Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer criticized Enbridge Energy for refusing to take financial responsibility for any damages caused by a potential oil spill from its pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WTTV–TV – Indianapolis, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200722-enbridge
New standards limiting how much toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS can be in Michigan’s public drinking water will take effect August 3 after a legislative committee adjourned without taking action to block or change them. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-carp
A decade ago, the disastrous oil spill on the Kalamazoo River in Michigan raised awareness about the dangers of piping oil throughout the Great Lakes region. The spill’s impact continues to be felt in communities along the Kalamazoo River and around the Great Lakes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200722-kzoo-spill
A new collective of community foundations called the Smart Citizen Science Initiative wants to combine big data and smartphones to grow community interest in protecting Lake Erie and its tributaries. The group hopes to deploy a small gadget that can be connected to a smartphone to measure algae in the lake and connecting waterways. Read the full story by WBFO – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200722-smartphones-in-lakes
The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its grand opening, an event that connected Indiana to the world economy. Today, the Port of Burns Harbor supports over 30,000 jobs and contributes $4.6 billion in economic activity to the local economy each year. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200722-indiana-burns-harbor
A young man from Kettle & Stony Point First Nation and the Saugeen Ojibway Nationis on a 28-day canoe journey along the shore of Lake Huron to help others understand the importance of the lake and the complex and troubled relationship between the water, First Nations, and settler populations. Read the full story by Anishinabek News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200722-anishinaabe-journey
As the Great Lakes approach record high temperatures this summer, warmer waters in Lake Erie increase the likelihood of toxic algae growth that impacts drinking water and recreation on the lake. Read the full story The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200722-warm-lake-habs
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council is presenting a series of virtual workshops this summer and fall on green stormwater infrastructure to promote stormwater management options in Cheboygan, Michigan, and is offering residents rain barrels to reduce stormwater runoff. Read the full story by the Cheboygan Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200722-tip-of-the-mitt
A new report prepared for Environment and Climate Change Canada revealed the extent of garbage floating around the Great Lakes. Microfibers from clothing and cigarette butts are the most common types of trash found in the lakes. Read the full story by Soo Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200722-trash
Scientists predict that warmer temperatures in Lake Huron associated with climate change will harm ecosystems and biodiversity in the lake. Fish populations are sensitive to temperature fluctuations and warm waters harm reproduction in many fish species. Read the full story by Soo Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200722-huron-temps
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently passed legislation authorizing the construction of a multilayered system to prevent the spread of invasive species at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. Read the full story by The News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-carp
Since the beginning of the pandemic, shipboard workers have worried about the virus spreading on board. Four months later, no outbreaks have been reported on any Canadian freighters. But it’s been anything but smooth sailing for the industry. Read the full story by The London Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-freighters
Steel production has dropped by 19.7% for the year, while steel capacity utilization is down more than 21 percentage points as compared to the same time last year, largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that greatly gutted demand for steel in the short term. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-steel-production
As citizens across the United States continue to debate the pros and cons of piping oil across the country, a decade-old disaster in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River serves as an example of what can happen when things go wrong. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-oil-spill
There are now algae blooms in the Sandusky and Maumee bays of Lake Erie. The National Ocean Service said toxin concentrations have increased, but beaches remain open. Read the full story by WJW-TV- Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-algae-bloom
In Michigan, the oldest shanty in Leland’s historic waterfront Fishtown is slated to be lifted off its foundation this week so a higher, safer perch can be built for it this summer – part of a multi-million preservation project being undertaken at this picturesque spot that’s long been a favorite of Up North visitors. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-shanty-fishtown
Cargo moved on the 3,700-kilometre-long St. Lawrence Seaway in June was down 8.37 per cent compared to the same time last year. That’s a slight increase compared to this year’s April to May figures where cargo shipped was down 10 per cent compared to 2019. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-shipping
Work is underway to restore nearly a mile of the Cuyahoga River, with floodplain excavation and in-stream habitat improvements for fish and aquatic wildlife. It’s supported by a $2.5 million award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Great Lakes Commission Regional Partnership. Read the full story by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-park
Almost 4,700 kilotonnes of plastics are introduced into the Canadian market annually. Only nine percent of plastic waste is recycled and 86 percent ends up as waste in our landfills. A lot of that plastic waste ends up in our lakes and on our shorelines. Read the full story by the Manitoulin Expositor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-plastic-pollution
A million-dollar grant to study aquaculture aims to boost the number of fish farms in the Great Lakes region. The National Sea Grant office awarded the funds to a group that brings together scientists and educators from all eight states in the Great Lakes basin. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-aquaculture
A walking trail along the Milwaukee River is being extended thanks to easements donated by three adjacent commercial property owners, allowing additional public access along the west bank of the river. Read the full story by MIlwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-milwaukee-river-trail
A popular northern Michigan children’s museum will be postponing its reopening this spring as environmental testing mandated by the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy revealed contaminant soil gas vapors under the floor of the museum. Read the full story by UpNorthLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-museum-contamination
The Indiana Dunes National Park launched a coronavirus safety “Think Before You Beach” campaign urging visitors to the northwestern Indiana park to practice social distancing and other precautions when they hit the beach. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-indiana-dunes
Sewage spills that repeatedly fouled the Boardman River and kept swimmers out of the water at several Traverse City beaches have city leaders looking for solutions to Traverse City’s system of old sewage pipes that let groundwater seep in tandem with high lake levels and downpours. Read the full story by Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-traverse-city-sewage
The vessel has been on a three-week journey through the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida, and up the Atlantic seaboard from the Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana, where it was constructed; the SEAWAY GUARDIAN will be the first new American-built tugboat to join the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation since the Seaway opened 61 years ago. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-seaway-tugboat
The Ontario Government will not be charging resource-based tourism operations for certain licences and land use fees, as well as refunding revenue received for 2020, in an effort to encourage people to get outside and support businesses that rely on outdoor activities. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-ontario-tourism
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) removed 18 invasive carp from the Little Sioux River watershed near the Iowa border in southwestern Minnesota July 8 during a capture operation; preemptive actions to install and monitor an electric barrier prevented these invasive carp from expanding into other waters. Read the full story by Montevideo American-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-carp-minnesota
Lake Huron is five degrees warmer than average for this time of year, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, suggesting consequences for fish communities as temperature fluctuations may affect their spawning. Read the full story by The Sault Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-huron-temp
The Dunkirk, New York Common Council is expected to announce its opposition to the construction of wind turbine farms on city-owned property along Lake Erie; the Council’s resolution comes days after Concerned Citizens For Rural Preservation came out with a statement that over the weekend that noted turbines pose “tremendous risks’ to the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Observer Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-wind-erie
U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced more than $12 million grant to help clean the Maumee River and Great Lakes, and another $400,000 to the City of Toledo for a Trash Free Water program. Read and view the full story by WTVG-TV – Toledo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-toledo-funding
A dry spring in Lake Erie’s western basin watershed will likely help keep the annual harmful algal bloom in check this summer and early autumn; the bloom’s biomass is expected to rank 4.5 on a scale of 10 in terms of severity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, smaller than the 2019 bloom which was a 7.3. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-algal-bloom
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources sought a written pledge from Enbridge Inc. to cover costs that would arise if oil were to leak from its dual pipelines that extend across a channel linking two of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-enbridge-to-pledge-spill-funds
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers’ contractors will no longer dump Toledo Harbor dredging silt in Lake Erie to protect the fish and wildlife habitat. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-dredge-silt
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has suspended its tagging program of salmon and trout raised at state hatcheries around Lake Michigan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, no fisheries personnel will be collecting tags or other information from fish caught and registered at traditional fishing tournaments. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-fish-tag-collection
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler will visit Ohio this week to announce details about their Trash-Free Great Lakes Grant Program that will provide $2 million to clean up the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-lake-erie-clean-up
The Soo Locks will be receiving $123 million for the ongoing construction of the new deep-water navigational lock as approved by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. Read the full story by The Sault News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-soo-locks-construction
High water levels and the resulting shoreline erosion are turning waterfront dream homes into a nightmare for Michigan residents. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-michigan-water-levels
The hot stretch of weather, combined with light winds and sunshine, have warmed Lake Ontario to record water temperatures and Lake Erie to near record temperatures. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-record-water-temperature
Stand Up for Great Lakes is a three-man quest to paddle the Chain of Lakes Water Trail in Michigan and raise awareness for environmental issues, as well as the water trail itself. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-stand-up-paddling
Great Lakes shipping remains a mostly stable sector of the economy despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-shipping
Test results from samples taken from Ramsey Lake in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, have confirmed the presence of blue-green algae. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-algae-in-ramsey-lake
Satellite images show the summer algal bloom in western Lake Erie expanding out from Maumee Bay along the Michigan shoreline and into the open waters of Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-habs-expanding
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization in Ontario has proposed a new nuclear waste disposal site near a previously rejected site on the shores of Lake Huron. Read the full story by the Voice News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-nuclear-threat
The Ohio Power Siting Board’s unanimous decision to place requirements for protecting birds on the proposed offshore wind sets the right precedent for wind projects on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-protect-the-birds
As high lake levels continue to erode shoreline along Lake Michigan, the state of Michigan is granting permits to homeowners to install armored shoreline features to protect their property. However, scientists warn that hard shoreline barriers interrupt the Great Lakes’ natural processes in ways that will worsen erosion over time. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-seawalls
As temperatures rise in the Great Lakes and conditions become more ideal for harmful algal blooms on the lakes, scientists expect to see increased bloom occurrences and greater toxicity. Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-temps
Some shoreline communities in Michigan are using an engineered solution known as “beach renourishment” for temporary relief from shoreline erosion. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-sand-renourishment
Two reports created by New York state agencies recommending further studies of offshore wind on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie were met with concern by groups that oppose wind energy on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Niagara Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-ontario-shores
Officials at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, closed several beaches after spotting an algal bloom along the shoreline. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-presque-isle
A resolution passed by the Michigan House of Representatives opposing a nuclear waste disposal site in Ontario near Lake Huron has yet to be heard by the Michigan Senate. The bill is part of an ongoing effort by Michigan and U.S. elected officials to oppose the proposed site in Canada. Read the full story by the Iosco County News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-michigan-bill-nuclear
