Daily News (Page 179)

EPA weakens mercury standards, which experts say could put pollution controls at risk

On: April 28, 2020

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a change that removes the legal foundation for regulations on mercury and other toxins emitted from coal- and oil-fired power plants. The change, some experts worry, might set a precedent for rolling back pollution standards that have improved air quality in the Great Lakes area. Read the full story by the Indy Star.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-mercury-standards

Samantha Stanton

Valley Camp moving due to high waters and freighters from Locks

On: April 28, 2020

The Valley Camp, a historic ship docked in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been swaying back and forth due to water levels and ship traffic. It the first movement of the freighter in 50 years. Read the full story by The Sault News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-freighters-and-high-water

Samantha Stanton

High water reveals shipwreck remains buried on Lake Michigan beach

On: April 27, 2020

Remains of a shipwreck were discovered in Ludington, Michigan after high water revealed the wreckage buried on the beach north of the city. The wreckage is a hull fragment from a wooden vessel. Read the full story by Up North Live.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-shipwreck

Toxic algae plan could be blueprint

On: April 27, 2020

Nearly halfway into a 10-year pledge to combat the toxic algae that turns Lake Erie a ghastly shade of green, Ohio has made little progress. The governor has authorized an ambitious plan that this year will begin offering farmers financial incentives to adopt new agriculture practices and will create a network of wetlands to capture and filter runoff from fields. Read the full story by The Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-algae

Pen rearing projects important for future of Lake Ontario fisheries

On: April 27, 2020

The practice of holding Chinook salmon in holding pens in the Great Lakes began in the St. Joseph River, which feeds Lake Michigan. It is now widely accepted as a great way to reduce predation on the valuable salmon stocks not only in the Great Lakes but also on the West Coast. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-pen

With no secondary water source in place, what does that mean for Flint and its residents

On: April 27, 2020

Six years after the City of Flint switched its water source to the Flint River, ultimately beginning the Flint Water Crisis, the city is still struggling to address critical infrastructure needs, one of which is a secondary or back-up water source. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Flint, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-flint

Minnesota effort to slow aquatic invasive species is working

On: April 27, 2020

In Minnesota, only 8% of all lakes have a verified aquatic invasive species (AIS). And officials say the math shows that efforts to slow the spread of AIS are in fact working. Read the full story by the Post Bulletin.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-ais

Erosion lawsuit questions how we should protect the Lake Michigan shoreline

On: April 27, 2020

Erosion along Lake Michigan is pitting neighbor against neighbor in Indiana. While some want to build barriers to protect their property along the lake, others want to block those efforts. Read the full story by WFYI-TV – Indianapolis, IN.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-erosion

More than 140,000 chinook salmon poured into the Milwaukee River

On: April 27, 2020

146,400 chinook salmon were poured into the Milwaukee river last week as a part of a yearly stocking event. The purpose of this event is to enhance fishing opportunities for anglers in the area. Read and view the full story by WTMJ-TV – Milwaukee, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-salmon

Going fishing? The host of Fish’n Canada is asking anglers to hold their reels

On: April 27, 2020

Trout season opened across most of Ontario on Saturday, but the owner and co-host of a Canadian fishing TV show is urging anglers in southern Ontario to reconsider casting their lines. With many public boat launches closed, there is concern that limited riverbanks will be busy and anglers won’t be able to maintain physical distance. Read the full story by CBC News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-fishing

Single Systems: Great Lakes cities’ sewer designs mean waste in the waters

On: April 27, 2020

In some Great Lakes cities, a single system of pipes may transport sewage as well as stormwater runoff. That system is sufficient on most days, but a big storm can overwhelm a treatment plant’s capacity. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-cso

Lake Erie in limbo as coronavirus threatens to kill DeWine’s H2Ohio program

On: April 27, 2020

In 2019 Republican Mike DeWine got the Ohio General Assembly to fund an unprecedented, statewide commitment to water quality branded under the moniker H2Ohio. Now, because of costs associated with the coronavirus pandemic, it’s in limbo. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-h2ohio

Clean Water Act covers groundwater discharges, Supreme Court rules

On: April 24, 2020

In a case described as the “clean water case of the century,” the Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Water Act applies to pollutants reaching legally protected waters indirectly through groundwater. Read the full story by The New York Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-scotus-cwa

As energy use changes in the Great Lakes, so too does the world’s largest freshwater port

On: April 24, 2020

Coal was once the primary commodity shipped from the Port of Duluth-Superior, but coal shipping has declined as the demand for coal has dropped throughout the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-energy-port

Climate change threatens Great Lakes shoreline with erosion

On: April 24, 2020

Shipping season on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway opened on April 1, so the Windsor Port Authority issued a message Wednesday that it remains fully open for business and fulfilling its vital role during ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Read the full story by Windsor Star.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-climate-change

Michigan sewage workers worry about coronavirus exposure

On: April 24, 2020

Concerns about possible exposure to the coronavirus through aerosolized wastewater have prompted some treatment facilities in Michigan to ask state regulators to relax some routine testing requirements until the potential danger passes. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-sewage

Green Bay distributes thousands of sandbags

On: April 24, 2020

The city of Green Bay, Wisconsin, distributed thousands of sandbags to residents at risk of flood damage as the Fox River and Lake Michigan reach record-high water levels. Read the full story by WBAY–TV – Green Bay, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-green-bay

South Haven marina repair costs could reach $1.7 million

On: April 24, 2020

City officials in South Haven, Michigan, say repairs to their marina due to historically high water levels are more expensive than expected, but necessary to protect critical infrastructure. Read the full story by WKZO – Kalamazoo, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-south-haven

Ohio Lake Erie Commission releases 2020 protection plan

On: April 24, 2020

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission has approved its 2020 Lake Erie Protection and Restoration Plan to address priorities including nutrient pollution reduction, invasive species, and habitat restoration. Read the full story by WNVO–TV – Toledo, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-ohio-lake-erie-commission

Lake Ontario water levels above average, but below record high

On: April 24, 2020

Lake Ontario’s water level is below record levels observed last year, but remains above average levels, thanks primarily to favorable weather conditions this spring. Read the full story by WWNY–TV – Watertown, NY.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-lake-ontario

Port authority keeps goods moving during COVID-19 crisis

On: April 23, 2020

Shipping season on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway opened on April 1, so the Windsor Port Authority issued a message Wednesday that it remains fully open for business and fulfilling its vital role during ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Read the full story by Windsor Star.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-port-authority

Patrick Canniff

In Great Lakes region, EPA enforcement of clean water laws slackens

On: April 23, 2020

In Illinois, Indiana and the four other Midwest states surrounding the Great Lakes, the number of water pollution cases filed by the EPA has declined during each of the past three years, according to a new analysis of agency records by the nonprofit Environmental Law and Policy Center. Read the full story by Chicago Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-epa-enforcement

Patrick Canniff

Shrinking Shorelines: Climate change-related erosion threatens Great Lakes coasts

On: April 23, 2020

In Indiana, five communities have made emergency declarations due damages related to erosion, this concern is also due in part that it could also drive tourists away; millions visit Indiana’s lakeshore every year, contributing more than $350 million to the local economy annually. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-shorelines

Patrick Canniff

Presque Isle priorities shift with erosion, high water

On: April 23, 2020

A lack of protective ice cover on Lake Erie this winter plus historic high-water levels has led to changing priorities in Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle from bolstering beach and swimming areas to instead making sure that infrastructure is safe. Read the full story by Erie Times News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-erosion-presque

Patrick Canniff

Cleveland Race Week regatta pushed back to August because of coronavirus

On: April 23, 2020

The 40th annual Cleveland Race Week, the largest sailing regatta on Lake Erie and one of the largest in the country, has been postponed from June to August because of the coronavirus. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-race-regatta

Patrick Canniff

Sinkholes, erosion prompt $3.2M project to move US-2 away from Lake Michigan

On: April 23, 2020

The Michigan Department of Transportation is set to begin a $3.2 million project to move US-2 away from the Lake Michigan shoreline. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-sinkholes

Patrick Canniff

Enbridge moves forward with Line 5 tunnel despite coronavirus lockdown

On: April 23, 2020

During a virtual meeting on Wednesday, the Michigan Public Service Commission voted to seek public comment on Enbridge’s most recent request, which asks the state to either approve its plan to site the pipeline or rule that the company already has approval. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-line5

Patrick Canniff

OPINION: Close to home

On: April 23, 2020

For many people in the Midwest, Lake Michigan is a great source of pride and identity. Even though the lake has a critical impact on us, we fail to recognize the uncertainty of Lake Michigan’s future by not addressing or accepting the reality of climate change. Read the full story by Marquette Wire.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-home-lakes

Patrick Canniff

Great Lakes shipping firm furloughs 175

On: April 23, 2020

American Steamship Co. with more than a century of transportation history in Buffalo, has become the latest victim of financial struggles prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, temporarily laying off 175 workers as it seeks to keep its operation afloat. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-shipping-lakes

Patrick Canniff

As Great Lakes water levels rise, connection to climate change unclear

On: April 23, 2020

Water levels in Lake Erie, and the Great Lake system overall, are higher this year than they’ve been in over a century, and for people who live and work next to the water, the impacts can be significant. Read the full story by The Oberlin Review.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-climate-lakes

Patrick Canniff

Earth Day 2020: How to participate from the safety of your home

On: April 22, 2020

This year’s Earth Day is a special one, and not just because it’s the 50th anniversary of the event. The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t entirely stopped festivities being organized for April 22, and numerous organizations have arranged for ways people can engage with Earth Day without compromising safety. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-earth-day-participation

Samantha Stanton

‘Greening’ Detroit’s riverfront

On: April 22, 2020

The Environmental Protection Agency recently signed a $2.5 million agreement to clean Michigan’s Detroit River and create new habitat for wildlife. The money will be used to clean contaminated river sediments and create homes for fish and wildlife in a cove area at a park being built along Detroit’s waterfront. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-detroit-riverfront

Samantha Stanton

With lake levels expected to remain high, dealing with change a challenge for many

On: April 22, 2020

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announced recently that Lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie set new monthly mean water level records for March 2020, which were previously set in 1986. Read the full story by the Harbor Light.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-new-monthly-water-level

Samantha Stanton

What to know about coal ash landfills at Michigan power plant sites

On: April 22, 2020

An MLive series explores coal-ash management in Michigan and what happens when the ash, a form of industrial waste known to contain toxins, escapes into the environment. The series also discusses how Michigan’s major utility companies plan to deal with the waste once they no longer have power plants at those locations. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-coal-ash-landfills

Samantha Stanton

In time for Earth Day, local environmental non-profit lands $200,000 EPA grant

On: April 22, 2020

Traverse City-based nonprofit Conservation Resource Alliance (CRA) received $200,000 in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support Wild Roots, a mass reforestation pilot-program aimed at restoring northern Michigan’s native forests with 100,000 trees and shrubs over five years. Read the full story by The Ticker.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-glri-grant-award

Samantha Stanton

Sleeping Bear Dunes delays opening campgrounds, park facilities until July 1

On: April 22, 2020

Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has announced that park officials are delaying the seasonal opening of many park facilities and services until July 1 on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-park-delays-opening

Samantha Stanton

Gusty winds produce large Lake Michigan waves during gale warning

On: April 22, 2020

Tall waves hit Lake Michigan piers Tuesday during a gale warning. Waves ranging from 6 to 8 feet tall battered the Lake Michigan shoreline from Holland to Muskegon in Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-lake-michigan-gale-warning

Samantha Stanton

Second ice breaker could be coming to Cheboygan

On: April 22, 2020

A committee is being put together by the U.S. Coast Guard’s Ninth District headquartered in Cleveland to explore whether another vessel is needed to help with ice breaking in the Great Lakes. The process is expected to take at least a couple of years. Read the full story by Cheboygan Daily Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-cheboygan-ice-breaker

Samantha Stanton

Flint City Council urged to reconsider delay of secondary water system construction

On: April 22, 2020

At a Flint, Michigan City Council committee meeting today, Flint’s mayor will ask the council to reconsider a delay in moving forward with the construction of a secondary water system. Read the full story by WSMH-TV – Flint, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-flint-city-council

Samantha Stanton

City moves ahead with $3.5 million contract on water project

On: April 22, 2020

The Joliet City Council in Illinois approved a $3.5 million engineering contract for the Lake Michigan water project even as it cuts elsewhere to prepare for a collapse in revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by The Herald-News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-joliet-water-project

Samantha Stanton

Piping plover monitoring, protection work at Sauble suspended until further notice

On: April 21, 2020

Normally at this time of year, the Plover Lovers would be seeking volunteers to help monitor and educate the public about the birds this spring and summer, but the volunteer program has been has been cancelled until further notice. Read the full story by Owen Sound Sun Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-piping-plover

Patrick Canniff

Public troubled by WAFB funding going to more studies – not cleanup

On: April 21, 2020

The Air Force (AF) is allocating $13.5 million toward per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB) in Oscoda, MI many assumed this would be used for PFAS clean up – it was learned that the AF plans to use the funds for more research and not on direct cleanup. Read the full story by Iosco County News Herald.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-pfas

Patrick Canniff

St. Ignace shipyard receives U.S. Transportation grant for improvements

On: April 21, 2020

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded $752,933 in funding to Mackinac Island Ferry Company in St. Ignace; the shipyard is one of 24 U.S. small shipyards receiving part of a $19.6 million in grants through the Small Shipyard Grant Program. Read the full story by UpNorthLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-shipyard

Patrick Canniff

Cheboygan being considered as stop for Great Lakes cruise ships

On: April 21, 2020

The City of Cheboygan is being considered as a stop for cruise ships touring the Great Lakes along with several other Michigan cities along the coast including Traverse City and Alpena. Read the full story by Cheboygan Daily Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-cruise

Patrick Canniff

Ludington Lake jump breaks tradition; hosts ‘Jump Where You Are’ campaign

On: April 21, 2020

Social distancing has caused the annual Michigan Ludington Lake Jump, which has raised nearly $600,000 for various causes over the past 20 years, to record themselves jumping into chilly water at home instead of the frigid Lake Michigan waters. Read the full story by 9 & 10 News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-lake-jump

Patrick Canniff

DNR updates changes proposed for Silver Lake Basin boating access site in Marquette County

On: April 21, 2020

Having gathered public input from boaters and anglers, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will not develop the Silver Lake Basin boating access site in Marquette County as a walk-in-only facility. Read the full story by WLUC- TV – Nagaunee, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-dnr-boating

Patrick Canniff

Van Buren Conservation District gets $413,000 grant to reduce runoff

On: April 21, 2020

The Van Buren Conservation District has been awarded a $413,000 grant to help prevent runoff into Michigan’s Pine and Mill Creeks. Read the full story by 94.9 WSJM – St. Joseph, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-runoff

Patrick Canniff

Manktelow to lead GOP on lake-flooding issues

On: April 21, 2020

New York Assemblyman Brian Manktelow has been tapped by Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay to advocate for homeowners and businesses along the Lake Ontario shoreline whose properties have suffered thousands of dollars in flooding damage two of the past three years from record lake levels. Read the full story by Finger Lake Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-ontario-flooding

Patrick Canniff

Midwest water pollution up as EPA enforcement goes down

On: April 21, 2020

A new report shows the number of industrial facilities reporting water pollution violations in the Midwest has spiked since 2017, which could be due to a decline in enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency. Read the full story by WFIU Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-epa-pollution

Patrick Canniff

From Rust to Resilience: Climate change brings new challenges and opportunities

On: April 21, 2020

From the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River in the east to the shores of Lake Superior in the west, the communities that grew up along the Great Lakes and weathered so many transitions along the way are bracing for what could be the biggest transition of all. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-climate-change

Patrick Canniff