Don Jodrey, Alliance for the Great Lakes Director of Federal Government Relations.

“As members of the Great Lakes Task Forces, many champions from both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have tirelessly advocated for the GLRI and the Alliance thanks them for their support,” said Jodrey.

“The creation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is one of the most important actions of my legislative career.  Since I authored the program in 2010, it has been a proven success story,” said Senator Stabenow, Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force. “This bill will ensure the stability and future of the program as we address new emerging threats to our Great Lakes and waters.”

“The Great Lakes provide more than 1.5 million jobs, supply 90 percent of our nation’s fresh surface water, and generate $62 billion in wages every year,” said Congressman Joyce, Co-Chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force. “The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative supports efforts that confront direct threats facing the lakes like harmful algal blooms, water pollution, invasive species, and coastal erosion. I am proud to be working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reintroduce this critical legislation to protect and preserve the national treasure that is the Great Lakes ecosystem.”

To date, the GLRI program has funded more than 7,563 individual projects totaling $3.7 billion, greatly improving the quality of life throughout the region. The GLRI also provides major economic benefits, as it is estimated that for every dollar spent, an additional three dollars of value is added to the regional economy.

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Contact: Don Carr, Media Director, dcarr@greatlakes.org

More about Great Lakes Restoration

Read more about Great Lakes restoration and the GLRI.

The post Health of the Lakes and Strength of Local Economies Relies on Reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2024/02/health-of-the-lakes-and-strength-of-local-economies-relies-on-reauthorization-of-the-great-lakes-restoration-initiative/

EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements Can Demonstrate Biden Administration’s Commitment to Protecting Human Health

On: February 5, 2024

In: Lead service lines

CHICAGO (February 5, 2024) – In November 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed improvements to the nation’s drinking water rules to finally address the widespread use of dangerous lead pipes for American drinking water. The Great Lakes region contains by far the greatest number of lead service lines of any region in the country, and so has borne an especially heavy burden from this toxic legacy that still endures.

Today, the Alliance for the Great Lakes submitted comments to EPA aimed at improving the rule and raising concerns with the agency over the rule’s scope and timetable for action. The most important issue for EPA to address is a proposed exception that could allow lead pipes to persist in Great Lakes metropolitan areas like Chicago for over 40 years.

The Alliance’s comments include:

U.S. EPA should require that systems with the greatest number of lead service lines meet ambitious minimum replacement rates set as a percentage of their total lead service lines, with such rates revisited to ensure maximum feasible replacement over time.
U.S. EPA should further tighten the Action Level to 5 ppb to protect public health, ensure systems are using effective corrosion control treatment, and further promote outreach and education that can help spur lead service line replacement and other removal of lead from water systems.
The Alliance supports U.S. EPA’s proposed enhanced transparency measures and requests that U.S. EPA (a) include requirements that posted information be easily searchable, extractable and exportable, and (b) remove the 50,000-resident threshold for online provision of lead service line replacement plans.
The Alliance supports and suggests ways to bolster U.S. EPA’s emphasis in the Proposed Rule on environmental justice and civil rights obligations pertaining to lead service line replacement and overall Lead and Copper Rule compliance.

“The Alliance welcomes these long-awaited improvements to the federal Lead and Copper Rule and encourages U.S. EPA to issue a strengthened final rule that delivers on the Administration’s promise to the country and the Great Lakes region. Addressing lead service lines once and for all will bring huge benefits to the region by reducing negative impacts to childhood development and improving cardiac health. President Biden and the EPA should be commended for moving forward with this rule,” said Meleah Geertsma, Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Director of Clean Water and Equity.

“At the same time, the Alliance believes the Proposed Rule risks leaving the most burdened too far behind by allowing significant extensions of the timeframe for lead service line replacement in cities with the greatest number of lead service lines, including the Great Lakes cities of Chicago and Cleveland,” said Geertsma.

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Contact: Don Carr, Media Director, dcarr@greatlakes.org

More about Lead Service Lines

Read more about lead service lines in Great Lakes Communities.

The post EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements Can Demonstrate Biden Administration’s Commitment to Protecting Human Health appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2024/02/epas-lead-and-copper-rule-improvements-can-demonstrate-biden-administrations-commitment-to-protecting-human-health/

DC Update: Are Great Lakes Priorities Advancing After a Year of Divided Government?

On: January 24, 2024

In: Agricultural runoff, Drinking Water, Environmental Justice, great lakes restoration, invasive species, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

Don Jodrey, Director of Federal Government Relations

This blog is part of a series of updates from Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director of Federal Government Relations, with his view on Great Lakes policy from Washington, DC.

At the beginning of 2023, we announced an ambitious Great Lakes federal policy agenda. We noted that it was the start of a new Congress and an era of divided government. We predicted that there were likely to be major policy disagreements between the Republican House, the Democratic Senate, and the Biden administration that might result in a stalemate or lack of progress on some issues, particularly where legislation is required.

We were correct in anticipating major policy disagreements, but we did not envision how dysfunctional the year would be in this Congress where a very small group of conservative House members have managed to delay action on some of Congress’ most basic tasks, including preventing the Congress from passing an annual budget for the federal government.

Major funding disagreements for water infrastructure

As we approach the year mark after we released our federal priorities last year, we note that Congress has enacted another short-term continuing resolution until early March for the fiscal year which started last October. And although the House and Senate leadership have agreed upon a top-line number for domestic spending, it is unclear when final spending levels will be resolved between the House and Senate among the 12 bills that fund the government. There are major disagreements between the House and Senate over the level of funding for water infrastructure with the House proposing more than $1.7 billion in cuts from levels supported by the Senate. This would reduce the funding available to communities to address drinking water and wastewater issues.

Farm Bill discussions continue

Another legislative casualty this year was the Farm Bill. The House and Senate were unable to advance a new five-year Farm Bill. Instead, they agreed to a one-year extension of the current program. We continue to encourage Great Lakes members to support increased funding for conservation programs, as well as provisions to ensure accountability for conservation programs that address harmful agricultural runoff pollution, particularly in Lake Erie. We are pleased that Representatives Marcy Kaptur from Ohio and Mike Gallagher from Wisconsin have introduced the Healthy Farms Healthy Watersheds Act to reduce nutrient runoff and thereby reduce harmful algal blooms. The legislation would help farmers reduce phosphorus pollution by better targeting farm bill conservation dollars where they would have the most impact.

Plastics legislation is introduced

Discussions continue in Congress on efforts to control plastic pollution. Several key pieces of legislation have been introduced in the House and Senate. First, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin reintroduced “The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act” to address the problems posed by plastic pellets in our waters, including the Great Lakes. The bill would prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastics into the Great Lakes and waterways across the country. Plastic pellets, like other microplastics, pose a danger to human health, fish, wildlife, and ecosystems. In addition, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley has reintroduced the “Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act” which provides a comprehensive approach to plastic pollution reduction by creating a national policy and requirements for extended producer responsibility which would require corporations to take responsibility for post-consumer management of plastic products and packaging. Other legislative efforts include bills that would impose an excise tax on the production of virgin plastic, as well as legislation that would ban the use of polystyrene foam. It is unlikely that any of these efforts will become law in this Congress, but we will continue to support them and educate members on the harmful environmental impacts caused by plastic pollution.

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative continues to receive strong bipartisan support

One program that continues to have robust bipartisan support is the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The House proposes to fund this program at the current funding level and the Senate proposes a $5 million increase. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative’s goals are: fish that are safe to eat, water that is safe for recreation, a safe source of drinking water, clean up Areas of Concern, eliminate harmful algal blooms, prevent the introduction of new invasive species and control existing invasive species, and protect and restore habitat to sustain native species.

States step up to fund invasive carp protections

Following up on last year’s Congressional authorization to change the Brandon Road project’s construction cost share to 90 percent federal and 10 percent state, the Brandon Road project received funding boosts this year from the States of Illinois and Michigan. The combined $115 million will cover the entire state share of the estimated construction costs for the project. The next step is for the State of Illinois and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to sign a project partnership agreement so that construction can begin in 2024. This project is critical to keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.

Environmental Protection Agency takes action

This past year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took several actions that affect the Great Lakes. First, the agency issued its 7th national Drinking Water Needs Assessment survey that assesses the health of the nation’s drinking water infrastructure. For the first time, the assessment included information on the number of lead service lines in each state. Unfortunately, Great Lakes states water infrastructure needs have increased since the last national drinking water needs assessment was completed. Collectively, EPA estimates that the Great Lakes region needs at least $225.3 billion over the next twenty years to fix failing water infrastructure.

EPA also proposed a supplemental rule to regulate ballast water in the Great Lakes. This is necessary to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic invasive species. Although EPA proposes to exempt existing Lakers (ships that do not leave the Great Lakes) from installing ballast water treatment systems, EPA does propose requiring that new Lakers, or those constructed after 2026, install ballast water treatment. We provided extensive comments to EPA recommending that all Lakers be required to install ballast water treatment systems. The agency’s final rule is expected later this year.

Lastly, EPA is updating the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Strategy by developing its next action plan, which will cover the next five years of funding for this program. We have recommended that EPA address environmental justice and climate change along with its environmental restoration priorities. A draft plan will be released for public comment later this year.

Looking ahead, your voice matters

Although not all our priorities advanced this past year, your voice makes a difference. Contact federal decision-makers about the Great Lakes issues that you care about. Great Lakes members of Congress need to hear from you about prioritizing funding to ensure every community has safe drinking water. They need to hear what federal legislation or existing programs would help address environmental concerns in your community, like harmful algal blooms or reducing plastic pollution. Let your members of Congress and other federal decision-makers know how important clean and healthy Great Lakes are to you.

Protect the Great Lakes & Our Communities

Too many Great Lakers experience polluted water – whether it is lead-tainted water coming from taps in homes or algal blooms fouling beaches. Visit our Action Center and learn how you can take action.

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Proposed EPA rule would strengthen protections against lead in drinking water, but timetable leaves too many Great Lakes residents in danger

On: December 11, 2023

In: Lead service lines

On December 6, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) took an important step in protecting public health by proposing to significantly strengthen national drinking water regulations for toxic lead and copper. Most notably, U.S. EPA is proposing a requirement to remove lead service lines within 10 years for most water systems.

Lead is a heavy metal and neurotoxin that harms the brain and nervous system, leading to slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems in children. Lead is also linked to negative health impacts in adults, such as reproductive problems, increased risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular effects, and harm to the kidneys. Experts widely agree that there is no safe level of lead exposure.

For decades, lead was used in service lines, fixtures and solder throughout water systems; it was not until 1986 that Congress banned the use of new lead pipes and fixtures. Following the Flint tragedy that helped propel the issue of lead in drinking water as a national priority, advocates including the Alliance for the Great Lakes have been calling on local, state and federal officials to get the lead out of water systems. A major focus has been to mandate the removal of lead service lines that are often the largest contributors to lead levels in home drinking water.

U.S. EPA is now proposing a national mandate that water systems remove their lead service lines, with a default timeline for removal of 10 years. However, that mandate is substantially weakened by a proposed exception to the time frame for cities with the most lead service lines – including a number of cities in the Great Lakes region. Under the proposed rule, these cities could get decades more to remove lead service lines, including over 40 years for Chicago. It’s unacceptable that EPA would allow this pollution to persist for so long in some of the most impacted communities in our region.

In addition to calling for removal of lead service lines, advocates have called on U.S. EPA to strengthen requirements around water sampling for lead and copper, including the levels that trigger a response by a water system (known as the “action levels”) and what actions water systems must take when sampling exceeds the action levels. Advocates also have demanded enhanced public notice and engagement, to ensure that communities have a real say in how their water utilities respond to high levels of lead and copper. Along with mandating removal of lead service lines, U.S. EPA’s proposed rule strengthens the sampling requirements and action levels while enhancing public notice and participation requirements. The Alliance will be seeking additional improvements in these areas in our comments to U.S. EPA.

To help address lead in drinking water, Congress has increased the amount of federal money that is available for lead service line removal. For example, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) included $15 billion nationally for lead service line removal. EPA has been distributing this increased funding for lead service line removal to states for the last two years through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, with three more years of funding distributions left. That said, the need for additional action on funding for lead service line removal is significant – based on current lead line inventories, estimates for full removal range from $45-60 billion nationally.

U.S. EPA is accepting comments on the proposal through February 5, 2024, and is holding a virtual public hearing on the proposal on January 16, 2024 (to register, click here). The Alliance and our coalition partners will submit comments supporting, and requests for strengthening, the proposed rule. We hope U.S. EPA will move expeditiously to consider comments and adopt the strongest final rule possible, and we look forward to working closely with communities and water systems to ensure robust and speedy compliance.

More about Drinking Water

Read more about protecting drinking water in Great Lakes communities.

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https://greatlakes.org/2023/12/proposed-epa-rule/

Great Lakes Compact Celebrates 15th Anniversary

On: December 8, 2023

In: Great Lakes Compact

Joint statement from the Alliance for the Great Lakes and the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center

Ann Arbor, MI (October 8, 2023) – Fifteen years after federal approval of an historic Compact to protect Great Lakes water from diversion and unwise use, conservation groups are celebrating the revolutionary water management regime that secures the Great Lakes for future generations.

“For the past fifteen years, the Great Lakes Compact has served as a beacon to the world of how to manage freshwater resources.” said Marc Smith, policy director for the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center. “While we continue to face the unpredictable impacts of climate change, the Compact protects the Great Lakes from increasing demands from a thirsty world, and does this in a way that sustains Great Lakes water use that protects our economy and way of life.”

“The Compact is an enduring example of what our region can accomplish when we work together to protect the Great Lakes,” said Molly Flanagan, Vice President for Programs for the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “The Compact is working to protect the lakes from diversion threats from other parts of the country and the world. We must remain vigilant to ensure that the Great Lakes states are each doing their part to uphold the Compact and protect the lakes at home.”

This month marks the fifteenth anniversary of former President Bush signing into law the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. The eight-state water management pact—known as the Compact—protects the nation’s largest surface fresh water resource from depletion and diversions. A companion agreement, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement, was signed in December 2005 by the Governors of the Great Lakes states and Premiers of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

Together, the Compact and Agreement required the eight Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and the two Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec to develop water conservation and efficiency goals and programs for all users, created and implemented comprehensive water management programs and established baselines for water use.

Since enacted in 2008, the Great Lakes Compact has faced challenges to its strength and effectiveness. In 2016, the eight Great Lakes states voted to approve Waukesha, Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan diversion request. After a rigorous process that involved multiple revisions, multiple changes and robust public participation, the Compact Council made several changes and approved Waukesha’s proposal with conditions. Ultimately, the Great Lakes Governors showed that the Great Lakes Compact works and ensured that the first diversion proposal met the high standards of the Compact.

The Great Lakes contain more than 90 percent of the fresh surface water in the United States, and 20 percent of the world’s supply. Seemingly abundant, less than 1 percent of the Great Lakes water is renewed each year. This leaves the health of the lakes vulnerable to diversion and unwise use.

The National Wildlife Federation and the Alliance for the Great Lakes and many other regional and state conservation organizations played major roles for over five years of negotiations, three years of making its way through each of the Great Lakes states and provinces, and final passage in Congress. This process enjoyed an unprecedented level of cooperation among state and provincial leaders in developing the Compact and Agreement and working with numerous and diverse stakeholders to finally enact this Agreement.

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Media contact: Don Carr, Alliance for the Great Lakes, dcarr@greatlakes.org

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https://greatlakes.org/2023/12/great-lakes-compact-celebrates-15th-anniversary/

Alliance Earns Three Top Charity Ratings

On: November 2, 2023

In: Uncategorized

The Alliance for the Great Lakes is proud to announce that we’ve been awarded top charitable ratings from Charity Navigator, Guidestar, and GreatNonprofits. The ratings recognize our organization’s financial health, accountability, and transparency, as well as feedback from volunteers and donors.

Charity Navigator four-star rating badge.

Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, awarded the Alliance for the Great Lakes a top Four-Star Rating. This rating designates the Alliance as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that our organization is using donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s criteria. Nonprofits can earn Charity Navigator scores for Impact & Results, Accountability & Finance, Culture & Community, and Leadership & Adaptability.

Guidestar's Candid Platinum Transparency 2023 seal.

Guidestar, the worlds’ largest source of nonprofit information, awarded the Alliance for the Great Lakes its Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition. The award recognizes organizations with a high level of fiscal and programmatic accountability and transparency.

GreatNonprofits 2023 Top-Rated Nonprofit badge.

GreatNonprofits, the leading website for community recommendations of charities and nonprofits, named Alliance for the Great Lakes a 2023 Top-Rated Nonprofit. The Top-Rated Nonprofit Award is based on the rating and number of reviews that the Alliance received from volunteers and donors.

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https://greatlakes.org/2023/11/alliance-earns-three-top-charity-ratings/

Waukesha’s Diversion of Lake Michigan Water Highlights the Importance of the Great Lakes Compact

On: October 9, 2023

In: Great Lakes Compact

Chicago, IL (October 9, 2023) – The City of Waukesha, Wisconsin began supplying Lake Michigan water to its residents today. This is the first diversion of Great Lakes water to a community outside the Great Lakes Basin approved under the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Resources Compact.

In response, Alliance for the Great Lakes COO and Vice President for Programs Molly Flanagan issued the following statement:

“Today marks the official start of Waukesha, Wisconsin’s water diversion from Lake Michigan, the first approved by the eight Great Lakes states under the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. Due to radium contamination in their local water supply, Waukesha applied for and was granted a diversion of water from Lake Michigan in 2016.

“In response to criticism from the Alliance for the Great Lakes and advocates across the region, the Compact Council required Waukesha to decrease the amount of its diversion, shrink the service area that would receive Lake Michigan water, and return all diverted water back to Lake Michigan via the Root River. This results in no net loss of water from the lakes, which is required by the Great Lakes Compact.

“Since Waukesha’s initial diversion approval seven years ago, the Alliance for the Great Lakes has been encouraged by the steps all eight Great Lakes states and the premierships of Ontario and Quebec have taken to ensure Waukesha complies with policies meant to protect the Great Lakes that are outlined in this agreement.

“The Great Lakes Compact is a testament to what the region can achieve when it works together. The Great Lakes represent a one-time gift from the glaciers thousands of years ago – less than 1 percent of the waters in the Great Lakes are renewed annually through rainfall and snowmelt. Therefore, the lakes are vulnerable to misuse, and we should never take our water for granted. This water is critical to our lives and livelihoods in our region. The Compact protects the Great Lakes from being depleted to address water issues in other parts of the country and the world.

“The Alliance will be watching closely and expects the Compact Council, Regional Body, and their members to ensure that Waukesha meets all the requirements of its diversion approval. The Great Lakes Compact turns 15 this year, and it is working. These safeguards are critical to preserving the Great Lakes so that they remain vibrant and continue to be shared economic, ecological, and cultural assets for the region.”

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Media contact: Please connect with our media team at TeamGreatLakes@mrss.com.

More about the Great Lakes Compact

Read more about the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Resources Compact.

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Complicated Crops: Agriculture is a major economic engine in the Great Lakes, and poses the greatest threat to their waters

On: October 4, 2023

In: invasive carp, invasive species, Invasive species in ballast water

For our Diving Deep for Solutions series, we commissioned author and journalist Kari Lydersen to examine big issues facing the lakes today and how our expert team at the Alliance for the Great Lakes is growing to meet the moment.

In 2014, harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie contaminated Toledo’s water system, leaving residents without clean drinking water and leaders scrambling to deal with the public health emergency. It was a symbol of the greatest water pollution threat facing big swathes of the Great Lakes region, even after hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on mitigation efforts sparked by the Lake Erie crisis.

A hand covered with algae from the 2014 western Lake Erie algal bloom.

Agriculture is one of the major industries and employers in the Great Lakes basin, producing more than $15 billion in livestock and crops per year. But with current farming methods, the ecosystem can’t handle the massive amounts of runoff from fertilizer – manure and chemical – which pollutes waterways with phosphorus and nitrogen that feed algae blooms. These algal blooms can become toxic – which we have observed in Lake Erie – and can also create “dead zones” by robbing water of oxygen when algae decays.

The problem will only get worse with climate change, which is expected to cause more severe rains and warmer temperatures, meaning more runoff and conditions even more conducive to algal blooms. Meanwhile climate change is also expected to increase the intensity of agriculture in the region, as the growing season gets longer and new crops can be grown further north than before. Pesticide and herbicide use is also expected to increase due to shifting pest pressures linked to climate change. Increased usage of these products may lead to additional surface and groundwater pollution.

Hence, there is no time to waste in addressing the crisis of agricultural pollution in the Great Lakes. The Alliance for the Great Lakes has long been a leader on this issue, including in pushing for the agreement between Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, Canada to reduce phosphorus runoff into Lake Erie by 40% by 2025.

Voluntary measures fail to create significant progress; more aggressive and holistic approach is needed for Lake Erie

It is clear that ambitious target won’t be met, and the Alliance and others are demanding more aggressive policy and a more holistic approach to the crisis.

Tom Zimnicki, Alliance Agriculture and Restoration Policy Director, noted that the agencies involved in the Lake Erie agreement “would be hard-pressed to identify any kind of quantifiable reductions that have been made from agricultural sources” in phosphorus pollution, despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent, mostly to pay farmers to voluntarily implement practices meant to curb runoff, like foregoing tilling, planting grass near waterways, and planting cover crops.

“We haven’t really seen voluntary programs work anywhere,” said Sara Walling, Clean Wisconsin’s Water and Agriculture Program Director, formerly the Alliance’s Senior Policy Manager for Agriculture and Restoration. “That’s not specific to the Great Lakes, it’s a fallacy everywhere. We’re just throwing money at the problem without accountability to make sure practices are implemented correctly, that they actually function as intended to, and are maintained over time.”

The failure to make significant progress through voluntary measures and incentives underscores the need for federal action on agricultural pollution. This includes regulating farm runoff as a point source of pollution – in the same way releases from factories or power plants are regulated.

“Every other industry has standards around pollution prevention and risk mitigation for impacts to human health,” said Zimnicki. “Agriculture shouldn’t be any different. There are nuances to agriculture that make it more complicated than just saying, ‘Here is this manufacturing facility, let’s control what is coming out of that pipe.’ But there are things we can be looking at.”

In 2019, Ohio adopted a program known as “H2Ohio” to reduce nutrient pollution and address other water quality issues. Alliance Vice President of Policy and Strategic Engagement Crystal Davis was part of the technical assistance program for the effort. Davis – who is based in Cleveland – noted that there are multiple measures that could be adopted to quantify phosphorus in waterways, rather than just hoping best practices will reduce pollution.

“There’s edge-of-field monitoring, smart buoys in the water that can tell you how much pollution is in our waterways, we have a myriad of options,” she said.

Following a federal lawsuit, Ohio was required to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for phosphorus – or “a pollution diet” as Zimnicki put it – for the Maumee River, a major tributary of Lake Erie. In September, U.S. EPA approved Ohio’s TMDL, however the plan lacks important conditions needed to improve water quality goals.

Environmental injustice: Downstream water users pay the price for pollution generated upstream

Not only does agricultural pollution pose a major economic and ecological threat to the region, it also can lead to environmental injustices. In the case of the Western Basin of Lake Erie, downstream ratepayers in Toledo bear the brunt of the health and financial impacts of agricultural pollution despite most of that pollution being generated upstream. The financial impacts of pollution exacerbate an ongoing water affordability crisis for lower-income residents of the City.

As the Alliance documented in Ohio, low-income customers struggle to pay a disproportionate amount of their income for water, and are especially burdened when pollution necessitates more infrastructure investments – that are billed to customers, or when they need to buy bottled water because the tap water isn’t safe.

“We don’t have adequate representation from impacted and downstream communities,” noted Davis. “Equitable stakeholder engagement is paramount to the development of a strong plan that holds polluters accountable while making significant progress on phosphorus reduction goals,” Davis said.

A recent study by the Alliance for the Great Lakes and Ohio Environmental Council found that to achieve Lake Erie water quality targets, Michigan would need to increase funding by $40 to $65 million a year and Ohio by $170 to $250 million per year, on top of current spending. Such funding should also be secured long-term, rather than subject to approval in every budget cycle, the report emphasized.

Federal laws offer opportunities to regulate runoff

The Farm Bill and federal pollution laws like the Clean Water Act offer opportunities to regulate agricultural runoff. Some farmers are encouraged to use riskier and more polluting practices since crop insurance covers their losses. Mandates and incentives for runoff reduction could be built into crop insurance, Alliance experts note. Walling said that’s especially appropriate since the government pays for federal crop insurance costs.

Farm field next to Maumee River, photo by Lloyd DeGrane

“We as the public should be expecting more payback, if you will,” she said. “Not in actual dollars but in more environmental responsibility from the recipients. That’s not happening now.”

The federal government has the biggest role to play in restructuring things like crop insurance, farm subsidies and pollution-related mandates. Especially given the political and economic significance of farming in the Great Lakes states, the states “do need the federal government to come in with a heavier hand and give them a ‘thou shall’ rather than a ‘please,’” said Zimnicki.

The Alliance emphasizes that it is in farmers’ best interest to curb agricultural pollution and protect the Great Lakes, as well as their own bottom lines. And along with mandates, government support is crucial.

“Most farmers do want to leave the land in better shape than the day they took it over,” said Walling. “But there isn’t as much technical support available to help them. Even if something like planting cover crops is shown to benefit their long-term profitability, there’s a cost to making that change: buying that cover crop seed, planting it, changes in their yields as they work out the kinks. Their profit margins are so small, they can’t internalize those costs.”

Farmers and community leaders push change for Green Bay

Green Bay in Wisconsin has also faced severe nutrient pollution from farming and algal blooms that harm the tourism and sport-fishing that is so popular in the region, including Wisconsin’s beloved Door County.

Cows grazing in a field. Photo credit Lloyd Degrade.

“The entire economy is built around tourism, and access to the lake is the central piece,” said Walling. “Not having solid water quality is going to continue to affect the economic engine.”

In the Fox River basin that feeds Green Bay, many farmers and community leaders have joined the effort to reduce runoff through voluntary measures and educating their peers. Farmers using sustainable practices invite colleagues to tour their farms and learn.

“We’ve seen a lot of good buy-in,” said Walling. “They’re going above and beyond in their conservation, and also being that mouthpiece, inviting other agricultural producers onto their farms, to share information to try to generate more comfort across the agricultural community.”

How to make our region a leader in agricultural practices that protect clean water

Ultimately, farming in the Great Lakes isn’t going anywhere, so the way we farm has to change for the lakes and people to stay healthy. This issue won’t be solved by cracking down on a few bad actors, but by making the Great Lakes a leader in agriculture that actually protects clean water.

As Walling, Zimnicki and other Alliance leaders noted, concrete steps to achieving this goal include:

Requiring that funding for agricultural best-management practices to reduce phosphorus is tied to reducing phosphorus entering waterways. This means farmers aren’t just paid to adopt certain practices, but instead paid for actually reducing phosphorus runoff.
Instituting a robust network for water quality monitoring in Lake Erie’s Western Basin.
Utilizing the Farm Bill to fully fund conservation programs and provide technical assistance for farmers.
Securing stable streams of state funding for conservation and enforcement and ensuring state-level permits, particularly those for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), provide more rigorous standards for waste management – especially in already impaired watersheds.

These actions and more will be the focus of the Alliance’s federal and state advocacy agendas to reduce agricultural pollution over the next five years.

“The private agriculture sector needs to step up and demonstrate that it is able to operate without polluting our drinking water, just as other industries are required to do,” said Brammeier. “

“Ultimately, companies in the agricultural supply and distribution chain need to acknowledge that clean water is a critical measure of whether they are operating sustainably. The health of the Great Lakes can’t be an afterthought.”

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The post Complicated Crops: Agriculture is a major economic engine in the Great Lakes, and poses the greatest threat to their waters appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

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Plan to Improve Lake Erie Water Quality Lacks Elements Critical for Success

On: September 28, 2023

In: Lake Erie algal bloom

Chicago, IL (September 28, 2023) – Earlier today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S EPA) approved the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed total maximum daily load (TMDL) for the Maumee River – the main tributary feeding the Western Basin of Lake Erie.

The Ohio EPA’s proposed TMDL was developed in response to chronic algal blooms that occur due to excessive nutrient pollution from surrounding land use. Agriculture is a major uncontrolled contributor to these blooms. A TMDL lays out a “pollution diet” necessary to meet water quality targets. The Ohio EPA was required to develop the TMDL per a recent consent decree.

In response, Tom Zimnicki, the Alliance’s Agriculture & Restoration Policy Director, issued the following statement:

“The Western Basin of Lake Erie is a vital resource to the region. Despite millions of dollars of investment over decades, it remains plagued by chronic harmful algal blooms. A TMDL is an important tool in combating these blooms and the nutrients that feed them. However, in its decision, U.S. EPA has doubled down on the same tired, status quo approach that led Ohio to need a TMDL in the first place.

“As it stands, the approved TMDL does not address crucial elements needed to improve Lake Erie water quality. We remain committed to protecting and restoring Lake Erie for those who depend on it, and we will continue to advocate for stronger standards and programs in Ohio to address nutrient pollution.”

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Media contact: Please connect with our media team at TeamGreatLakes@mrss.com.

More about Lake Erie’s Algal Blooms

Read background and recent updates about Lake Erie’s algal blooms.

The post Plan to Improve Lake Erie Water Quality Lacks Elements Critical for Success appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/09/plan-to-improve-lake-erie-water-quality-lacks-elements-critical-for-success/

DC Update: Are Great Lakes Priorities Advancing in an Era of Divided Government?

On: August 23, 2023

In: Agricultural runoff, Lake Erie algal bloom

Don Jodrey, Director of Federal Government Relations

Note: This blog is part of a periodic series of updates from Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director of Federal Government Relations, with his view on Great Lakes policy from Washington, DC.

At the beginning of the year, we announced an ambitious Great Lakes federal policy agenda. We also noted that it was the start of a new Congress and an era of divided government. We predicted that there were likely to be major policy disagreements between the Republican House, the Democratic Senate, and the Biden administration that might result in a stalemate or lack of progress on some issues.

We’re now past the halfway mark of the year, and Congress is on its August recess. So we’re asking: Are Great Lakes priorities making progress? And what else can we do to advocate for the Great Lakes?

Budget battles: Funding holds for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, but disagreements threaten water infrastructure & environmental justice

After several months of protracted negotiations to deal with the debt ceiling, which resulted in legislation to keep nondefense spending flat in FY 2024 and provide a small 1% increase in FY 2025, both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have marked up the bills that contain funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The House committee provided $368 million, which is the same as last year’s enacted level, while the Senate committee provided a $5 million increase for a total of $373 million. These funding levels are well short of the program’s authorized level of $425 million. However, given the major funding reductions proposed by the House elsewhere in the bill and in the debt ceiling agreement, holding the GLRI program at the same level as last year demonstrates the strong bipartisan support for this program throughout the Great Lakes delegation.

Unfortunately, water infrastructure programs did not fare well in the House bill markup. The House Appropriations Committee proposed steep cuts – more than $1.7 billion – to water infrastructure funding that supports state clean water and drinking water programs. House Republicans rationalized these reductions by noting that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 provided major increases for water infrastructure for the next several years. However, the House’s proposed reduction is alarming. These cuts are not consistent with the debt ceiling agreement both parties agreed to earlier this year and backtrack on much-needed federal support for essential drinking water, sewer, and stormwater projects.

The House also proposes eliminating environmental justice funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and rescinding more than $1.4 billion in funding for environmental and climate justice programs provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.

In contrast, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposes to maintain water infrastructure and environmental justice funding consistent with last year’s level and with the Inflation Reduction Act.

Given these major policy disagreements over federal funding, it is highly unlikely that the House and Senate will be able to come to agreement on the individual spending bills this year. The potential for a government shutdown is high and a continuing resolution is a certainty. The debt ceiling deal requires Congress to pass all 12 annual spending bills by January 1, and if they are not passed or a short-term funding extension is in place, then an automatic funding reduction of 1% will occur.

Plastics legislation is introduced in the Senate

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has held several hearings on the topic of plastic pollution this year. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) has introduced “The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act” to begin the effort to address the problems posed by plastic pellets in our waters, including the Great Lakes. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency, using its Clean Water Act regulatory authorities, to prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastics into waterways from facilities and sources that make, use, package, or transport plastic pellets. Plastic pellets, like other microplastics, pose a danger to human health, as well as to fish, wildlife, and ecosystems. It is estimated that more than 250,000 tons of plastic pellets are in our waterways, and more than 42 of 66 beaches in the Great Lakes have been found to have serious pollution issues associated with plastic pellets. Although a companion House bill has not yet been introduced and other plastic pollution reduction measures are likely to be introduced in the Senate in the coming months, this is likely to be an area that Congress will debate for some time.

On the Administrative side, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released for public comment its draft national strategy to address plastic pollution. We at the Alliance, along with some of our partners, strongly advocated that EPA utilize its existing authorities under the Clean Water Act to regulate and reduce microplastic pollution in our water.

Stay tuned for the Farm Bill

Both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have held hearings and significant outreach on the 2023 Farm Bill and have introduced “marker bills” (bills that will not be passed but that are placeholders) for this must-pass piece of legislation. It is likely that legislative text will emerge in September. But the disagreements in funding between the House and the Senate for some Farm Bill programs indicate that this traditionally bipartisan piece of legislation may face some tough challenges this year. We have encouraged Great Lakes members to support increased funding for conservation programs, as well as provisions to ensure accountability for conservation programs that address agricultural runoff pollution.

Engineering and design continues for invasive carp protections

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is continuing its pre-construction, engineering, and design work for invasive carp protections at Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois. This important project is intended to stop the spread of invasive carp into the Great Lakes. The project received much-needed funding boosts from the States of Illinois and Michigan, which included funds in their state budgets to cover the state share of the construction costs for the project. The next step is for the State of Illinois and the Corps to sign a project partnership agreement so that the first phase of construction may commence in mid-2024.

Looking ahead, your voice matters

The legislative process will continue for the rest of the year – and, as noted earlier, there are major disagreements between the House and Senate over funding. Your voice can make a difference. Contact Congress about the issues that are of concern to you, particularly in areas where major reductions to clean and safe drinking water programs are proposed, or if federal legislation would be helpful to address a particular need like reducing plastic pollution or addressing harmful nutrient runoff. Let your members of Congress know how important clean and healthy Great Lakes are to you.

Protect the Great Lakes & Our Communities

The post DC Update: Are Great Lakes Priorities Advancing in an Era of Divided Government? appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/08/dc-update-are-great-lakes-priorities-advancing-in-an-era-of-divided-government/

An Ounce of Prevention: Keeping New Invasive Species Out of the Great Lakes

On: August 16, 2023

In: invasive carp, invasive species, Invasive species in ballast water

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” notes Alliance for the Great Lakes Vice President for Policy Molly Flanagan.

The old adage is often cited in regards to invasive species, and a good example is the $1 billion-plus of federal and state dollars proposed to keep invasive carp from advancing into Lake Michigan – “even if it costs a lot,” Flanagan continued.

“You’re talking about fishing industries worth $7 billion a year, recreational boating worth $16 billion a year, and you’re protecting a lot of different economies that equal much more than that,” Flanagan continued.

Years of advocacy advance efforts to block invasive carp

Thanks to years of advocacy by the Alliance and our partners, the federal government has upped the portion it is willing to pay for constructing barriers to block the voracious invasive carp, at Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River southwest of Chicago.

Design of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project as of May 31, 2023. Credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Last year through the Water Resources Development Act, the federal government agreed to pick up 90% of a tab estimated at $1.5 billion, if states will pay the rest. Previously, the federal government had planned to pay 65%.

The new plan means Great Lakes states must pay about $115 million total. This year Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposed $64 million in the state budget, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker proposed $50 million. Both budgets passed state legislatures.

To move the deal forward, the state of Illinois still needs to sign an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“We’ve been putting forth a simple message: Illinois needs to sign the agreement,” said Flanagan. “Any delay risks delaying the project. We can’t afford that because we’re in a race against the clock to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.”

Advocates race against the clock to defend fishing , recreational boating

Invasive carp jump into the air. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey.

The planned barrier includes a bubble curtain, electric barrier, acoustic deterrents and a flushing lock. Pre-construction work is underway thanks to close to $10 million already committed by Illinois and Michigan.

“It’s a really positive development in terms of Michigan and Illinois working together,” Flanagan said. “All the states are coming to the table to talk about the carp issue and try to problem-solve. They haven’t all committed money, but it’s another good example of how our region collaborates.”

Ironically, the crystal-clear water that many appreciate in Lake Michigan is the result of previous invaders that colonized the lakes – zebra mussels and quagga mussels.

“They’re filtering out the bottom of the food web, with dramatic impacts,” said Flanagan. “The water is so clear but that’s not necessarily a good thing – there’s [almost] nothing left in the water for other fish to eat. If invasive carp get in, they’ll also feed on the base of the food web.” That would be especially damaging to plankton-rich places like western Lake Erie and Green Bay.

And that’s not to mention another likely impact of one of several threatening species of invasive carp – the “flying” silver carp, as Flanagan said, known for jumping violently out of the water when agitated by boat engines.

This behavior makes infested rivers too risky for boaters. “That would hammer the recreational economy in the region. Who wants to boat on the Chicago or Kalamazoo River if carps are flying at you?”

Ballast water regulations are crucial for both “lakers” and ocean ships

An ocean ship enters the Great Lakes from the St. Lawrence Seaway.

While invasive carp are advancing from the Mississippi River, where they’ve devastated the ecosystem and recreation, more invasives have historically come via ships plying the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Ocean ships take in ballast in freshwater and brackish ports around the globe, including live organisms, and empty it when they’ve reached destinations and need to take on cargo in the Great Lakes. For years advocates from around the country, including the Alliance, have demanded stricter regulations on ballast water. While ocean ships now have to install treatment technology, unfortunately, EPA’s latest draft rules missed the mark.

“Ship-borne invasive species cost the Great Lakes Region alone at least $200 million dollars every year,” says a 2020 comment on the proposed EPA rules by the Alliance and other organizations. “This is a dire problem that must be solved.”

But “lakers” – ships that stay within the Great Lakes – are exempt from the draft rules, even though they also transport ballast and organisms in it between the lakes as they carry ore, salt and other commodities. Hence the EPA should include lakers in its ballast water rule just as Canada has, and finalize the rule, the Alliance says.

“We need to keep pressure on the EPA to regulate lakers,” Flanagan said. “This is critical to protecting the Great Lakes from invasive species.”

Meanwhile the rules are not as strict as advocates have demanded, since they don’t require best available treatment technology for ballast, like advanced ultraviolet radiation systems, and they don’t prohibit ships taking on ballast in areas that are polluted by algae or sewage.

Winning new protections while acknowledging a legacy of damage

Alliance President & CEO Joel Brammeier called the battle against invasives a “mature” struggle – one where the Alliance and other advocates are winning substantial new protections but where the Great Lakes have suffered permanent damage that can never be reversed.

Few invasive species have been introduced in recent years, thanks to prevention protocols and spending urged by the Alliance and other players. But continued vigilance is needed to deal with the nearly 200 harmful invasive species already in the Great Lakes, and the threat of new ones like invasive carp.

“We need to continually invest in prevention and control and never let that slide,” Brammeier said. “Our lakes have suffered enough, and I believe people across the region understand the importance of not going backward.”

Meanwhile the debate on ballast speaks to larger changes in economic priorities for the Great Lakes. Great Lakes shipping is still a booming industry credited for generating $35 billion in economic activity a year, while Great Lakes residents, cities and states are increasingly prioritizing the recreational and ecological value of the lakes.

“Our region missed the boat by letting invasive species in the lakes in the first place. That’s a tough lesson,” Brammeier said. “But it compels us to ask tough questions about every industry that wants to use the lakes. And everyone is going to have to demonstrate it can do so sustainably, because Great Lakers understand the risks better than most.”

Give a Gift – Protect the Great Lakes

Your gift will protect our region’s most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes.

The post An Ounce of Prevention: Keeping New Invasive Species Out of the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/08/an-ounce-of-prevention-keeping-new-invasive-species-out-of-the-great-lakes/

Michigan & Illinois Funding Is Welcome Step toward Construction of Invasive Carp Barrier

On: June 30, 2023

In: invasive carp

Chicago, IL (June 30, 2023) – This week the Michigan legislature approved $64 million in the appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024 to help fund construction of the Brandon Road project designed to keep invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes. When combined with the $50 million approved by Illinois, these funds cover the $114 million required for the local cost share. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also has $226 million available, which is enough federal funding to complete preconstruction, engineering and design and pay the federal share for the first year of construction. However, the state of Illinois still needs to sign a Project Partnership Agreement with the Corps to unlock these federal funds and keep the project moving.

Established populations of invasive carp are only 50 miles from Chicago and Lake Michigan, and earlier this month a bighead carp weighing 109 pounds was caught during the Upper Illinois Waterway’s Invasive Carp control program near Morris, Ill. That was after a 90-pound fish was caught just a day before.

The Alliance for the Great Lakes COO and Vice President for Programs Molly Flanagan said:

“Invasive carp pose a serious threat to the ecological health of the Great Lakes and the people and economies these waters support, including the region’s $7 billion fishing and $16 billion recreational boating industries.

We are pleased that Michigan and Illinois have joined together to fund the local share of the Brandon Road project designed to keep Invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes. All the local funding is now in place to pay for the construction of the project. We urge the state of Illinois to sign the Project Partnership Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as soon as possible so that this critical work can continue uninterrupted.”

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Media contact: Please connect with our media team at TeamGreatLakes@mrss.com.

More About Invasive Carp

Check out our recent updates on the fight against invasive carp.

The post Michigan & Illinois Funding Is Welcome Step toward Construction of Invasive Carp Barrier appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/michigan-illinois-funding-is-welcome-step-toward-construction-of-invasive-carp-barrier/

Region not on track to meet phosphorus reductions needed to limit western Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms

On: June 29, 2023

In: Lake Erie algal bloom

Chicago, IL (June 29, 2023) – Earlier today, NOAA and its research partners released the annual western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom forecast. In response, Alliance for the Great Lakes Agriculture and Restoration Policy Director Tom Zimnicki made the following statement:

“Regardless of this particular forecast’s results, it is abundantly clear that the region will not meet the 2025 phosphorus reduction targets the Ohio and Michigan state governments set for the Western Basin of Lake Erie. Our lack of overall progress, particularly on reigning in agricultural nutrient losses, means the basin will continue to experience algal blooms, tourism will suffer, and municipal ratepayers will continue to foot the bill for any meaningful phosphorus reductions entering the basin. Despite hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, both Michigan and Ohio — the states with the lion’s share of the basin’s drainage area — remain woefully behind in regard to the necessary financial investment and acres of conservation practices in the watershed. It is imperative that the states outline a new, more rigorous strategy to address nutrient loading in the basin that goes beyond the status quo approach.”

More About Lake Erie

Check out our latest reports, stories and podcasts about Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms.

The post Region not on track to meet phosphorus reductions needed to limit western Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/region-not-on-track-to-meet-phosphorus-reductions-needed-to-limit-western-lake-eries-harmful-algal-blooms/

Models of Shared Service Arrangements in Stormwater Governance

On: June 27, 2023

In: Green stormwater infrastructure

Cities across the country are investing in their stormwater infrastructure with hopes of achieving triple bottom line benefits – for people, the environment, and economic return. In the face of a changing climate that brings more extreme wet weather, a combination of gray infrastructure (pipes and tunnels) and green stormwater infrastructure (plants and soil) is a recipe for resilience that many cities are trying to perfect.

But responsibility for green stormwater infrastructure is rarely the primary mandate of any one department or agency. Instead, multiple agencies manage green infrastructure – from transportation to parks, stormwater to planning. And when agencies don’t collaborate, inefficiencies, inequities, and working at cross purposes often result.

Shared service arrangements can help. These legal agreements help agencies save money, pool resources, and collaborate to solve systemic water problems while still achieving their individual mandates.

Models of Shared Service Arrangements in Stormwater Governance takes a high-level look at 7 types of agreements, from simple informal agreements to Joint Benefits Authority. Each type of agreement is described with an easy-to-read overview of how it operates, when it’s suitable, advantages & disadvantages, and an example.

Read more to learn what type of agreement could be the best fit for your agency and its partners.

The post Models of Shared Service Arrangements in Stormwater Governance appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/models-of-shared-service-arrangements-in-stormwater-governance/

Find a Cleanup Near You Host Your Own Cleanup

Adopt-a-Beach Launches 20th Year of Data Collection

On: June 26, 2023

In: Adopt-a-Beach

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers launched the 2023 Adopt-a-Beach season with hundreds of cleanups on Great Lakes beaches, harbors, bluffs, and trails. By June 26, volunteers had removed more than 191,000 pieces of litter from shorelines around the region.

“It’s so much fun to see the sense of community our volunteers create,” said Olivia Reda, the Alliance’s Volunteer Engagement Manager. “Everyone is working together to clean up their shoreline. Scouting groups, businesses, families, yacht clubs – it’s exciting to see so many different types of people get involved.”

And Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are working with a community that’s larger than their local cleanup, said Reda. “They’re working with volunteers all over the Great Lakes to collect important data about plastic pollution.”

20 years of Great Lakes litter data

This year marks 20 years of data collection by Adopt-a- Beach volunteers. While scientists have been studying plastic pollution in the ocean for decades, there is much less research about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Adopt-a-Beach data collection is one way our Great Lakes community is beginning to fill that gap.

Volunteers use a datasheet at every cleanup to tally each item they pick up. The event’s team leader tallies up all the data collected at the event and enters it into our online system.

“It might feel a little silly to count up every cigarette butt, bottle cap, or piece of tiny trash when you’re on the beach,” Reda said. “But the data from each cleanup tells a story. And when you put everyone’s data together in one place, the power of all that information is amazing!”

A hand recording litter counts on a form.

Spring data stories: Green Bay, Cleveland, Chicago

One of this spring’s data stories comes from Green Bay, Wisconsin. A group of Adopt-a-Beach volunteers led by Green Bay Sail & Paddle removed 677 pounds of trash from the South Bay Marina in just a few hours.

“It’s a bit unusual to collect so many pounds of trash at one cleanup,” said Reda, “but spring is a time when the heavy stuff shows up in the data, the stuff that washed ashore over the winter.” The litter this team collected included plastic, broken glass, rusted metal, and wooden planks. “This group really made their shoreline safer!”

Another spring data story comes from Cleveland, Ohio, where Adopt-a-Beach volunteers led by Drink Local, Drink Tap set an ambitious goal: remove 1 million pieces of trash from Lake Erie shorelines. The organization has already collected more than 500,000 pieces of litter from cleanups dating back to 2010. The vast majority of those items are plastic.

“Drink Local, Drink Tap is an amazing organization,” said Reda. “Their dedication to their community and Edgewater Beach is so inspiring! And the fact that they see so much plastic reflects the trend we see around the region. Roughly 85% of the litter found at Adopt-a-Beach cleanups is entirely or partially made of plastic.”

Because so much of the litter they collect is made from plastic, some Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are taking their cleanup efforts back to the source. In Chicago, Illinois, Organizing for Plastic Alternatives is working to reduce plastic use as the best way to keep plastic out the Great Lakes.

“Researchers say that more than 22 million pounds of plastic pollution end up in the Great Lakes each year. And the best way to keep plastic out of the lakes is to reduce how much plastic we use in the first place,” Reda said. “It’s so great that Adopt-a-Beach Team Leader and Alliance Ambassador Eileen Ryan – and the Organizing for Plastic Alternatives team – are raising awareness about problems associated with single-use plastic in their community!”

Join a Beach Cleanup

Adopt-a-Beach is a fun, free, easy way to give back to your community and keep plastic pollution out of our Great Lakes.

The post Adopt-a-Beach Launches 20th Year of Data Collection appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/adopt-a-beach-launches-20th-year-of-data-collection/

Find a Cleanup Near You Host Your Own Cleanup

Adopt-a-Beach Launches 20th Year of Data Collection

On: June 26, 2023

In: Adopt-a-Beach

20 years of Great Lakes litter data

Volunteers use a datasheet at every cleanup to tally each item they pick up. The event’s team leader tallies up all the data collected at the event and enters it into our online system.

Spring data stories: Green Bay, Cleveland, Chicago

Join a Beach Cleanup

Adopt-a-Beach is a fun, free, easy way to give back to your community and keep plastic pollution out of our Great Lakes.

The post Adopt-a-Beach Launches 20th Year of Data Collection appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/adopt-a-beach-launches-20th-year-of-data-collection/

Take Action Locally to Reduce Plastic Pollution

On: June 26, 2023

Plastic pollution is a serious problem for the Great Lakes and the people and wildlife who live here.

Researchers from the Rochester Institute of Technology estimate that over 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes annually. And University of Toronto researchers calculate that the amount of microplastics in the surface water of the Great Lakes is higher than plastic concentrations in the widely publicized Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Stopping the flow of all that plastic can feel overwhelming. But you can make a difference by helping your community reduce its plastic use. Now is the time to move away from single-use plastic and encourage reuse, refill, and reduction.

Start by asking questions

Your town, your park district, and your school board all have policies that affect plastic pollution. Start by learning what’s happening in your community.

Find out:

Are there water refill stations at your public parks and schools?
Does your school board have a purchasing policy that bans single-use plastic including polystyrene foam cups and food containers?
Has your local community center moved to reusable items to save money and waste on single-use plastic?
Does your city or state allow you to bring your own reusable containers to groceries and restaurants?

Make your change happen

Once you’ve learned what’s going on in your community, pick one thing you want to change – and find out who can make that change happen. For instance, if you want to see water refill stations at all your public parks and beaches, your park district board members might be the people who can make the decision and allocate money to pay for it.

After you know what you want to change and who can make it happen, it’s time to build support and contact the decision makers. Here are some tools to help:

Build support:

Communicate with decision makers:

Stopping plastic pollution is a huge task. But when you change a policy locally, you’re doing more than helping your community reduce one type of plastic. You’re creating momentum for the next change and the next – in your community, in your state, and nationally – bringing all of us closer to systemic reductions in single-use plastic production and pollution.

Let us know how it’s going! Contact us at alliance@greatlakes.org.

Visit Our Action Center

Your voice, when combined with thousands of people around the lakes, can make a difference! Tell decision makers it’s time to stop single-use plastic production and pollution.

The post Take Action Locally to Reduce Plastic Pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/take-action-locally-to-reduce-plastic-pollution/

Environmental Advocates Applaud Illinois General Assembly’s Efforts to Reduce Plastic Pollution

On: June 5, 2023

Chicago, IL (June 5, 2023) – With eyes on Paris for the recently completed crucial second round of global plastics treaty negotiations, groups in Illinois and across the Great Lakes are excited to celebrate the work that has been done closer to home to reduce the production of single-use plastic. This year, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Ocean Conservancy and Illinois Environmental Council secured significant wins at the statehouse in Springfield that will advance the effort to reduce plastics while increasing access to water and promoting reuse.

The Illinois General Assembly wrapped up the 2023 session in late May by passing several bills addressing plastic production and reduction; improving reuse systems; and providing better data to assist future policymaking:

SB 58 bans the state from purchasing polystyrene foam foodware. Styrene, a building block of polystyrene, is likely a human carcinogen, creating health risks in production, use and disposal. Additionally, polystyrene is not recyclable, increasing the challenges of an overburdened waste system by plastic pollution. The bill also requires all state agencies to develop plans to reduce purchasing of single-use plastic.
SB 1715 will increase the number of bottle-filling water fountains across the state, providing no-cost water for many more people and decreasing reliance on single-use water bottles that contribute to plastic pollution.
HB 2086 will allow customers to refill their own containers with ready-made food at restaurants and retailers. Increasing reusable systems is the most effective and efficient way to reduce plastics and associated greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a safe, circular economy.
SB 1563, requires the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to report on the potential impacts of microplastics in drinking water in Illinois.
SB 1555 requires the Illinois EPA to create a statewide needs assessment for packaging and paper products. This is a critical step towards establishing comprehensive extended producer responsibility in Illinois focused on holding producers accountable and achieving source reduction.

Advocates were also able to prevent HB 1616 from advancing. This bill would have allowed for a dangerous and toxic pyrolysis plant to side-step the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s standard permitting process to be built in an already overburdened minority community near Joliet, IL.

Dr. Anja Brandon, associate director of U.S. plastics policy at Ocean Conservancy and an environmental engineer, notes, “Now is the time to pursue a single-use plastics source reduction target in the Great Lakes that’s in line with the global goal of a minimum 50% reduction by 2050. These recently passed bills will reduce literal tons of plastic pollution while also decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. We applaud the Illinois legislature for these steps forward and hope to see more headway next session to meet the urgency of this moment.”

“We are proud to link arms with our partners from across the Great Lakes and the country in order to build smart and sustainable solutions that will reduce plastic production, support regenerative solutions, advance environmental justice by reducing toxic pollution and improve our community’s health. This session in Illinois represents just the start of the work needed to be done to reduce plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. We are all ready to keep the work moving forward together,” said Andrea Densham, senior strategic adviser for the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

“This year’s plastic reduction victories represent some of the most significant environmental legislative progress we made during this session, and it’s a sign that our years of education and mobilization have built momentum for change,” said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “Make no mistake; we have plenty of work to do to realize the scale of policy progress we truly need, but it’s important to stop and celebrate significant wins, like halting HB1616, for example– an objectively good thing for the already disproportionately polluted communities in the Joliet area who would have borne the brunt of new toxic pollution emitted by the proposed chemical recycling plant.”

Global and regional efforts to reduce plastic are critical as the connections between climate and plastic production become clearer. Already, plastics are responsible for 3-4% of global greenhouse gas emissions; if they continue to grow, this will triple by 2050. In addition, the health impacts of these emissions from extraction to disposal of plastics are disproportionately borne by historically marginalized communities, making this an environmental justice issue.

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Contact:

Jack Walker, teamgreatlakes@mrss.com, 847-721-0597

Madeline Black, mblack@oceanconservancy.org, 202-280-6232

Tucker Barry, tucker@ilenviro.org, 337-280-1269

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR THE GREAT LAKES: The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the region to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes. For more information, visit www.greatlakes.org.

ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY: Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit www.oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

ABOUT THE ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL: Since 1975, the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) has worked to safeguard Illinois—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends by building power for people and the environment. Representing over 100 environmental organizations in the state, IEC carries out its mission to advance public policies that create healthy environments across Illinois through education, advocacy and movement building.

The post Environmental Advocates Applaud Illinois General Assembly’s Efforts to Reduce Plastic Pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/environmental-advocates-applaud-illinois-general-assemblys-efforts-to-reduce-plastic-pollution/

Statement on Supreme Court’s Ruling to Reduce Wetlands Protection

On: May 25, 2023

In: Uncategorized

Chicago, IL (May 25, 2023) – The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling today that rolls back existing protections for clean water in the Great Lakes states and across the country.

In reaction, Alliance for the Great Lakes President & CEO Joel Brammeier made the following statement: “Today is a difficult day for all people who depend on clean water across the Great Lakes. By choosing to eliminate science-based protections for wetlands across the region, the Supreme Court is putting all of our waters at risk. We will look forward to working with U.S. EPA and the Great Lakes states to ensure all of our waters are safe and clean for everyone who depends on them.”

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Media contact: Please connect with our media team at TeamGreatLakes@mrss.com.

The post Statement on Supreme Court’s Ruling to Reduce Wetlands Protection appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/05/statement-on-supreme-courts-ruling-to-reduce-wetlands-protection/

Alliance Ambassadors Build Great Lakes Connections

On: May 23, 2023

In: Other topics

From Manitowoc to Buffalo to a national teach-in, Alliance Ambassadors connected thousands of people to the Great Lakes in the first 5 months of 2023.

“Ambassadors are volunteers with a passion for the Great Lakes,” said Olivia Reda, the Alliance’s Volunteer Engagement Manager. “The Alliance trains them to spread awareness about the Alliance, the Great Lakes, and how their communities can get involved. Our staff can’t be everywhere at once. Ambassadors give us vital face-to-face contact in communities that want to connect with our work.”

Building Great Lakes connections

A man and woman interact with two children and their mother at a table covered with activities. — Alliance Ambassadors Brian O’Neill and Katie Luo engage children in Great Lakes activities at an Earth Day Fair at Chicago’s Dvorak Park. Photo by Lloyd DeGrane.

Ambassadors built connections in many ways this spring. They gave presentations online and in person. They staffed tables at environmental fairs and fundraising events. They talked to Adopt-a-Beach teams throughout the region.

“It’s exciting to see how many different audiences Ambassadors have worked with already this year,” said Reda. “And at so many cool events!”

Their audiences included everyone from Girl Scouts to Rotary Club members, families to retail store customers, high school students to members of a sailing club.

“Whenever they’re part of these events, Ambassadors create a sense of community and connection. With each other, with people who love the lakes – they’re part of bringing the community together.”

Some highlights:

Wild Things Conference: Sarah Murphy, Sara Singh, and Pawan Singh made it possible for the Alliance to participate in this conference for the first time, connecting the Alliance with nature enthusiasts from across Illinois and beyond.
Book Signing: Brian O’Neill and Eileen Ryan welcomed and seated guests at a book signing with Great Lakes author Dan Egan.
National Biodiversity Teach-In: Sara Singh gave an online presentation to students across the country about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes.
Zoos and a Museum: Novem Cheng, Jenna Engberts, and Devin Wilson engaged families in Great Lakes activities at the Buffalo Zoo, the Detroit Zoo, and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

“Ambassadors’ passion for the Great Lakes is contagious,” said Reda. “Every time Ambassadors go out, we get more people joining our email list, more people joining Adopt-a-Beach, more people saying they want to get involved. I’m honored to work with our Ambassadors. They inspire me every day!”

Become an Ambassador

Are you passionate about protecting the Great Lakes and the people that rely on them? If so, consider becoming a volunteer Alliance Ambassador!

The post Alliance Ambassadors Build Great Lakes Connections appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/05/alliance-ambassadors-build-great-lakes-connections/

Putting an end to plastic pollution

On: May 9, 2023

In late April, teachers and students from Tremont Montessori descended on Edgewater Beach on Chicago’s lakefront armed with colorful plastic rakes, sieves and shovels to pick up trash. It was one of many Alliance for the Great Lakes beach cleanups happening across the lakes that weekend.

Students beamed as they loaded plastic stir sticks, shredded balloons and other debris into orange buckets. One student paused to carve his name, Albert, into the sand.

Volunteers sign in for an Adopt-a-Beach cleanup.

At nearby Foster Beach in Chicago, Eileen Ryan was leading a beach cleanup with the group she helps lead, Organizing for Plastic Alternatives. The multi-generational crowd hauled in pounds of plastics – water bottles, cups and plates – mostly single-use products, confirming Ryan’s longstanding position that plastic consumption and pollution is “out of control.”

Ryan’s feelings mirror the Alliance’s position: we must switch quickly away from reliance on plastics, so that youth like the Tremont students aren’t burdened with increasing loads of toxic plastic pollution for decades to come.

Ryan – an artist – takes meditative walks along the Lake Michigan beaches, chronicling the experience in serene photos posted to social media. Now, she spends those walks picking up plastic and photographing this waste to make a point. At an advocacy-oriented “Trashion Revolution” runway show in May, she is exhibiting a dress made entirely from plastic lids collected on her walks.

“People need to see what a travesty plastic is,” Ryan said. “Our unending consumption and waste from single-use plastic will be in our bodies, our water and our food for generations!”

Plastic pollution’s harmful impacts

In all, more than half a million pounds of litter, most of it plastic, has been collected through Alliance cleanups over the past 20 years.

Not only are components of plastic toxic in their own right, the fragments also absorb and harbor potentially dangerous microbes and chemicals. In all, about 22 million pounds of plastic get into the Great Lakes each year, and the lakes provide drinking water for more than 40 million people.

The Alliance has long worked to remove plastic waste from the Great Lakes through beach cleanups, as well as pushing for laws and policies like the 2015 federal ban on plastic microbeads formerly used in facial scrubs and other toiletries.

Now, along with continuing this work, the Alliance is prioritizing fighting plastic pollution at the root – slashing the amount of plastic that is produced and used – the same model Ryan advocates.

Plastic poses a serious threat to the environment and public health when it enters the Great Lakes and other waterways, but an even greater environmental injustice is the impact of the petrochemical facilities that produce plastic on surrounding communities.

“The burden of drinking water with some microplastic is real, but the burden you’re living with [near a petrochemical plant] is orders of magnitude different,” said Andrea Densham, a sustainability expert working with the Alliance on plastics.

From Louisiana and Texas to Illinois and Michigan, petrochemical and plastics plants are predominantly located in low-income communities and communities of color. As the country slowly shifts away from fossil fuels for energy and transportation, plastic production is often described as a “lifeline” for the oil and gas industry. Plastics, along with fertilizers and various other industrial and household products, are made from petroleum-based feedstock. Plastics also typically contain toxic “forever chemicals” like PFAs, synthetic compounds found in many household goods and linked to harms including increased risk of cancer, developmental problems, and interference with hormonal processes. Scientists are especially concerned about PFAs since they are very slow to break down in the environment, and their full impacts on human health are not yet understood.

Factories manufacturing plastics emit highly toxic, cancer-causing emissions and pose serious safety risks. And nearby residents, who typically already bear disproportionate pollution burdens from other sources, often have trouble obtaining transparency and protection from the major industry players and government regulators.

Changing to sustainable alternatives

Blue bag with white text listing the names of the Great Lakes

A huge portion of the plastic products and packaging we use everyday could be replaced by other materials or simply eliminated, experts note. Bans on single-use plastics like plastic grocery bags, foam container, and straws are one solution that multiple municipalities have implemented in various forms.

Illinois legislators are considering bills that would phase out single-use polystyrene foam containers beginning in January 2024. The state House has passed the bill, and Illinois already enacted a law banning single-use plastic food products in state parks and at the state fair. Canada has banned the manufacturing and import of multiple single-use plastic products including straws, cutlery, and ring carriers; and the government has set an ambitious goal of recycling 90% of beverage containers.

Plant-based materials can be used for many of the products currently made from plastic. And extensive reuse and recycling can reduce demand for new plastic. The emphasis should be on “organic items we can compost or reuse, and glass or things that we can truly recycle, for a more circular economy,” said Densham.

It can be a win-win situation, as Great Lakes-region farmers and manufacturers can benefit by more demand for plant-based materials and reusable containers made out of glass or stainless steel.

“Just like we’ve made a commitment to move toward clean energy, we need to move toward cleaner manufacturing that uses more natural organic items like hemp and switchgrass,” said Densham. “If we incentivize manufacturers to use less and less and less PFAs and other toxic chemicals, we don’t have to clean it up on the other end,” after it has polluted the Great Lakes.

Making manufacturers responsible for waste

The Alliance is working with the Ocean Conservancy to push policies based around Extended Producer Responsibility, the idea that manufacturers of products that become waste are responsible for it – rather than shifting the burden to municipal or county waste management agencies. The concept of Extended Producer Responsibility has been incorporated into policy in states including California, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon, and it is gaining traction nationwide.

Demanding accountability from producers includes regulation of the dumping and release of “nurdles,” the pellets that are used to make plastic. Loyola University biologist Timothy Hoellein recently encountered a trove of such nurdles around the North Branch of the Chicago River, down the watershed from several plastics manufacturers. Now he’s seeking funding to study the distribution and source of nurdles in the region.

“They’re like discs with little dimples, very uniform. When you see a bunch of them together, same shape and color, it’s a little shocking,” said Hoellein, who has partnered with the Alliance to analyze data from trash collected during the beach cleanups. “Plastic is not regulated as a pollutant in the same way other industrial discharges or wastes are, but it is a point source of pollution, and it seems like it should be controllable.”

Focusing on the manufacturing of plastics rather than littering doesn’t mean individual citizens are off the hook. Hoellein, Densham, and others emphasize that regular people have the power and responsibility to demand and make change around plastic pollution – starting at the root.

“We might not be the person throwing the plastic bag on the sidewalk, but we’re all part of this consumer system that has a demand for plastic bags,” said Hoellein. “We’re all collectively accountable for the production because we’re all purchasing the materials. There can be grassroots advocacy and collective demand for alternative products, a combination of policies that are put in place and creating a genuine market.”

Take Action to Stop Plastic Pollution

Your voice, when combined with thousands of advocates around the lakes, can make a difference! Our action center makes it easy for you to contact decision makers.

The post Putting an end to plastic pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/05/putting-an-end-to-plastic-pollution/

Find a Cleanup Near You Host Your Own Cleanup

20 Years of Adopt-a-Beach Data Collection: What Have We Learned?

On: April 21, 2023

In: Adopt-a-Beach, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are on the front lines of keeping litter off our beaches and out of the Great Lakes. But did you know that these volunteers are also citizen scientists?

This year marks twenty years of data collection by Adopt-a- Beach volunteers. The Alliance for the Great Lakes created its online Great Lakes litter database in 2003 and added data collection to the Adopt-a-Beach program.

Filling a Data Gap, Identifying Troubling Trends

While scientists have been studying plastic pollution in the ocean for decades, there is much less research about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Adopt-a-Beach data collection is one way our Great Lakes community is beginning to fill that gap. The litter data collected by Adopt-a-Beach volunteers spans beaches and shorelines across all five Great Lakes. No lab or individual researcher could collect this extensive data set on their own. Volunteers have steadily created this dataset with each cleanup over the past twenty years.

Volunteers use a datasheet at every beach cleanup to tally each item they pick up. The event’s team leader tallies up all the data collected at the event and enters it into our online system. Counting each cigarette butt, bottle cap, or piece of tiny trash can sometimes feel a bit silly on the beach. But the power of all that information in one place is impressive, and it is showing us some troubling trends.

So, what do the data tell us? It’s not a pretty picture. Roughly 85% of the litter picked up at cleanups is made entirely or partially of plastic. Most of the litter picked up by volunteers falls into the category of “tiny trash,” which are pieces 5 millimeters or less. These are pieces of larger items that have broken down over time. Food-related trash, such as plastic bottles, plastic cutlery, and takeout containers, is about 25% of the litter picked up by volunteers.

A Clear and Present Danger

A researcher examines a test tube containing microplastics.

While beach litter is a serious concern, it is just the most visible part of a bigger problem. Sun, waves, and other environmental factors break down plastic left on the beach or other places into smaller and smaller pieces. And microfibers from our clothes or plastic packaging from detergent packs wash down the drain into our waterways. These microplastics are often invisible but are dangerous to wildlife, which mistake them for food.

Plastic has been found in Great Lakes fish dating back to the 1950s. That means, for nearly seven decades, there have been microplastics in the lakes, which are a drinking water source for about 40 million people. Today, researchers from the Rochester Institute of Technology estimate that over 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes annually. And University of Toronto researchers calculated that the amount of microplastics in the surface water of the Great Lakes is estimated at 1.2 million particles/km2. This is higher than plastic concentrations in the widely publicized Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Microplastics have been found in drinking water, bottled water, and beer. And it’s estimated that we each ingest about a credit card-sized amount of plastic each week. Much remains to be learned about the impacts of plastic on human health, but the early picture is concerning.

Plastic Producers Must Take Responsibility

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers do a great job keeping plastic out of our lakes and educating their communities about the plastic pollution problem. But beach cleanups alone can’t solve the magnitude of the Great Lakes’ plastic problem. A more systemic solution is required.

Currently, most efforts to stop plastic pollution put the responsibility on the last person who uses the plastic, such as recycling. But expecting end users to bear the burden of managing plastic pollution isn’t effective. For instance, only a fraction of plastic produced each year can be recycled, leaving the remainder to end up in landfills or as litter that lands in our waterways. This leaves the disposal burden – and significant costs – on individuals, small business owners, and local governments.

The alternative is to require plastic producers to be responsible for their products through their lifecycle, called extended producer responsibility. The concept is not new. Many European countries have such laws. And California recently passed legislation bringing the concept to the United States. These laws reduce or eliminate the most problematic plastics like styrofoam, require plastic manufacturers to pay for disposal, or eventually change their practices to produce less plastic in the first place.

For the first time, we have included plastic pollution as a top issue in our federal Great Lakes policy agenda. We are urging Congress to be a leader in curbing plastic pollution and pass legislation that:

Makes plastic producers responsible for reduction of waste
Reduces the federal government’s use of single-use plastics
Funds additional research on the public health impact of plastics

How You Can Help

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers record litter data on the beach.

Solving our Great Lakes plastic pollution problem will take all of us. Here are several ways you can help:

Refuse single-use plastics.

The best way to prevent plastic pollution from getting into the lakes is to stop using it in the first place.

Your voice makes a difference.

Visit our action center to send a letter to your members of Congress, urging them to adopt extended producer responsibility legislation.

Join a beach cleanup.

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are on the frontlines of keeping plastic pollution out of the Great Lakes. It’s fun, easy, and an excellent way for your family, community group, or business to give back to the lakes. Learn how you can join a cleanup or host one of your own.

Join Us for Adopt-a-Beach

It’s a fun, free, easy way to give back to your community and keep plastic pollution out of our Great Lakes.

The post 20 Years of Adopt-a-Beach Data Collection: What Have We Learned? appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/04/20-years-of-adopt-a-beach-data-collection-what-have-we-learned/

Statement: Alliance Welcomes New Canadian Investment in Great Lakes Restoration

On: March 24, 2023

In: great lakes restoration

Chicago, IL (March 24, 2023) – This afternoon Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new investment in Great Lakes restoration. The announcement was made as part of an official state visit to Canada by President Biden.

In reaction, Alliance for the Great Lakes President & CEO Joel Brammeier made the following statement:

“The Alliance for the Great Lakes welcomes today’s announcement that the Canadian federal government is investing $420 million in restoring the Great Lakes over the next 10 years. Commitments like these are a critical down payment in ensuring that the Great Lakes are brought back to health and can sustain a way of life for the millions of people who rely on them in both Canada and the United States. This is an important step forward. There is work to be done to make sure these investments address the highest priorities for Great Lakes protection and are not undermined by continuing threats from pollution and climate change. We commend the Trudeau administration for its leadership and look forward to working with our Canadian partners to protect the health of the Great Lakes for all.”

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Media contact: Jennifer Caddick, Alliance for the Great Lakes, jcaddick@greatlakes.org

The post Statement: Alliance Welcomes New Canadian Investment in Great Lakes Restoration appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/03/statement-alliance-welcomes-new-canadian-investment-in-great-lakes-restoration/

Single-Use Plastic Foam Foodware Ban Advances to Illinois Senate

On: March 24, 2023

Lake Michigan is one of Illinois’ greatest assets. But plastic pollution puts Lake Michigan and all our waterways at risk, polluting our drinking water and harming wildlife.

Polystyrene foam – a plastic used to make single-used foam cups and food containers – is among the most polluting plastic products. Polystyrene foam doesn’t biodegrade in nature and is nearly impossible to recycle. Byproducts of polystyrene production can pollute the water, harming neighborhoods near factories.

Some of the most common items Adopt-a-Beach volunteers remove from Lake Michigan’s Illinois shorelines are foam take-out containers and pieces of polystyrene foam. While our volunteers are on the frontlines of keeping plastic out of Lake Michigan, we know that they are only able to pick up a fraction of the plastic pollution on our beaches. And once single-use polystyrene pieces end up in our waterways, it’s nearly impossible to clean them up.

The Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this week that would phase out single-use plastic polystyrene foam foodware. The bill is now being considered by the Illinois Senate.

We hope Illinois will join the eight states and roughly 200 cities and municipalities that have enacted bans on polystyrene foam containers.

The post Single-Use Plastic Foam Foodware Ban Advances to Illinois Senate appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/03/single-use-plastic-foam-foodware-ban-advances-to-illinois-senate/

Agricultural Pollution and the Great Lakes

On: February 7, 2023

In: Uncategorized

Agriculture occupies about one-quarter of the U.S. land surrounding the Great Lakes, producing corn, soybeans, grain, and livestock. But all too often, the way we farm has serious negative impacts on the Great Lakes and the rivers and streams that flow into them. The Alliance is helping shape solutions to this pollution problem at the national and local levels.

Farm Runoff Causes Downstream Pollution Problems

Dead fish in a Lake Erie algae blooms, August 2011

When it rains, chemical fertilizer and manure from farm fields flow into waterways. This runoff can contain pathogens and bacteria along with nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous.

While these nutrients are vital for growing plants, too much in our waterways can have disastrous results fueling a bumper crop of algae that can make water toxic to wildlife and people.

When the blooms die, the decomposing algae uses up oxygen in the water, creating “dead zones” where fish and other aquatic creatures can’t live.

Farms are the main source of nutrient pollution flowing to the lakes, and stopping farm runoff will significantly decrease downstream algal blooms and dead zones. But national farm policy, along with a lack of mandatory regulations, makes stopping the flow of pollution off farm fields and into waterways challenging.

Change Needed at All Levels, From Farm Fields to National Policy

Over the past few decades, small farms have been consolidated into larger operations. This has led to intensifying how food is produced across the country. Row crops used to rotate among multiple crops, but today in the Midwest, our cropland is dominated by corn and soybeans. Livestock operations are large enough that some produce as much manure waste as a small town. All of this has led to more pressure on the land to produce more, which means more fertilizers and more potential for pollution. But there are steps farms can take to reduce runoff significantly.

“Farmers are often pointed to as the problem. But we also need to recognize that farmers are one piece of a very big agribusiness system,” said Tom Zimnicki, the Alliance’s Agriculture and Restoration Director. “Yes, there are things we can be doing at the farm level to reduce pollution, but we also need to change policies at the national level to move away from this system we’ve created over the last 20-30 years. The Alliance is working on both.”

The Alliance advocates for regulations at the state and local levels to mandate, incentivize, and prioritize best practices to limit farm runoff and protect the Great Lakes and the water bodies that feed into them. The Alliance also convenes partners at the local level around the region to find community-led solutions to this pollution problem.

Next year Congress will consider a new federal farm bill, a massive funding package that is a major driver of the nation’s food and agricultural policy. The Alliance is part of a national coalition advocating for changes in farm bill programs. Today, most federal programs delivering billions of dollars to Great Lakes farms each year are not tied to clean water goals. It’s no surprise that despite these investments, the lakes aren’t getting any cleaner. One goal is to tie funding for agricultural practices to clean water outcomes. In other words, if an agricultural producer receives federal funding for conservation programs, they must show a measurable reduction in pollution running off their lands.

Local Solutions Needed

But the Alliance isn’t waiting for changes in federal programs. State and local governments have a huge role to play in reducing runoff from agricultural lands. And, they have an incentive to get involved as the impacts of nutrient pollution are felt locally.

In Wisconsin’s Green Bay, the Alliance has partnered with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, local government officials, and the Oneida Nation to host a farmer round table. At the event, farmers come together to discuss their conservation practices and learn from each other. This led to a historic agreement between four counties and the Oneida Nation to formally come together to develop a shared strategy for recovery and locally achievable goals to reduce agricultural pollution and clean up Green Bay.

In August 2014, Toledo-area residents were without water because toxins from a massive algal bloom in western Lake Erie contaminated the city’s drinking water. The Toledo crisis, along with advocacy by the Alliance and other partners, led to a commitment by the Governors of Ohio and Michigan and the Premier of Ontario to reduce phosphorus inputs to Lake Erie by 40% by 2025. Although it is unlikely leaders will meet this goal in this timeframe, the commitment pushed governments to significantly increase funding for on-the-ground projects to limit agricultural runoff and focus state and federal agency staff on developing solutions.

“Stopping agricultural pollution, and protecting our waterways, is complicated. And to solve this problem, we need everyone at the table, from farmers, government agencies, businesses along the supply chain, and the people and communities getting hurt by this pollution,” said Sara Walling, the Alliance’s Senior Policy Manager for Agriculture and Restoration. “The good news is that a wide range of solutions exists, from local actions like in Green Bay to regional coordination like around Lake Erie to national and state policy changes. And the Alliance is working to incorporate all these tools into our policy work.”

Downstream users are paying a real cost for managing a pollution problem they did not create, compounding water affordability issues many Ohioans face. An analysis by the Alliance for the Great Lakes found that a family of five in Toledo is paying roughly an additional $100/year in their water bill. The costs are due to increased costs at water treatment plants for monitoring and treatment to protect drinking water from harmful algal blooms.

Protect the Great Lakes & Our Communities

The post Agricultural Pollution and the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/02/agricultural-pollution-and-the-great-lakes/

Download the water infrastructure fact sheet.

Top 5 Great Lakes Federal Policy Priorities for 2023

On: January 24, 2023

In: Agricultural runoff, Drinking Water, great lakes restoration, invasive species, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

Significant progress has been made in protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. But much more needs to be done. Too many Great Lakers experience polluted water, whether it is lead-tainted water coming from taps in homes or algal blooms fouling beaches. Invasive species threaten the lakes, and plastic pollutes our beaches and drinking water.

In our 2023 federal policy priorities, we’ve identified the top five opportunities for Congress and federal agencies to address these challenges. Many of these priorities are familiar. Congress and the administration must keep up the momentum generated over the past few years to fix our water infrastructure, stop invasive species, and support on-the-ground restoration projects.

Equity and justice are embedded throughout these policy priorities. Equity and justice must be considered at every step of the federal decision-making process to ensure that all Great Lakers have access to safe, clean, affordable water. Federal water programs must prioritize low-income communities and communities of color, where the burden of pollution often hits hardest. Repairing the long-term harm from environmental injustices isn’t a one-off action. Instead, Congress and the administration must ensure that community voices are at the table, and listened to, from the beginning of all decision-making.

This year, we have two new priority areas focused on opportunities we’ve identified for the federal government to push forward new approaches to long-standing problems. First is the Farm Bill, which only happens every five years and sets national agriculture and food policy. We see an opportunity to improve federal agriculture subsidy programs to make sure farmers produce clean water, not pollution, along with their crops. Second, concern about plastic pollution continues to grow, and Congress can act to limit plastic pollution by reducing it at the source and not once it is a problem on our beaches and in our communities.

Read on for full details of our 2023 Great Lakes federal policy priorities, or download the fact sheet to learn more.

Increase water infrastructure funding, prioritize funding for communities most in need

The infrastructure bill passed by Congress late in 2021 was an important down payment to fix the nation’s failing and outdated water infrastructure. The funding will jump-start efforts to replace dangerous lead pipes, fix leaky pipes, and stop sewage overflows.

However, the funding is only a start. It’s estimated that the Great Lakes region will need at least $188 billion over the next twenty years to fix our water infrastructure problems. Currently, the infrastructure bill will provide Great Lakes states with an additional $1.8 billion per year for the next five years. It is clearly not enough. We need to keep the pressure on Congress to provide additional funds for water infrastructure programs. Additionally, funding programs must be structured to ensure that money reaches communities with the highest need, such as those with many lead pipes.

In 2023, we urge Congress to:

Increase annual funding to at least $8 billion for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds
Increase by $1 billion annual funding levels for lead service line replacement and emerging contaminants
Pass a federal ban on water shutoffs
Establish a federal program to provide financial assistance for water and sewer bills

In 2023 we urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to:

Work with states to ensure equitable distribution of infrastructure funding and provide technical assistance to disadvantaged and underserved communities
Complete the Drinking Water Needs Assessment in early 2023 to increase the amount of lead service line funding to Great Lakes states which have the highest number of lead pipes in the country

Pass a Farm Bill that prioritizes clean water

Every five years, Congress develops a “farm bill,” a major package of legislation that sets the agenda and funding for national farm and food policy. In 2023, Congress can pass a Farm Bill that ensures farms produce clean water, not pollution, along with their crops.

In 2023, we urge Congress to pass a Farm Bill that:

Increases funding for US Department of Agriculture conservation programs
Includes provisions to ensure accountability for farm conservation programs aimed at stopping runoff pollution from agricultural lands
Reduces funding for concentrated animal feeding operations

Pass legislation to stop plastic pollution

In 2023, we urge Congress to pass legislation that:

Makes plastic waste producers responsible for its reduction
Reduces the federal government’s use of single-use plastics
Funds additional research on the public health impact of plastics

Download the plastic pollution fact sheet.

Protect the Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species

In 2023, we urge Congress to:

Fund the next phases of construction of the Brandon Road project to stop invasive carp

In 2023, we urge federal agencies to take the following actions:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should continue implementing the Brandon Road project with public participation and work with the state of Illinois to finalize the project partnership agreement.
The U.S. EPA should issue rules requiring all vessels operating on the Great Lakes, including lakers, to clean up their ballast tanks.

Download the invasive species fact sheet.

Update and fund Great Lakes restoration programs

In 2023, we urge Congress to:

Fund the GLRI with at least $425 million in FY24

In 2023, we urge federal agencies to take the following actions:

The White House and U.S. EPA should update the Great Lakes action plan to address environmental injustice, climate resilience, and the next generation of risks to the Great Lakes.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should include large-scale natural infrastructure in the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study to address extreme water level changes caused by climate change.

Download the Great Lakes restoration fact sheet.

Tell Congress: Protect the Great Lakes & Clean Water

Too many Great Lakers experience polluted water – whether it is lead-tainted water coming from taps in homes or algal blooms fouling beaches. Invasive species threaten the lakes, and plastic pollutes our beaches and drinking water.

The post Top 5 Great Lakes Federal Policy Priorities for 2023 appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/01/top-5-great-lakes-federal-policy-priorities-for-2023/

The New Congress and the Great Lakes

On: January 18, 2023

In: Drinking Water, great lakes restoration

Note: This blog is part of a periodic series of updates from Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director of Federal Government Relations, with his view on Great Lakes policy from Washington, DC.

Over the past two years of the 117th Congress, advocates around the Great Lakes region spoke out about the critical importance of the lakes and the need for Congress to take action to protect them. The last Congress heard you and acted on bipartisan legislation, allocating a historic $1 billion investment in Great Lakes restoration, funding efforts to stop invasive carp from reaching the lakes, providing critical new funding to fix our failing water infrastructure to protect our health and environment, and more.

Now that the new 118th Congress is convened, we will start the advocacy cycle again, educating new and returning members of Congress about the critical importance of the Great Lakes. The landscape in Washington, DC changed with the 2022 midterm election, as Republicans won the majority in the House of Representatives, and a period of divided government will be the norm for at least the next two years. However, we know that support for water issues, particularly fixing our failing water infrastructure, spans both political parties. We’ll be encouraging members of Congress and the administration to reach across the aisle to protect the Great Lakes.

Key champions of the Great Lakes retired from Congress at the end of last term, including former Ohio Senator Bob Portman, but other new members were elected, and they will have their opportunity to legislate. Overall, there are 25 new Members of Congress from Great Lakes states, including two new United States Senators, and 9 of these members have districts located directly in the Great Lakes basin.

After just two weeks, early signals from the House of Representatives indicate there are likely to be major policy disagreements between the House and Senate over the debit ceiling, government funding, and a host of other issues. These disagreements may consume significant amounts of time and energy or possibly even lead to undesirable outcomes such as a government shutdown.

Notwithstanding this dynamic, the Alliance for the Great Lakes remains nonpartisan and will urge Congress to maintain its focus on its primary responsibilities. For us that means passing laws and providing funding for programs that benefit the Great Lakes and its people, such as funding to repair and maintain water infrastructure, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and numerous other programs that benefit the health of our citizens and our natural resources.

Next week, we’ll be unveiling our 2023 Federal Policy Priorities. We’ll detail the specific next steps this new Congress must take to protect the Great Lakes and ensure everyone around the region has access to safe, affordable water. And, once again, we’ll be looking to you to help make sure Congress hears from voters around the Great Lakes. Your voice matters.

We were proud to work on all of these programs during this past year and thank all of our supporters for lending your strong voices to this effort.

The post The New Congress and the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2023/01/the-new-congress-and-the-great-lakes/

Congress Builds Momentum to Stop Invasive Carp

On: December 16, 2022

In: invasive carp

Congress – on a bipartisan vote – has passed legislation that continues strong momentum to stop invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan.

Prevention measures in design

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun designing a critical project to stop invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan. The Corps is designing new carp prevention measures to install at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois, a chokepoint in waterways leading to Lake Michigan.

In the bill just passed, Congress increased the federal cost-share – which is how much the federal government will chip in for this critical project – to 90%. This commitment shows that Congress and the Administration recognize that the invasive carp moving toward Lake Michigan threaten the entire Great Lakes region.

By increasing the federal cost-share to 90%, Congress will help accelerate the project from design to construction.

Next steps for Illinois

The state of Illinois must take 2 important steps to keep this critical project moving forward:

Illinois must sign an agreement with the Corps by the end of the year to keep the project on schedule.
It’s time for Illinois to step up and work collaboratively with other Great Lakes states to fund the local portion of the construction phase of the project and keep invasive carp out of the lakes.

“Thank you to all the Great Lake advocates and members of Congress who are working to keep invasive carp out of our lakes,” says Molly Flanagan, Chief Operating Officer, Alliance for the Great Lakes. “We look forward to working with Illinois and other Great Lakes states to ensure the local share is funded.”

The post Congress Builds Momentum to Stop Invasive Carp appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/12/congress-builds-momentum-to-stop-invasive-carp/

Big Things for the Great Lakes in 2022

On: December 6, 2022

In: Other topics

Joel Brammeier, President & CEO

When people of the Great Lakes work together, we can make a huge impact!

Thank you for everything you’ve done for the lakes this year. You believed in our mission. You stood up for the lakes. You were part of a community of thousands of volunteers, donors, advocates, and supporters who made great things happen for the lakes and the people who live here.

Here are just a few things we accomplished together in 2022:

We secured a historic federal investment to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers now has the full funding to complete the engineering and design, and begin construction on a project at the Brandon Road Lock & Dam, a critical choke point for keeping invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes.

We won an additional $1 billion federal investment in Great Lakes restoration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will use the bulk of the funding to clean up and restore Great Lakes Areas of Concern, some of the region’s most environmentally contaminated and degraded sites, by 2030.

We’re co-convening the State Revolving Fund Advocates Forum, a diverse community working to ensure that once-in-a-generation federal water funds are allocated to the hardest-hit communities and advance resilience to climate change. Our group of community leaders and policy experts is playing a pivotal role in reforming the biggest state water funding programs to ensure that all Great Lakers have access to clean, safe, and affordable water.

We published a first-of-its-kind case study that found water bills are higher for communities that pull their drinking water from Lake Erie. The study highlights the fact that water users far away from pollution sources are paying the real cost of protecting their families from a problem they did not create: harmful, and sometimes toxic, algal blooms caused by farm runoff.

We activated our supporters to speak out in support of protecting the Great Lakes. People around the Great Lakes region sent over 13,000 emails to their members of Congress, urging their representatives to invest in fixing failing water and wastewater infrastructure, stop invasive carp, and champion the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Clean Water Act.

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers surpassed more than half a million pounds of litter collected at cleanup events since the Alliance began tracking data in 2003. The Alliance’s data shows that more than 85% of the litter cleaned up is made entirely or partly of plastic, putting our volunteers on the front lines of keeping plastic pollution out of the lakes.

And there’s so much more.

A special thank you to everyone who donated to our Giving Tuesday challenge. You helped us beat our goal of $30,000. I appreciate your generosity.

Whenever you give to the Alliance, you can be confident that your gift is in good hands. The Alliance for the Great Lakes has earned two top charitable ratings in recognition of the organization’s financial health, accountability, and transparency: Charity Navigator’s Four-Star Rating and Guidestar’s Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Have a happy and peaceful December.

Support our region’s most vital resource – the Great Lakes

Your tax-deductible gift today will protect the Great Lakes from imminent threats like plastic pollution, invasive species, and agricultural runoff.

The post Big Things for the Great Lakes in 2022 appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/12/big-things-for-the-great-lakes-in-2022/

Alliance for the Great Lakes Welcomes New Board Members, New & Returning Officers

On: December 5, 2022

In: Other topics

The Alliance for the Great Lakes Board of Directors held their annual retreat November 18-19 in Chicago. At the meeting, the board elected two new Directors and a slate of officers, while saying farewell to six term-limited directors.

New Board Members: Dr. Sri Vedachalam & Dr. Wren Montgomery

Dr. Sri Vedachalam is Director, Water Equity and Climate Resilience, at ECT, Inc., where he works with communities to address their water quality and access challenges. He is a water policy specialist, and his work has covered national water issues such as affordability, aging infrastructure, extreme weather impacts, financing, public trust, and non-point source pollution. Prior to this role, he set up and grew the water program at the Environmental Policy Innovation Center, turning it from a one-person operation to a national powerhouse. During his stint as researcher at the Cornell University-based New York State Water Resources Institute, he experienced first-hand the beauty of the Great Lakes region.

He currently serves on the advisory board for the communications nonprofit Water Hub, and is a member of Blue Accounting’s Drinking Water work group facilitated by the Great Lakes Commission. Dr. Vedachalam is also the Editor for Urban Water at Global Water Forum, a resource for evidence-based, accessible, and open-access articles on freshwater governance. He was named a 2022 Top 10 Young Professional by Water & Wastes Digest. He holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and lives with his wife and two kids in the Washington, DC metro area.

Dr. Wren Montgomery is Assistant Professor of Sustainability & General Management at Western University’s Ivey Business School in London, Ontario, and a Faculty Affiliate at the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. Her research, teaching, and impact work focuses on environmental and social organizing, how it changes norms and institutions, and how it interacts with corporations. She is primarily interested in unique forms of collaboration and unconventional coalitions with the potential to overcome obstacles to solving many of the world’s most pressing challenges. Dr. Montgomery focuses on the intersections of climate change, water crises, soil degradation, and social justice. Her multi-year research project on water access and affordability – with a focus on Detroit – has received several prestigious honors.

Dr. Montgomery is deeply committed to doing research that has both academic significance and a more immediate impact on the world around us. She does this by helping students to understand the roots of problems and identify leverage points for change, by working with organizations to raise awareness of these challenges, by highlighting successful approaches and tools, by engaging and working collaboratively with impacted communities, and by serving on government and corporate boards. She is also an experienced management consultant and senior government policy analyst.

New & Returning Officers

Jo-Elle Mogerman was re-elected as Board Chair. Susan McDermott was elected to a second term as Treasurer. Tom Langmyer was elected to his first term as Nominating Committee Chair. Vanessa Tey Iosue was elected to her second term as Vice Chair of Policy.

The board also said farewell to six directors who are term-limited after six years of service: Aaron Fershee, Adrienne Dziak, Claire Castleman, David Schmahl, Lauren Bigelow, and Sue Conatser.

“Thank you to all of our board members – past and present – for their dedication and leadership,” said Joel Brammeier, the Alliance’s President & CEO. “Our work would not be possible without their time and expertise. They are integral to the Alliance’s successes in protecting and restoring this resource we all cherish. We look forward to the contributions of our newest board members and share all our gratitude to those saying farewell.”

For a complete listing of Alliance for the Great Lakes directors and officers, visit our Board of Directors page.

The post Alliance for the Great Lakes Welcomes New Board Members, New & Returning Officers appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/12/alliance-for-the-great-lakes-welcomes-new-board-members-new-returning-officers/

What the 2022 Midterms Mean for the Great Lakes

On: November 17, 2022

In: Other topics

Election day was a little more than a week ago. Seven of the eight Great Lakes states had gubernatorial elections. Six had U.S. Senate races on the ballot. All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election. And numerous state and local offices were on ballots.

Joel Brammeier, the Alliance’s President & CEO, and Don Jodrey, our Director of Director of Federal Relations, explain what the midterm election results mean for the Great Lakes. To hear more, listen to our Lakes Chat post-election podcast.

U.S. Senate & House Races

Q: How did things change for the Great Lakes?

A: There are 28 new members of Congress representing Great Lakes residents. Two of them are senators – Republican J.D. Vance in Ohio, and Democrat John Fetterman in Pennsylvania. The other 26 are representatives – 11 Democrats and 15 Republicans. Most Great Lakes incumbents who ran were re-elected.

Q: What Great Lakes issues will the new Congress need to tackle next year?

A: Annual spending bills. We’ll be looking for Congress to address additional investments in water infrastructure, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and all the other federal programs that the Alliance for the Great Lakes supports.

The Farm Bill. This is important for the Great Lakes because it deals with federal support for programs that can reduce agricultural runoff in Lake Erie and other Great Lakes waters. The Farm Bill comes up for renewal only once every five years.

Q: On a national level, it was a very close race. Democrats kept control of the Senate, with one more seat to be decided by a December runoff in Georgia. Republicans have taken control of the House. How will the new makeup of Congress affect the Great Lakes?

A: “Having the majority in the House or the Senate really does matter. It allows you to set the legislative agenda. It allows you to decide which bills are debated and come up for a vote. It allows you to determine the makeup of the committees, and the committees write the legislation for the Congress to consider. The bills that tend to go forward are bills that have originated in the committee structure.”

~ Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director of Federal Relations

Gubernatorial Races

Q: How did things change for the Great Lakes?

A: Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, was elected to fill the open seat for governor in Pennsylvania. Incumbents won re-election in Illinois (J.B. Pritzker), Michigan (Gretchen Whitmer), Minnesota (Tim Walz), New York (Kathy Hochul), Ohio (Mike DeWine), and Wisconsin (Tony Evers).

Q: What Great Lakes issues will individual states tackle next year?

A: “Governor DeWine in Ohio has been focused on agriculture issues in a big way. The biggest source of Lake Erie’s agricultural pollution is in Ohio. I think you’ll see a renewed push for follow-through on the pollution diet that’s being written for Lake Erie in Ohio.

“Governor Whitmer in Michigan has an emphasis on dealing with that state’s water infrastructure challenges. Governor Evers in Wisconsin has focused on issues around water infrastructure and agriculture.

“In all the Great Lakes states, we’re seeing a major investment in water infrastructure that’s been unseen since the seventies. But there’s a lot of work to do over the next four years to make sure that those funds go to where they’re needed most. All the states need to be really smart and strategic about how to get the best clean water outcomes for the largest number of people, and make sure that communities that have been disinvested in for decades, get the support that they need.”

~ Joel Brammeier, the Alliance’s President & CEO

Q: Great Lakes states have a long history of bipartisan cooperation across the region. What issues will the states need to work on together?

A: Stopping invasive carp. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun designing a critical project in Illinois to stop invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan. The first year of construction will be covered by federal funds, but there will need to be some agreements on how to pay for the local share of later construction across state lines. Governors Whitmer and Pritzker will need to continue working together to ensure that this project, which is a priority for both states, actually gets the funding it needs.

Maintaining the Great Lakes Compact. The Compact is the state-level law that governs how Great Lakes water can be used. It makes very limited exceptions for water to be diverted and returned to the Great Lakes. All Great Lakes governors need to work together to maintain the integrity of the Compact.

Local Ballot Measures Signal Strong Support for Environmental Issues

In New York State, voters approved a $4.2 billion environmental bond act. In Cook County, Illinois, where Chicago is located, voters approved an increased tax levy to support the local forest preserves. Each measure passed by a wide margin – about two out of three voters were in support.

Q; In an era where everything seems so divided, when environmental issues stand alone on a ballot, they seem to be pretty successful. Why do you think that’s the case?

A: “Voters understand that a good environment leads to healthy people, healthy families, healthy neighbors and a good quality of life. They’re willing to invest in something that’s going to help their community, improve their own health, and protect clean water and clean air for generations to come.” ~ Joel Brammeier, the Alliance’s President & CEO

“Environmental investments are also investments in a robust economy and a growing economy. I think people realize that, and that’s why they’re willing to make them. You can have a healthy environment and a healthy economy. Actually investing in the environment is a good economic base, and pays good economic dividends,” ~ Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director of Federal Relations

Note: The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which means that we cannot and do not endorse candidates for office. However, we can – and do – educate candidates about Great Lakes issues.

The post What the 2022 Midterms Mean for the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/11/what-the-2022-midterms-mean-for-the-great-lakes/

Alliance Earns Two Top Charity Ratings; Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating and Guidestar’s Platinum Seal of Transparency

On: November 17, 2022

In: Uncategorized

The Alliance for the Great Lakes has been awarded two top charitable ratings in recognition of the organization’s financial health, accountability, and transparency.

Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, awarded the Alliance for the Great Lakes a top Four-Star Rating. Charity Navigator analyzes nonprofit performance based on four key indicators, referred to as beacons. Currently, nonprofits can earn scores for the Impact & Results, Accountability & Finance, Culture & Community, and Leadership & Adaptability beacons. This rating designates the Alliance as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that our organization is using its donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s criteria.

Candid Platinum Transparency 2022 badge.

Guidestar, the worlds’ largest source of nonprofit information, awarded the Alliance for the Great Lakes the Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition. The award recognizes organizations with a high level of fiscal and programmatic accountability and transparency.

These ratings demonstrate the Alliance’s commitment to responsible and careful stewardship of financial donations to ensure the biggest impact for the Great Lakes. We are truly grateful for every supporter who entrusts us with their donation to protect the Great Lakes, our region’s most precious resource.

Protect the Gteat Lakes

Give a gift to protect our region’s most precious resource: the fresh, clean, natural waters of the Great Lakes.

The post Alliance Earns Two Top Charity Ratings; Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating and Guidestar’s Platinum Seal of Transparency appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/11/alliance-earns-two-top-charity-ratings-charity-navigator-four-star-rating-and-guidestars-platinum-seal-of-transparency/

Check out past years’ data summaries here.

Adopt-a-Beach 2022: Year-End Results

On: November 14, 2022

In: Adopt-a-Beach

Every November, the weather turns cooler, the rush of beach cleanups begins to slow, and we take the time to compile our annual Adopt-a-Beach results.

The Alliance for the Great Lakes manages the largest coastal Great Lakes litter database of its kind. But we are simply the stewards. The database exists because of the decades of contributions by thousands of community scientists across the region who volunteer each year with the Adopt-a-Beach program.

2022 saw a surge of new and returning volunteers. It was exciting to welcome back many experienced Team Leaders and volunteers, as well as connect with so many new ones. Each individual volunteer who showed up, each individual piece of litter dutifully tallied on a data sheet, each individual gathering of Great Lakes stewards is captured in these numbers.

2022 Adopt-a-Beach results

Beach cleanups in all 8 Great Lakes states.

These numbers are also part of an important milestone that volunteers helped Adopt-a-Beach reach this year. Volunteers have collected more than half a million pounds of litter since the Alliance began tracking data in 2003! That’s half a million pounds of litter removed from our beach, our parks, and the source of our drinking water.

Data tells a story about plastic pollution

The data tells a story about volunteer participation and outreach efforts, and also about long-term trends in Great Lakes plastic pollution. Year after year, more than 80% of litter collected is plastic. 2022 was no exception.

Litter material. Plastic: 81%. Other materials: 19%.

Litter type. Tiny trash: 44%. Food-related: 25%. Smoking-related: 20%. Other: 11%.

The high plastic percentage is a signal that more systemic changes are needed – in addition to and beyond individual behavior change. We look forward to continuing to use the Adopt-a-Beach data to advocate for systemic solutions to plastic pollution.

Love, concern, & initiative

As Adopt-a-Beach staff visited volunteers across the region this season, a unifying theme that revealed itself was the deep pride and care Great Lakes residents have for our lakes. We saw and heard love, concern, and initiative everywhere we went.

Whether you participated in the Adopt-a-Beach program, are reading and learning more about Great Lakes issues, or have contacted elected officials about an issue that is important to you, thank you for taking action!

Host an Adopt-a-Beach Cleanup

It’s never too soon to schedule your next beach cleanup. Schedule your 2023 cleanups today.

Schedule Your Cleanup

The post Adopt-a-Beach 2022: Year-End Results appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/11/adopt-a-beach-2022-year-end-results/

Statement: 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act

On: October 18, 2022

In: Uncategorized

Chicago, IL (October 18, 2022) – Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Alliance for the Great Lakes President & CEO Joel Brammeier issued the following statement about this historic legislation:

“The Clean Water Act has been essential in helping the Great Lakes region recover and thrive since it was passed following the catastrophic burning of the Cuyahoga River 53 years ago. This event and other similar crises dramatically highlighted what happens when we don’t protect waterways from industrial and sewage pollution. Today, many parts of the Great Lakes are far cleaner than they were 50 years ago.

“While we must continue to fight for compliance with this historic environmental legislation, we also must build on the Clean Water Act’s precedent and, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, focus the next 50 years on issues the Clean Water Act didn’t address: namely, emerging chemicals and other toxins that pollute our water, toxic algae blooms, the growing stress climate change is placing on our lakes, and harmful lead pipes that make our neighbors sick. Americans everywhere, particularly in communities like Toledo, Ohio; and Flint and Benton Harbor, Michigan know that access to clean water can’t be taken for granted.

“The Alliance for the Great Lakes looks forward to continuing to work with our state partners throughout the region, the U.S. EPA, and members of Congress to make sure the Lakes are protected and can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.”

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Media contact: Please connect with our media team at TeamGreatLakes@mrss.com.

The post Statement: 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/10/statement-50th-anniversary-of-the-clean-water-act/

Why the Great Lakes Need Comprehensive Solutions to Plastic Pollution

On: October 17, 2022

In: microplastics, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

This post is by Sofia Johansson, who worked as the Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Public Policy and Governance Intern this summer. She is a third-year Environmental and Urban Studies major at the University of Chicago and is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. She is passionate about environmental justice, equity, and sustainability in planning and policy.

For more than 30 years, thousands of Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have helped clean up litter, most of it plastic, from beaches across the Great Lakes region. This year, the program reached a major milestone—half a million pounds of litter picked up since volunteers started collecting beach data nearly 20 years ago. But beach cleanups alone can’t solve the magnitude of the Great Lakes’ plastic problem. A more systemic solution is required.

Plastic has been found in Great Lakes fish dating back to the 1950s. That means, for nearly seven decades, there have been microplastics in our water—water we drink, swim in, fish from, and cherish. Most of that time, we didn’t know it was there. But now, the research is overwhelming. The amount of microplastics in the surface water of the Great Lakes is estimated at 1.2 million particles/km2. This is higher than plastic concentrations in the widely publicized Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Moreover, researchers estimate that over 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes annually. That is an exorbitantly high amount of plastic, so why are we letting it continue?

The politics of plastic

The reasons often trace back to the political power of the plastic industry. They have focused on the individual responsibility of consumers rather than changes in industry practices. They also try to limit legislative action to measures promoting recycling, even though the US recycled less than 6% of its plastic waste in 2021, and recycling is considered an ineffective reducer of plastic pollution. But they do this to absolve industry of any responsibility and to make us think that individuals are responsible for plastic pollution as opposed to the plastic industry itself, which has promoted the use of plastics in almost every facet of our lives.

As such, the plastics lobby has repeatedly challenged legislation that creates meaningful systemic changes, such as single-use plastic bans, reductions in production, and extended producer responsibility.

Therefore, the Great Lakes states and the federal government have seriously lagged in plastic pollution policy. Five of the eight states have preemption laws, often called “bans on bans,” that prevent any level of local government from passing legislation to reduce plastic pollution. The plastics lobby has worked with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to develop a model preemptive bill for states to pass. And Congress has passed little legislation to deal with the scope of the problem.

What’s at stake?

But what’s at stake? What happens if we continue letting corporate interests and financial gain pollute our water? The Great Lakes are home to thousands of species, provide drinking water for 10% of Americans (and 25% of Canadians), and support a multi-trillion-dollar economy. Beyond the numbers, the Great Lakes are fundamental to the life and health of the Midwest.

Human health is a serious concern regarding plastics in our lakes. Though research is just beginning, microplastics have been found in Great Lakes tap water, beer, fish, and dozens of other consumables across the globe. Data compiled from several studies indicate that humans may ingest up to 5 grams of plastic a week, equivalent to the mass of a credit card. Researchers suggest most of the plastic humans ingest may come from drinking water and have detected plastic in our blood, lungs, hair, saliva, and stool.

The smaller the plastic, the more dangerous. Once in the body, microplastics may translocate, cross cell membranes, permeate tissue, and linger in human organs, potentially causing chronic inflammation. They also leach dangerous chemicals and toxins, such as phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and bisphenol A (BPA). These and other chemicals have been found in the water and microplastics of the Great Lakes. They are carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs, which disrupt hormones and can cause metabolic changes, have been heavily linked to a long list of health issues, including diabetes, neurological diseases, many different cancers, and reproductive damage. In short, microplastics, which have been allowed to increase and accumulate in our water, could have devastating impacts on our health and the health of future generations.

Federal action is needed

Given that states are not dealing with this problem and local governments sometimes find their hands tied, it is imperative that the federal government take comprehensive action that puts the responsibility on the producer to truly reduce plastic pollution, protect Great Lakes ecosystems, and ensure our health. An essential first step at the national level is passing the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, introduced by Sen. Durbin of Illinois, which prohibits the discharge of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastic materials into our water from any point source. These pellets are commonly found on Great Lakes beaches. In addition to this first step, more is required to deal with the magnitude of the problem in a comprehensive fashion. Congress should also pass the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, which creates a national extended producer responsibility program, phases out single-use plastic products, and targets microplastics in the environment, along with many other comprehensive measures.

Plastic pollution is a growing threat to our environment and our health and will continue to be until Congress takes comprehensive action to address this problem. The time to act on this is now.

Tell Congress: Keep Plastic “Nurdles” Out of the Great Lakes

“Nurdles” are tiny plastic pellets used as a raw material in the manufacture of plastic products. Researchers have found them on beaches in all 5 Great Lakes.

The post Why the Great Lakes Need Comprehensive Solutions to Plastic Pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/10/why-the-great-lakes-need-comprehensive-solutions-to-plastic-pollution/

Alliance Applauds Agreement to Move Forward with Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study

On: September 30, 2022

In: Uncategorized

Chicago, IL (September 30, 2022) – The Alliance for the Great Lakes thanks the governors of the Great Lakes states for signing an agreement to partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fund the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study. This multi-year project will identify places in the Great Lakes vulnerable to high water levels and erosion, and recommend options to protect the lakes and coastal communities.

Fluctuating lake levels and intense storms are getting more extreme and more frequent due to climate change. The threat these storms pose to Great Lakes shoreline communities — including damage to roads, marinas, water systems and coastal properties — is enormous. The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study will look at areas around the region that are particularly vulnerable to water level changes and offer recommendations for ways these coastal communities can manage and adapt to changes brought on by the climate crisis. As the project moves forward in collaboration with Great Lakes states, the Corps should prioritize natural shorelines, enhanced coastal buffers like wetlands, and offshore reefs to dissipate wave energy as ways for communities to manage changes in lake levels.

Truly resilient shorelines won’t be built parcel by parcel, but miles at a time. Investing in the Great Lakes’ coasts needs to be a top priority for Congress, and this study is a critical step to identify the places most in need. The coasts are some of the most economically and ecologically important parts of the lakes, and we are looking forward to working with the Corps and the states to restore and protect our shores at the scale the Great Lakes deserve.

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Media contact: Please connect with our media team at TeamGreatLakes@mrss.com.

The post Alliance Applauds Agreement to Move Forward with Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/09/alliance-applauds-agreement-to-move-forward-with-great-lakes-coastal-resiliency-study/

Adopt-a-Beach Reaches a Milestone

On: September 29, 2022

In: Uncategorized

The Power of the Great Lakes Community: Half a Million Pounds.

Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Adopt-a-Beach program. As we dug into the data we’d collected, we realized the program was approaching a milestone. Beach by beach, team by team, Adopt-a-Beach volunteers had removed more than 465,000 pounds of litter from Great Lakes beaches and shorelines since 2003, when we started tracking litter in our online database.

So we set a big goal for 2022: reach half a million pounds of litter.

Today, we’re proud to announce that Adopt-a-Beach has reached that milestone. As of September 29, 2022, Adopt-a-Beach volunteers have removed 501,336 pounds of litter from Great Lakes beaches and shorelines. That’s 8,859,735 individual pieces!

This amazing achievement represents the work of more than 200,000 volunteers over the past twenty years. Community and faith groups. Families and businesses. Grade schools and high schools. Alumni organizations. Surfers, scuba divers, and professional mermaids. On all 5 Great Lakes. In all 8 Great Lakes states.

Their accomplishment shows the magnitude of what can be accomplished when Great Lakes communities work together – and also shines a powerful spotlight on plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Year after year, more than 85% of the litter collected is made of plastic, a number we know due to volunteers’ dedication to collecting data in addition to keeping beaches clean.

Their stewardship is an expression of love for the lakes — done with a sense of pride and thanksgiving for this unique region we call home.

Thank you to all the Adopt-a-Beach Team Leaders, volunteers, and supporters who made this achievement possible. This couldn’t have happened without you!

Special thanks to this year’s top Adopt-a-Beach sponsors: Brunswick Foundation, Meijer, and Unilever.

Meet some of the volunteers who helped put Adopt-a-Beach over the top.

LAKE ONTARIO: Volunteers at Durand Beach, Rochester, New York.

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers weigh litter at 7 different cleanups..

Host a Beach Cleanup

The Adopt-a-Beach season isn’t over. There’s still time to schedule a cleanup of your own!

Schedule a Cleanup

The post Adopt-a-Beach Reaches a Milestone appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/09/adopt-a-beach-reaches-a-milestone/

Top 5 Questions to Ask Candidates Great Lakes Voter Information Center

2022 Midterm Elections: How to Get Involved

On: September 21, 2022

In: Uncategorized

Election day – Tuesday, November 8 – is just around the corner. Many federal, state, and local offices are on the ballot around the Great Lakes region.

Seven Great Lakes states have gubernatorial elections this year. (The exception is Indiana.) Six states have U.S. Senate races on the ballot – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election. And numerous state and local offices are on ballots

Voters like you can make sure that the Great Lakes and clean water are part of the election-year conversation. Every office on the ballot will have the opportunity to influence Great Lakes and water issues once elected.

The Great Lakes have long enjoyed strong bipartisan support because people of all backgrounds can see the value of clean water. To protect the lakes, we need to defend existing clean water laws while pushing for stronger, better protections for the world’s largest source of surface freshwater. And we must ensure that everyone in the Great Lakes region has access to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water.

Right now, we have an opportunity to encourage candidates to stand up for the Great Lakes and hold them accountable once elected. You can have an impact by using the tools below to join the conversation today.

Your voice and your vote matter. Civic engagement is a critical part of protecting the Great Lakes. Whether it’s asking questions at a candidate forum, chiming in on social media, or highlighting water issues in a letter to the editor, your voice makes a difference. People running for elected office pay attention to issues that bubble to the top in all of these venues.

Tips to Get Involved this Election Season

Raise Awareness about Great Lakes Issues

Asking candidates for any office where they stand on Great Lakes issues raises awareness, highlights the issues, and allows us as constituents to hold elected officials accountable once they take office. To get you started, here are five questions to ask candidates for elected office.

What is your number one Great Lakes policy priority?
What policies will you put in place to ensure Great Lakes communities have safe, clean, and affordable drinking water?
If elected, what would you do in your first 100 days in office to protect the Great Lakes for people who live, work and play in the region and depend on them for drinking water?
What will you do to increase much-needed funding for the Great Lakes region’s failing drinking and wastewater infrastructure and ensure that no one loses access to water and sewer services because of an inability to pay?
How will you ensure that businesses, from industrial facilities to industrial agriculture, are held accountable for pollution flowing into our waterways?

Telling your story can be powerful and can help to get attention for issues you care about. You can make the questions above your own by sharing personal experiences and by replacing “Great Lakes” with your home lake.

Candidate forums provide an opportunity to engage with individuals running for office and ask important questions about their platforms and positions. Asking questions about how the candidate plans to take action if elected at these events is one way to get water issues into the election-year conversation. Read our fact sheet for more tips on how to find and get involved with candidate forums in your community.

Another important step is to learn about the elected offices on your ballot. Elected officials set program and funding priorities that can lead to better protections for the lakes or leave them more vulnerable to pollution. They oversee agencies that implement clean water laws and regulations. And they make budget decisions that impact Great Lakes programs. Read our fact sheet with helpful tips on how to find out more about the elected offices on your ballot.

Social media can help spread the word about Great Lakes issues and provides an opportunity to connect with candidates for office. By speaking out on social media and sharing information with your network, voters like you can make sure that the Great Lakes and clean water are part of the election-year conversation. Read our fact sheet with tips on how to effectively use social media.

Create Your Plan to Vote and Encourage Others to Vote

Voting is the most important way for you to have a voice in how our elected officials protect our water. It’s important to make a voting plan to be sure your voice is heard on Election Day. Visit our Great Lakes Voter Information Center and enter your address to check the status of your registration. Read our fact sheet with tips on how to make your plan to vote.

Encourage others to vote by sharing the Great Lakes Voter Information Center and help them make a plan to vote.

Note: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Alliance for the Great Lakes cannot support or oppose candidates or political parties. However, we can and do, educate candidates and voters on Great Lakes issues.

Get Involved This Election Season

Your voice and your vote matter. Encourage candidates to stand up for the Great Lakes.

The post 2022 Midterm Elections: How to Get Involved appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/09/2022-midterm-elections-how-to-get-involved/

Helping Great Lakes Communities Manage Climate Change Impacts

On: September 13, 2022

In: Uncategorized

Note: This blog is part of a periodic series of updates from Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director of Federal Government Relations, with his view on Great Lakes policy from Washington, DC.

New legislation passed by Congress, and signed into law by the President in July, represents a major step forward for the U.S. to address the climate change threat. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 contains a $369 billion investment in climate related spending and will transform America’s energy policy and put the U.S. on track to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. Through a series of tax incentives and direct spending, the Act invests in renewable energy and energy efficiency, including clean energy technology, solar panels and offshore wind; boosts electric vehicle markets; supports coastal resilience; and invests in communities most impacted by pollution.

But what does the Inflation Reduction Act and its climate change provisions mean for the Great Lakes and how do the programs it supports benefit our communities? Several provisions are beneficial to Great Lakes states, including $3.3 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support coastal communities throughout the country, including in the Great Lakes, to prepare and build climate resilience to respond to major weather and climate events. For the last several years, communities around the Great Lakes have suffered from unpredictable fluctuations in lake levels and more frequent and intense precipitation and flooding. The NOAA funding will allow states, Tribes, and local governments to address these challenges.

The Act includes funding for nature-based solutions for climate change with $20 billion to support climate-smart agriculture, including the popular Environmental Quality Incentive Program. The program encourages farmers to plant cover crops, better manage water resources, and conserve grasslands. The Act also includes $5 billion for healthy forest conservation. Healthy forests, restored and undisturbed wetlands, and undisturbed prairies all pull carbon out of the atmosphere and complement other climate change measures.

The Act also invests in communities most impacted by pollution, including low-income communities and communities of color. In addition to accelerating clean energy investments in affordable housing and air quality monitoring, the Act includes $3 billion in environment and climate justice block grants to support enhanced community engagement.

Climate change is a serious threat to the Great Lakes, and the impacts are being felt today. The Inflation Reduction Act will help Great Lakes communities be more resilient to face this challenge.

4 Ways Climate Change Is Challenging the Great Lakes

We’ve identified the biggest climate change challenges facing the Great Lakes and actionable ideas that will ensure healthy lakes for future generations.

The post Helping Great Lakes Communities Manage Climate Change Impacts appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/09/helping-great-lakes-communities-manage-climate-change-impacts/

Plastic-Free Great Lakes Toolkit

Plastic Pollution

On: September 13, 2022

In: Uncategorized

Our Guest: Dr. Sherri Mason

Today we’re chatting with Dr. Sherri Mason, a leading expert on plastic pollution. Her award-winning work has drawn international attention to the threat of microplastics in our waters and led to the passage of national legislation banning microbeads.

Dr. Mason shares some fascinating perspectives on plastic pollution in the Great Lakes:

Why we should be concerned about microplastics

“I’m not anti-plastic. I’m anti-stupid plastic.”

Where we can start to help keep plastic out of the Great Lakes

Listen to the Episode

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About Our Guest

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The post Plastic Pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/09/plastic-pollution/

Alliance Commends H2Ohio Investment in Lead Service Line Mapping

On: August 11, 2022

In: Uncategorized

Chicago, IL (August 11, 2022) – The Alliance for the Great Lakes believes that access to clean water is a necessity that should never be denied, and we commend Gov. DeWine on investing $1.5 million that will help local communities identify and map lead service lines throughout the state of Ohio.

Mapping out where lead service lines exist so they can eventually be replaced is an important step in creating a water infrastructure system that equitably delivers safe, clean water to all Ohioans.

Ohio has the second-most lead service lines of any state in the country and, as the governor has said, there’s simply no safe level of lead exposure — especially for children, the elderly and other vulnerable communities. The Alliance looks forward to continued collaboration with the governor’s office on this important issue.

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Media contact: Please connect with our media team at TeamGreatLakes@mrss.com.

The post Alliance Commends H2Ohio Investment in Lead Service Line Mapping appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/08/alliance-commends-h2ohio-investment-in-lead-service-line-mapping/

Mid-Year Update: Alliance’s 2022 Federal Priorities

On: July 24, 2022

In: Uncategorized

Note: This blog is part of a periodic series of updates from Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director of Federal Government Relations, with his view on Great Lakes policy from Washington, DC.

At the beginning of the year we announced an ambitious federal policy agenda. We’re now just past the halfway mark of the year. So we’re asking: are we making progress, or is there more we can do to advocate for the Great Lakes?

As a quick refresher, our policy agenda for 2022 included:

Increasing funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative;
Increasing funding for water infrastructure; and
Securing a cost share change for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam Project so that the project would be fully funded by the federal government.

House Makes Progress on Funding Great Lakes Priorities

On the funding side, the U.S. House of Representatives responded to our priorities and just voted on an appropriations bill that includes increased funds for the Great Lakes. Included in the “minibus” legislation (approximately six appropriations bills all bundled together) are:

$2.9 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which is approximately level with last year and will provide funding to states to address water infrastructure needs like replacing lead pipes;

$368 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is an increase of $20 million over last year’s funding and represents critical funding to address regional priorities such as cleaning up toxic hot spots, habitat restoration, water quality improvements, and managing invasive species;

$47.8 million for the first phase of construction of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, to keep invasive carp out of the lakes; and

$3 million for the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study, an increase of $2.5 million over the President’s Budget, that will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to start this important effort to address climate change and the needs of coastal communities in the face of fluctuating lake levels.

While the Senate has yet to move any funding bills for a vote, the House actions are encouraging. They demonstrate that Congress recognizes the importance of these programs to a healthy Great Lakes.

Bipartisan Action to Stop Invasive Carp

In addition to funding, the House and Senate – on a bipartisan vote – are moving legislation that continues strong momentum to stop invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan.

Invasive carp pose a serious threat to the Great Lakes. Silver and bighead carp have already wreaked havoc on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, out-competing native fish for food and injuring people who recreate on the rivers. The invasive fish are steadily spreading upstream toward Lake Michigan. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun designing a critical project to stop invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan by installing prevention measures at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois, a chokepoint in waterways leading to Lake Michigan.

The House passed its version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 that will increase the federal cost-share – which is how much the federal government will chip in for this critical project – to 90%. The Senate has moved its version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 out of committee and is expected to pass the bill later this summer. The Senate committee bill also includes the same cost-share provision as the House bill. This is good news and shows that Congress and the Administration recognize that the invasive carp moving toward Lake Michigan threaten the entire Great Lakes region.

Looking Ahead, Your Voice Makes a Difference

The legislative process will continue for the next several months and hopefully conclude before the start of the new federal fiscal year in October. We are encouraged by the progress thus far and will continue to press for increased funding and authority for programs that support and maintain the Great Lakes.

But it’s not too late for you to weigh in and encourage your members of congress to support clean water and a healthy Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Action Center

Your voice, when combined with thousands of advocates around the lakes, can make a difference!

Visit the Action Center

The post Mid-Year Update: Alliance’s 2022 Federal Priorities appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/07/mid-year-update-alliances-2022-federal-priorities/

Alliance Statement on the 2022 Western Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast

On: June 30, 2022

In: Uncategorized

Chicago, IL (June 30, 2022) – Earlier today, NOAA and its research partners released the annual western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom forecast. In response, Alliance for the Great Lakes Agriculture and Restoration Policy Director Tom Zimnicki made the following statement:

“Each summer, western Lake Erie is plagued by harmful algal blooms fueled by nutrient pollution flowing off upstream agricultural lands. While this year’s bloom is forecasted to be relatively mild compared to past years, even a smaller bloom can turn toxic and threaten drinking water safety. The cost burden of these blooms on ratepayers is real. According to new research from the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a family of five in Toledo is paying roughly an additional $100/year in their water bill because of this pollution. The Alliance remains committed to addressing water pollution in western Lake Erie and working with Ohio lawmakers to solve this problem. Downstream ratepayers should not have to shoulder the financial burden or health impacts of this pollution problem.”

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Media Contact: Jennifer Caddick, jcaddick@greatlakes.org

The post Alliance Statement on the 2022 Western Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

https://greatlakes.org/2022/06/alliance-statement-on-the-2022-western-lake-erie-harmful-algal-bloom-forecast/