On:
In: Agricultural runoff, Climate change in the Great Lakes, Drinking Water, great lakes restoration, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes
Maria Iturbide-Chang, Director of Water Resources

Last month, I had the opportunity to participate in discussions around the release of the State of the Great Lakes (SOGL) Report. Sitting alongside scientists, federal agency representatives, community members, and regional partners at the Great Lakes Public Forum, I was reminded of something fundamental: the Great Lakes are resilient, but they are not invincible. 

The State of the Great Lakes Report 2025 is a collaborative binational assessment by the United States and Canada under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), which paints a picture of progress and persistent challenges for the water that sustains us, our communities, and our economies. 

The report provides a valuable binational snapshot of ecosystem health and highlights important gains. It also reveals persistent gaps and, perhaps most importantly, raises questions about whether we are prepared for what lies ahead. 

Trends in Great Lakes Indicators 

Across the Great Lakes Basin, the report shows that the Great Lakes continue to be an excellent source of drinking water and that beaches remain safe for swimming and recreation throughout much of the season, affirming their immense value as natural resources for millions of people. But this progress did not happen by accident. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has been one of the most effective federal investments in freshwater protection, accelerating cleanup in long-polluted Areas of Concern (AOC) and restoring habitat across the region.  

Through coordinated and collaborative efforts, GLRI funding has supported contaminated sediment removal, wetland and shoreline restoration, and long-term monitoring that delivers measurable community and ecological benefits. The delisting of Muskegon Lake stands as a powerful example of what sustained commitment can achieve, transforming a once-degraded water body into a restored ecosystem that supports recreation, local economy, and wildlife vitality. As the Alliance advocates for GLRI reauthorization in 2026, these successes demonstrate that when we invest in science-based restoration and strong partnerships, we protect drinking water, strengthen communities, and move the Great Lakes from recovery toward long-term resilience. 

Overall assessment: largely “fair” and “unchanging” 

The overall assessment remains largely “fair” and “unchanging.” That tells a nuanced story. Some long-term efforts are working. Legacy toxic chemicals continue to decline in many areas. Certain habitat restoration initiatives have delivered measurable ecological improvements. New introductions of invasive species have slowed compared with previous decades. 

But other trends are troubling. Nutrient pollution continues to drive harmful algal blooms, particularly in Lake Erie, threatening drinking water supplies, public health, fisheries, and local economies. What is especially concerning is that this pattern persists despite more than a decade of significant investment in voluntary best management practices. While voluntary programs have generated important partnerships and localized improvements, basin-wide nutrient reductions have not occurred at the scale or speed required to meet water quality targets. This reality reinforces the need for stronger, enforceable standards and accountability mechanisms alongside continued technical and financial support that is adapted and directed at incentivizing the practices that work best. If we are serious about protecting the Great Lakes, nutrient pollution must be addressed not only through incentives, but through clear regulatory frameworks that ensure measurable, basin-wide reductions. 

Climate change 

Climate change, now referred to as climate trends in the report, is amplifying hydrological extremes. Shoreline erosion, warming waters, drought periods, and habitat shifts are accelerating. Invasive species already established in the basin continue to reshape food webs. At the same time, real progress is being made through renewable energy investments, climate adaptation planning, wetland restoration, green infrastructure, and regional collaboration under frameworks like the Great Lakes Compact and GLRI. Yet this progress remains uneven and fragile, as climate impacts often outpace policy responses and funding stability, underscoring the need for sustained, science-based, and climate resilient water management across the basin. 

More focus needed on wetlands 

One area that deserves greater urgency and attention is wetlands. Wetlands are natural infrastructure. They filter pollutants, recharge groundwater, buffer floods, stabilize shorelines, and provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife. While the report recognizes habitat conditions, it does not fully capture the accelerating pressures on coastal and inland wetlands, including development, shoreline hardening, hydrologic alteration, and climate-driven water level fluctuations. At the same time, the likelihood that federal wetland protections will be weakened under ongoing changes to the Water of the United States (WOTUS) rule makes this moment even more consequential. As the scope of federal jurisdiction is reduced, wetlands that lack continuous surface connections, especially isolated and headwater wetlands, are increasingly excluded from Clean Water Act protection. This reality means states across the Great Lakes basin must step up to fill emerging regulatory gaps.  

As we face more intense storms and fluctuating lake levels, wetlands are among our most effective and cost-efficient climate adaptation tools. Protecting and restoring them cannot remain optional or secondary. It must be central to the region’s next phase of action through science-based stronger-state level protections, clear regulatory standards, and sustained restoration investment. 

Weakening science capacity and reducing staff 

Strong science underpins sound water policy. Monitoring networks across the basin, tracking nutrients, contaminants, water levels, and ecosystem indicators, allow us to identify emerging threats and respond early. But monitoring capacity is only as strong as the institutions that support it. We are increasingly concerned about constraints on federal and state agency resources, threats to regulatory authorities, and reductions in scientific staffing. For example, the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) experienced significant staffing reductions in 2025, with independent reporting indicating that the laboratory has lost roughly 35% of its approximately 48 person workforce as key scientists, communication staff, and probationary employees were dismissed or left under pressure from federal hiring freezes. This loss has created serious gaps in harmful algal bloom monitoring and other core research functions. If scientific capacity erodes, early warning systems weaken. And when early warning systems weaken, communities pay the price. 

The emerging threat of microplastics 

The report provides a comprehensive overview of many indicators, but some emerging threats deserve deeper integration. Microplastics are now widespread across the basin, from open waters to drinking water sources. PFAS and other emerging contaminants pose long-term threats to public health, wildlife, and fisheries. While these issues are acknowledged in broader research discussions, they are not yet fully integrated into basin-wide condition assessments to the extent warranted. We cannot manage what we do not comprehensively measure. 

Water infrastructure 

Another critical dimension is water infrastructure. Although the report does not focus on these aspects of water quality, aging drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems shape water quality outcomes every day. Combined sewer overflows, failing pipes, and inequitable access to safe water and sewer service remain pressing challenges, impacting human health and well-being along with ecosystem health. Properly scoped, designed and implemented, water and sewer infrastructure is environmental protection, as well as public health protection and climate resilience. 

Without sustained investment, equitable prioritization of infrastructure projects and equitable funding mechanisms, progress on ecosystem and human health will be limited. 

How This Connects to the Alliance’s Work 

At the Alliance for the Great Lakes, our work intersects directly with the trends identified in the SOGL report: 

  • The Alliance works to ensure sustainable water use across the basin by promoting and informing policies that protect Great Lakes water from excessive withdrawals and reduce the need for diversions to support large water users, such as data centers. For example, the Alliance engages in constant public, administrative agency, and lawmaker education regarding sustainable water management, coordinates and informs policy recommendations with in-state partners, participates in forums that promote water recycling and reuse, and is producing a forthcoming playbook for communities facing large water use proposals. 
  • The Alliance works to advance our belief that the Great Lakes are both a shared treasure and a shared responsibility. We work across the region to advance strong, science-based policies that protect water quality and quantity, prevent pollution, and promote sustainable use.  For example, Alliance staff and partners met with Ohio lawmakers to provide education regarding solutions for safe and affordable water. The Alliance highlighted the need to address agricultural pollution, strengthen programs like H2Ohio, and accelerate lead service line replacement to protect public health and the Great Lakes. By engaging policymakers, community leaders, scientists, and advocates, we help ensure that decisions today safeguard clean, affordable, and resilient water resources for future generations. 
  • The Alliance is tracking emerging contaminants and elevating the issue of plastic pollution, which is now widespread throughout the Great Lakes, sediments, and even drinking water sources. We advocate for stronger federal and state policies to reduce plastic pollution at its source, including measures to prevent industrial plastic pellet spills, reduce microfiber release, and limit single-use- plastics. Through partnerships with scientists, utilities, and community organizations, the Alliance advances prevention, public education, and infrastructure solutions to keep plastics out of the Great Lakes. 
  • The Alliance is actively engaged in federal policy efforts aimed at expanding and improving water infrastructure funding to meet the basin’s needs. The Alliance advocates for Congress to fully fund water infrastructure programs and target resources to communities with the greatest needs, especially those historically underserved or grappling with affordability, lead service lines, aging systems, or failing wastewater plants.  Our 2026 Federal Priorities include pressing for significant increases in water infrastructure investment and ensuring these funds are distributed equitably. 
  • At the Alliance, strengthening the science to policy engine is central to our mission. We work to ensure that the best available data, from water monitoring, emerging contaminant research, nutrient loading trends, and water use analysis, directly informs policy at the state and federal levels. That means translating complex science into clear policy recommendations, advocating and making the case for enforceable standards where voluntary approaches fall short, and defending the institutional capacity of administrative agencies responsible for protecting our water. By connecting research, regulatory frameworks, and community priorities, the Alliance helps move science out of reports and into real-world protections that safeguard drinking water, ecosystems and the long-term resilience of the Great Lakes 

Looking forward 

The report affirms that these priorities are not abstract. They are essential to the region’s stability. Perhaps the most important question is not where we stand today, but whether the region is positioned to meet the next three years of challenges. 

Although SOGL no longer uses the terminology of climate change, we know that changes in physical conditions (as it is now described) are increasing. Development pressures continue. Industrial water demand is growing. Emerging contaminants are expanding faster than regulatory frameworks. If scientific capacity is weakened, if regulatory authorities are constrained, or if environmental protections are rolled back, the progress documented in the report could stall or reverse. The Great Lakes require consistent stewardship, not episodic attention. 

Participating in the State of the Great Lakes discussions reinforced both my optimism and my urgency. The Great Lakes Basin has a strong foundation of binational cooperation. Decades of cleanup efforts have delivered measurable results. Community leadership is rising. But resilience is not automatic. It must be built through science, policy, infrastructure, and public engagement. The Great Lakes are resilient waters. Our institutions must be just as resilient. The work ahead demands that we act with ambition recognizing that protecting the largest freshwater system on Earth is not a one-time achievement but a continuous responsibility. 

Protect the Great Lakes

Your contribution supports advocacy that protects the Great Lakes today and far into the future.

Give a gift today

The post What the State of the Great Lakes Report Tells Us About Our Future  appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2026/03/what-the-state-of-the-great-lakes-report-tells-us-about-our-future/

tfazzini

On:
In: Climate change in the Great Lakes, Drinking Water, Drinking water affordability, Environmental Justice, Lead service lines, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

This year’s Healing Our Waters (HOW) Conference in Chicago brought together advocates, community leaders, and passionate individuals to address major issues facing the Great Lakes, including the pressing issue of water justice. The event focused on solutions, driven by people committed to ensuring that clean water and proper sanitation are accessible to everyone—especially those living in underserved communities. Many members of the Alliance for the Great Lakes team attended the conference, led panels, and participated in planning. Over the two days, one message was clear: this is a fight for fairness, and the people on the ground are leading the charge. 

Spotlight on Chicago’s Fight for Water Justice 

Meleah Geertsma, Director of Clean Water and Equity at the Alliance for the Great Lakes, facilitated a thoughtful discussion on how community advocates in Chicago have been battling against unfair land use and zoning policies that have harmed neighborhoods for decades. These advocates are using a civil rights legal framework to fight for water justice, focusing especially on issues like flooding and inadequate sanitation systems. They’re not doing it alone—there’s a collaborative effort with city government to make lasting changes. 

Meleah began by asking the audience key questions, like how familiar they were with environmental justice cases such as Sackett, a recent environmental law case that weakened the Clean Water Act, and Zanesville, which relied on civil rights law to address denial of water service for a community in Ohio. The responses varied, revealing that while some cases are well-known, especially environmental law decisions, there’s still a need for greater awareness and education about how civil rights law can be an effective tool in the fight for environmental justice. 

Left to Right: Gaby Wagener-Sobrero, Rob Weinstock, Olga Bautista and Meleah Geertsma

Insights from the Panel 

The panel brought together three leaders who have been on the frontlines of the fight for water justice: 

  • Olga Bautista, Executive Director of the Southeast Environmental Task Force, shared how years of hard work resulted in a groundbreaking agreement between the City of Chicago and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She emphasized that viewing water justice through a civil rights lens has been essential in getting local government to take long-overdue action. 
  • Rob Weinstock, Director of the Environmental Advocacy Center at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, highlighted the importance of legal support for communities. He explained that his team’s mission is to equip these communities with the legal tools they need to keep pushing for the changes they deserve. 
  • Gaby Wagener-Sobrero, Environmental Justice Manager for the Chicago Department of Environment, spoke about the shift happening within the city government. She explained that they are now prioritizing communities that have been neglected for too long, working closely with local advocates to address water justice concerns. 

More than 40 people attended the panel. The presence of a representative from the City of Chicago, working alongside community and legal experts demonstrated the growing collaboration between the government and the people who are most affected by these issues. 

Celebrating Success and Looking Forward 

Angela Larson

Angela Larsen, Director of Planning and a member of the conference host committee, played a key role in shaping several discussions throughout the event. Her focus was on celebrating the successes of community-driven efforts and ensuring that future strategies are built around the voices of those most impacted by water issues. Angela made it clear: if we want real change, community vision must be at the heart of every decision. 

Tom Zimnicki

Tom Zimnicki, the Alliance’s Agriculture & Restoration Policy Director presented on his team’s work monitoring water quality and implementing conservation practices in the Lake Erie watershed. The goal of the project is to reduce harmful algal blooms that make the lake’s water toxic to fish, wildlife, pets, and people. They’re deploying sensors in key watersheds in the Western Basin of Lake Erie to track nutrient runoff, primarily from agricultural land uses, which enters streams and tributaries to Lake Erie and fuels the algal blooms.  

Hands-On Learning at Oak Street Beach 

Beyond the panels, attendees were able to take part in hands-on learning during a field trip to Oak Street Beach. Hosted by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Shedd Aquarium, and Save the Dunes, the field trip involved a beach cleanup as part of the “Great Lakes Litter Data” initiative. More than 26 participants joined in, removing over 2,000 pieces of litter—including plastic, foam, and cigarette butts. It was not only a chance to help clean the lakefront but also an opportunity to learn more about plastic pollution and the impact of community science. 

The Power of Community Advocacy 

From insightful panel discussions to hands-on activities, the HOW Conference was a demonstration of the power of community advocacy. It showed how real change happens when communities, legal experts, and government officials come together with a shared vision. This conference may be over, but the fight for water justice is far from finished as we work to ensure equitable access to clean water across the Great Lakes. 

The post Healing Our Waters Conference Recap: Community Voices Leading the Charge for Water Justice  appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2024/10/healing-our-water-conference-recap-community-voices-leading-the-charge-for-water-justice/

Michelle Farley

On:
In: Climate change in the Great Lakes, Drinking Water, Drinking water affordability, Environmental Justice, Lead service lines, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

Note: This blog was written by Vice President of Policy and Strategic Engagement Crystal M.C. Davis.

Attending the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai was an incredible experience, one that I was fortunate to be a part of thanks to the Black Environmental Leaders Association (BEL). As a founding member and board member, it was amazing to see how the organization’s support brought our mission to a global stage, showing just how far our collective efforts in environmental advocacy can reach.

Celebrating the Role of Black Environmental Leaders

Our delegation’s presence at COP28 was a testament to the organization’s commitment to environmental advocacy and its impact on a global scale. I was privileged to represent not only the Alliance for the Great Lakes but also the voices and perspectives that BEL leaders bring to the forefront of environmental justice.

Global and Local Interplay: Understanding Our Collective Impact

At COP28, the interconnectedness of local and global environmental efforts became increasingly clear. The insights I gained there have deepened my understanding of how our regional work across states and cities aligns with national and global environmental initiatives. It’s evident now more than ever that our individual efforts have profound global implications. This revelation was a recurring theme throughout the conference, emphasizing the significant impact of water stewardship and innovation on a global scale. COP28 was not just about global dialogues; it was about finding local relevance in these discussions. The insights gained from the conference will be instrumental in shaping our approach to water and climate issues in the Great Lakes region. The shared knowledge and strategies from the global stage will help us develop more effective local solutions.

Water Stewardship: An Economic Imperative

The conference illuminated an essential truth: water stewardship and innovation are not only environmental responsibilities but also make sound economic sense. This alignment of environmental, racial, health, and economic justice was a key focus, with several sessions exploring the financial aspects of climate action. The discussions at COP28 reinforced the notion that environmental conservation is intrinsically linked to broader economic strategies.

The Alliance for the Great Lakes: Bridging Justice and Environmental Action

At the Alliance for the Great Lakes, we’ve recognized the intertwined nature of environmental, racial, health, and economic justice. COP28 served to reaffirm this understanding, highlighting how environmental initiatives, especially those focused on water, are crucial in building a just and sustainable economic future. Our commitment to these principles was echoed in the global discourse at the conference, reinforcing the value and urgency of our work.

Forward with Renewed Vision

Reflecting on the experiences and lessons from COP28, I am filled with a renewed sense of purpose and clarity. As we move forward, the Alliance for the Great Lakes is more equipped than ever to play a pivotal role in fostering environmental justice and economic sustainability, both regionally and globally.

Together, we are making strides toward a future where environmental stewardship and economic progress go hand in hand.

The post Reflections from COP28: A Journey of Global Impact and Local Stewardship appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2023/12/reflections-from-cop28-a-journey-of-global-impact-and-local-stewardship/

Michelle Farley

On:
In: Climate change in the Great Lakes, Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes
Gloria Araya Photography 
From left to right: Asiana Spaw, One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest Winner; Matt Altstiel, Alliance for the Great Lakes Vice President for Development; Genevieve Fletcher, Individual Giving Manager; Molly Flanagan, Chief Operating Officer & Vice President for Programs 

The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest invites inspiring young filmmakers across the world, from grades three through post-grad, to submit films that address today’s most pressing environmental challenges. The contest winners receive a financial award for their winning films, which premiered in front of a live and virtual audience at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago this September.  

In accompaniment to their own award, the winners choose an environmental nonprofit whose mission aligns with the subject of their film to receive a matching grant. This year, the Alliance was the grateful recipient of a matching grant award chosen by high school senior, Asiana Spaw, the winner of the 2023 One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest College Level Award for her short film, Microplastics: Not a Small Problem. Several Alliance staff attended the Awards Celebration and were able to meet Asiana and her parents and see her film along with nine other outstanding films by students across the country and the world. 

Asiana is a 12th-grader from Northwest Indiana who grew up visiting Lake Michigan. Her film addresses the issue of microplastics in the Great Lakes and its effect on marine life and human populations. The film highlights the need to not only reduce single-use plastic but also the need for legislative action. Her message aligns well with the Alliance for the Great Lakes’ work to reduce plastic pollution both on the ground and through policy and advocacy. 

Another winning student, 8th grader, Andrew Older, from River Forest, Illinois, received an Honorable Mention Award for his three-minute short film titled, Invasive Fish in the Des Plaines River. In his film, Andrew explained how invasive carp and goby fish got into the river and how they are outcompeting native species, threatening the local ecology. He also included information on organizations that work to prevent the spread of invasive species, including the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and encouraged viewers to donate to the cause (Thank you, Andrew!). His film premiered at the One Earth Young Filmmakers Honorable Mention Awards Virtual Screening on November 4th. 

Read on to hear from the students in their own words and watch their 3- and 4-minute short films!  

Asiana Spaw 

“I am a 12th grade filmmaker from Northwest Indiana. Most of my work is narrative, and I love to include social issues and my intersectional experiences. Besides classes and filmmaking, I spend my time competing on the Speech team, coxing for crew, and playing the oboe! 

I made this short documentary over a few days for the One Earth Young Filmmaker’s Contest to call attention to an issue local to me. Before my research, I had little familiarity with how plastic pollution can affect lakes differently from the ocean, which tends to gain more media attention. As I live near Lake Michigan, I both want to see less trash along the shores and know that my drinking water is free from unknown contaminants. I chose the Alliance for the Great Lakes because they lead excellent efforts, like the Adopt-a-Beach cleanups, to preserve our Great Lakes. I look forward to seeing their continued work to mitigate the threats to these bodies of water.” 

Andrew Older 

Andrew Older is an 8th-grade student at Roosevelt Middle School. He lives in River Forest with his parents, sister, and dog Theo. He loves spending time outside and Thatcher Woods is a favorite spot. 

“I created this video to raise awareness about invasive species in the Des Plaines River, a local river near my house where I regularly fish. One time, while fishing, I noticed that most of the fish I was catching were Gobi fish. After learning from my teacher, Mr. Schlacter, that they were an invasive fish species, I submitted a video on the topic to the One Earth Film Festival, a global environmental film competition. I learned that even one action, even if it is small, can make a difference because it can inspire others to take action. If we all do something, it can have an impact on the environment.” 

The Alliance is inspired by the work of Asiana and Andrew to spread awareness about these important Great Lakes issues. We commend them and the One Earth Film Festival for encouraging environmental activism as well as environmental philanthropy through film.  

To watch the full screening of the 2023 One Earth Young Filmmakers First-Place Contest Awards and Honorable Mention Awards short films, click the below links: 

The post One Earth: Young Filmmakers Shine A Light on Great Lakes Issues  appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2023/11/one-earth-young-filmmakers-shine-a-light-on-great-lakes-issues/

Michelle Farley

On:
In: Climate change in the Great Lakes
Joel Brammeier headshot.
Joel Brammeier, ​President & CEO

Nothing beats a road trip after a long hiatus from travel. Covering ground by car gives me an opportunity to reconnect with places around the Great Lakes that I have not been to in years. At the end of September, I drove from Chicago to Niagara Falls, Ontario, for the triennial Great Lakes Public Forum – more on that in a moment.  

In three days, I saw and sometimes touched two Great Lakes (Michigan and Ontario), one really excellent lake (St. Clair), three mighty rivers (St. Clair, Detroit, and Niagara), and of course, the majestic Niagara Falls. 500 miles from end to end, and every drop of the water is shared. I missed Lake Erie only because I ran out of time for another detour.  

Seeing all this connected water in just a few days reminded me how urgent it is for us all to expand the vision of what it means to restore our Great Lakes. While we are making great strides in cleaning up the sins of the past, the lakes are changing before our eyes. Many communities still won’t enjoy the benefits of living so close to such immense fresh water even if we achieve current restoration goals. 

The trip would be worthwhile even with no destination, but I was bound to and from the Great Lakes Public Forum. The Forum happens every three years as a follow-up to the triennial “State of the Great Lakes” report issued by the United States and Canada. The report and the Forum are requirements under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the two countries. This year the Agreement celebrated its 50th anniversary. Many of the attendees are government officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, and the state and provincial levels. The idea is that the governments review and discuss the findings with advocates, scientists, and, more generally, the people of the Great Lakes. I want to share a bit of what I saw and heard because it tells part of the story of what’s needed for a restored and protected Great Lakes in the future. 

Credit where it’s due. We are making admirable progress toward cleaning up the Great Lakes “Areas of Concern,” which are highly contaminated waters designated in 1987. In the U.S, much of the pollution in these “AOCs” lingered until the creation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Congress appropriated an additional $1 billion in 2021 to fast-track cleanup of most of these sites by 2030. Advocates in Canada continue to seek a larger federal investment in Great Lakes restoration. Beach health continues to improve with reductions in chronic sewage overflows and increases in cleaning up stormwater with natural solutions and better infrastructure design, operations, and management. 

Not all the news is good. Invasive species already in the Great Lakes continue to devastate the ecology and economy of the region, requiring ongoing vigilance and spending. Nutrient pollution hotspots, largely fed by agriculture, plague large watersheds like Green Bay, Saginaw Bay, and Lake Erie. Algal blooms are showing up in cold Lake Superior. Our waters and lands are showing the impacts of a changing climate. While some fish consumption advisories are improving, emerging pollutants like PFAS and plastics are less “emerging” and more “present.”  

Disconnects abound. Sometimes government agencies are having one conversation while advocates are demanding another. Take drinking water.  The report gives Great Lakes drinking water a “good” or “green” score because the lakes can serve as a reliable source of drinking water when treated. But for someone who gets their water from Lake Erie, where the intakes have alert systems to detect the presence of toxic algae, that doesn’t feel right. And hundreds of communities that rely on lake water but distribute it through lead pipes don’t see their drinking water as “good.”  

Algal blooms and nutrient pollution is another searing hot example. While most of the presentations focused on understanding blooms and the investment being made in voluntary cleanups, questions from the audience were much more pointed. Are you going to regulate farms and animal feedlots to reduce pollution? Why are people bearing the cost and health burden of this pollution when we know what the problem is and what would solve it? Are people in those communities going to have a say in deciding how cleanup happens? And over and over – why is this taking so long? 

Many people, myself included, want answers from our elected officials who have the power to change policy and get more forceful in cleaning up farms and ensuring safe drinking water. It was clear those answers were not in that room. There were not many U.S. advocates in the room either, and I think that’s partially because people know the Forum is not where critical water decisions are made. 

Reflecting the people of the Great Lakes. Indigenous voices and advocates had a strong presence at the event. Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare gave opening comments on day two, describing the personal and tragic impacts on families that lack of access to clean water is having on Ontario First Nations communities. It echoed stories I have listened to from residents in American Great Lakes cities. After Chief Hare’s remarks, he sat with U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore and Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault for an armchair conversation. Having seats at the table for more voices at high government decision-making levels is vital for sovereign Indigenous nations and all people and communities directly impacted by pollution. The U.S. has a long way to go to demonstrate that our governments are listening and taking the advice and direction of communities on the front lines of Great Lakes challenges. 

What’s next? Water is water, and we need it to be safe and plentiful in all its forms for all forms of life. But it’s clear that current policies and practices rooted in decades of history are not keeping up with our changing climate or addressing the reality that many lower-income communities and communities of color still do not enjoy the benefits of a safe and clean Great Lakes. We need a “whole system” approach to restoring and protecting the Great Lakes. One that is rooted in the science of the lakes as they are today and will be in the future. An approach that shows how decisions are made with the people impacted by those decisions fully at the table. One that makes sure the lakes and their waters are there for all life, when and how we need them.  

The Great Lakes should not leave anyone behind. That’s why the Alliance and I are building these ideas and principles into the critical programs that make a change on the ground. It’s a long road, and I’m glad you are on it with me.  

Act Now to Keep Plastic Out of the Great Lakes

Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is going to get worse unless we do something about it. Add your name to the Plastic Free Great Lakes Pledge now.

Take the Pledge

The post The Great Lakes Should Not Leave Anyone Behind appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2022/10/the-great-lakes-should-not-leave-anyone-behind/

Michelle Farley