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In Chicago, one neighborhood is fighting gentrification and climate change at the same time

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Grist

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

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Original Article

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/in-chicago-one-neighborhood-is-fighting-gentrification-and-climate-change-at-the-same-time/

Grist

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Faced with COVID-era civil rights complaints, Chicago commits to environmental justice

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Wajeeha Kamal, Great Lakes Echo

Chicago is joining a nationwide trend of large cities incorporating equity or justice goals into preparing for climate change’s impact on public health.

The idea is to better protect Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and other socially vulnerable and marginalized communities.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/faced-with-covid-era-civil-rights-complaints-chicago-commits-to-environmental-justice/

Great Lakes Echo

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Chicago could be first major Midwestern city to ban gas in new construction

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, WBEZ

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/chicago-could-be-first-major-midwestern-city-to-ban-gas-in-new-construction/

Grist

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Army Corps plans $1 billion barricade to deter invasive carp at Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, WBEZ

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for WBEZ newsletters to get local news you can trust.

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Original Article

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/army-corps-plans-1-billion-barricade-to-deter-invasive-carp-at-illinois-and-des-plaines-rivers/

WBEZ

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In Chicago, adapting electric buses to winter’s challenges

By Tom Krishner, AP Auto Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — The No. 66 bus is packed on a recent weekday afternoon as it starts and stops its way from Chicago’s near west side to Navy Pier along the Lake Michigan shore.

The seats and windows squeak and rattle just like a regular diesel bus, but no one seems to notice the high-pitched whine of the electric motor that makes it go.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/ap-adapting-electric-buses-winter-challenge/

The Associated Press

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In: Authors, Chicago, Energy, Energy News Roundup, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Ontario, Wisconsin
Energy News Roundup: Community programs to provide solar for low-income residents in Illinois, Ohio

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

 

Illinois

  • Chicago company brings climate-friendly development to communities that need it most — Energy News Network

A project that combines energy efficiency, solar power and electrification is part of developer A.J.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/01/energy-news-roundup-programs-provide-solar-low-income-illinois-ohio/

Kathy Johnson

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In: benton harbor, Budget, Chicago, Drinking Water, epa, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, Feature Lead, Feature-Chicago, Gary Wilson, Illinois, infrastructure, Latest News, Lead, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Q&A: New EPA Great Lakes administrator talks Benton Harbor, infrastructure, AOC cleanup

Conservation action for Debra Shore started with the driveway at her suburban Chicago home.

It was asphalt, and she wanted to replace it with gravel to absorb the rain and keep pollutants out of the stormwater drains. But her town administration said no to the permit, though it eventually yielded.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/epa-great-lakes-administrator-benton-harbor-infrastructure-cleanup/

Gary Wilson

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Drinking Water News Roundup: Indiana iron spill, Michigan lead reduction plan, potential nuclear accident in Ontario

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and
towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to
everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/drinking-water-indiana-iron-michigan-lead-nuclear-ontario/

Maya Sundaresan

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Chicago resists putting life rings at risky lake piers

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Park District said it plans to put life rings along the Lake Michigan waterfront but only in areas that are considered safe to swim, upsetting the mother of a college student who drowned off a pier.

“I’m infuriated,“ said Maria Diaz, whose son, Miguel Cisneros, drowned last month in the Rogers Park neighborhood.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/ap-chicago-life-rings-risky-lake-piers/

The Associated Press

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Sensors provide a real-time glimpse at Chicago River quality

By Kathleen Foody, Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Rowers, kayakers and other users of the Chicago River are getting a real-time look at one measure of water quality in the system that weaves through downtown and several neighborhoods.

Chicago nonprofit Current in 2019 installed three sensors in the river’s three main branches to continuously estimate the amount of bacteria from human and other warm-blooded animals’ waste.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/ap-sensors-chicago-river-quality/

The Associated Press

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In: AP, Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, News
Illinois woman swims across iconic Michigan lake twice

ALDEN, Mich. (AP) — A medical student from Illinois has swum across one of Michigan’s largest inland lakes — twice — to raise money and awareness about diabetes.

Marian Cardwell accomplished the 35-mile feat at Torch Lake in Antrim County after dropping a plan to swim across Lake Michigan from Chicago to Grand Haven, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reported.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/ap-illinois-woman-swims-michigan-torch-lake-twice/

The Associated Press

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Boating on a Budget: Get off land and onto the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are great for many reasons – their economic power, the lifestyle they provide millions of residents, as a getaway for tens of millions visitors and the livelihood it offers hundreds of thousands in lakes-related industries.

And then there’s the water. Summer sees the lakes filled with people soaking, swimming, skiing – and boating.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/boating-budget-great-lakes-recreation/

James Proffitt

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In: Chicago, culture, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Food, history, History and Culture, Illinois, Latest News, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, museum, New York, thousand islands
Thousand Island Dressing Mystery: Uncertain origins of one of America’s favorite sauces

What do you get when you mix mayonnaise, a vaudeville star, two swanky hotels and a fisherman’s wife?

If you guessed Thousand Island dressing and an age-old mystery, you’d be correct. 

Today, Thousand Island dressing is bottled and sold in grocery stores nationwide. You may even find a simplified version of the dressing (mayonnaise, ketchup or tomato puree, and pickle relish) at your favorite burger spot, masquerading as their “special” or “secret” sauce.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/thousand-island-dressing-uncertain-origins/

Rachel Duckett

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In: canada department of fisheries and oceans, Chicago, Feature-Chicago, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, Illinois, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Latest News, Research, Research, Data and Technology, Sandra Svoboda, Science, Technology, Research
The Suckers: Great Lakes’ “best supporting fishes” are important to the food web

As an avid angler, Great Lakes Now Host Ward Detwiler has encountered suckers, a bottom-feeding family of fish that are present in all five Great Lakes and spawn in the rivers of the watershed.

But he’s never been terribly mindful of them.

“It’s never something you’re really out looking for,” Detwiler said.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/suckers-scientist-best-supporting-fishes-great-lakes-food-web/

Sandra Svoboda

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Some Chicagoans Wary of Lead Pipe Replacement

By Laura Gersony, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/chicago-wary-lead-pipe-replacement/

Circle of Blue

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In: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Duluth, Feature Cleveland, Feature Detroit, Feature Homepage, Feature Milwaukee, Feature-Chicago, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, History and Culture, Illinois, Indiana, indigenous communities, Latest News, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, Michigan, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New York, News, Niagara Falls, Ohio, Ontario, sturgeon, Toronto, Tourism, Wisconsin
See the Sturgeon: The many ways to see, touch and appreciate sturgeon around the region

When the Milwaukee River Lake Sturgeon Reintroduction Project began 16 years ago, success wasn’t immediately apparent.

Having a solid scientific foundation for the project wasn’t the problem: sturgeon were raised in the Milwaukee River so they would return there to spawn when the time came. The problem was that lake sturgeon don’t return to a river to spawn for around 15 years.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/ways-see-touch-appreciate-sturgeon-great-lakes-region/

Noah Bock

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In: birds, Chicago, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Fish, Birds and Animals, History and Culture, Illinois, Latest News, News, Sandra Svoboda
Birds on Film: Filmmaker Bob Dolgan talks about Chicago’s piping plovers with Great Lakes Now

A pair of piping plovers appeared on a busy Chicago beach two years ago, and filmmaker Bob Dolgan recorded the human effort to protect the birds’ nest.

The result: a documentary film. Dolgan shared some of his footage with Great Lakes Now, which can be seen in this segment:

GLN’s Nick Austin spoke with Dolgan about his work chronicling “Monty and Rose,” the plover pair that’s inspired so much conservation of habitat in Chicago.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/birds-film-bob-dolgan-chicago-piping-plovers/

Sandra Svoboda

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In: Budget, Chicago, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, infrastructure, Latest News, Michigan, New York, News Roundup Drinking Water, Ohio, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Drinking Water Roundup: Biden administration invests millions in rural water, treatment plant uses ultraviolet, lead pipe removal in Flint

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Discolored water, manganese in Carlinville a recurring problem – WICS

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., (WICS) — High levels of Manganese in the city of Carlinville’s water is causing the water to turn brown, stain clothes, and more.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/drinking-water-biden-rural-infrastructure-lead-pipe/

Rachel Duckett

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In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Chicago, Collaboration, equity, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, infrastructure, Latest News, News, sewer systems
In Chicago, Flooding Overwhelmingly Strikes Communities of Color

By Laura Gersony, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/chicago-flooding-infrastructure-communities-color/

Circle of Blue

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Chicago’s Adler Planetarium won’t fully reopen until 2022

CHICAGO (AP) — While most of Chicago’s cultural institutions have reopened their doors, the Adler Planetarium won’t do so fully until next year.

The planetarium along Lake Michigan closed in March 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Planetarium officials said in a letter posted on the website earlier this month that they’ll start offering some events in July including weekend screenings of sky shows, but due to financial difficulties the full reopening will be in March 2022.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/ap-chicago-adler-planetarium-reopen-2022/

The Associated Press

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Drinking Water Roundup: Lead pipes in Illinois and Minnesota, rare one-person grand jury used in Flint water criminal case, increased Line 3 pumping

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • A new Illinois law will replace lead water pipes; Moline will begin construction this summer – WQAD 8

MOLINE, Ill.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/lead-pipes-illinois-minnesota-grand-jury-flint-water-line-3/

Rachel Duckett

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Chicago man jumps into Lake Michigan for 365th straight day

By Shafkat Anowar, Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago bus driver looking for a way to relieve stress during the coronavirus pandemic jumped into Lake Michigan for a 365th straight day on Saturday.

Dan O’Conor said he started jumping into the lake at Montrose Harbor on the city’s North Side last year to relieve stress.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/ap-chicago-man-jumps-into-lake-michigan-for-365th-straight-day/

The Associated Press

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Chicago man jumps into Lake Michigan for 365th straight day

By Shafkat Anowar, Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago bus driver looking for a way to relieve stress during the coronavirus pandemic jumped into Lake Michigan for a 365th straight day on Saturday.

Dan O’Conor said he started jumping into the lake at Montrose Harbor on the city’s North Side last year to relieve stress.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/ap-chicago-man-jumps-into-lake-michigan-for-365th-straight-day/

The Associated Press

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Raining PFAS: Amount of PFAS found is outpacing legacy contaminants

A decades-long monitoring project in the Great Lakes basin has started checking for PFAS in rain. It’s finding the forever chemicals across the basin in large amounts.

Those numbers aren’t published yet, but PFAS are showing up in concentrations higher than legacy contaminants like mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and pesticides.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/raining-pfas-outpacing-legacy-contaminants/

Andrew Blok

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High waves wash out Chicago beaches as Lake Michigan reopens

CHICAGO (AP) — Beaches in Chicago were washed out by high waves Friday on the first day the city was to reopen Lake Michigan to swimming since summer 2019.

Waves reached up to 11 feet (3.35 meters) high, closing many of the beaches that had been set to open for the first time since Sept.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/ap-high-waves-chicago-beaches-lake-michigan/

The Associated Press

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Water Access: As moratoria on shutoffs end, old problems return to the forefront

As moratoria expire across the Great Lakes region, advocates say ongoing affordability and debt relief are key.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/water-shutoffs-debt-infrastructure/

Kari Lydersen

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The problem within: Biden targets lead pipes, pushes equity

By Aamer Madhani, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — In the modest bungalows and two-flats of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, there’s never a shortage of needed home repairs staring residents in the face. And then there is the less obvious but more ominous problem lurking in their pipes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/the-problem-within-biden-targets-lead-pipes-pushes-equity/

The Associated Press

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Spotlight on Infrastructure: Policy executive talks new Biden plan, definitions of infrastructure

While President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, officially the American Jobs Plan, emanates from the White House, a veteran Chicago policy executive says we should consider its genesis as broader than top down.

“It is something that cities and regions have requested – full partnership with the federal government – for quite some time,” said MarySue Barrett, president of the non-profit Metropolitan Planning Council.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/infrastructure-biden-administration-policy-qna/

Gary Wilson

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Drinking Water News Roundup: New York water standards deferrals, microplastics in Pennsylvania

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Brain-damaging Lead Found in Tap Water From Most Illinois Communities During the Past 6 Years – Chicago Tribune

More than 8 of every 10 Illinoisans live in a community where brain-damaging lead was found in the tap water of at least one home during the past six years, a new Chicago Tribune analysis found.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/drinking-water-news-new-york-microplastics-pennsylvania/

Grace Dempsey

On:
In: Chicago, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, Indiana, Latest News, Lead, Minnesota, New York, News, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
Drinking Water News Roundup: New York water standards deferrals, microplastics in Pennsylvania

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Brain-damaging Lead Found in Tap Water From Most Illinois Communities During the Past 6 Years – Chicago Tribune

More than 8 of every 10 Illinoisans live in a community where brain-damaging lead was found in the tap water of at least one home during the past six years, a new Chicago Tribune analysis found.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/drinking-water-news-new-york-microplastics-pennsylvania/

Grace Dempsey

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In: biden administration, Chicago, COVID-19, Drinking Water, Environmental Justice, epa, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Illinois, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, water shutoffs
Priority Shift: Great Lakes exec moves environmental justice to top of list

Chicago’s Joel Brammeier came of age advocating for the Great Lakes in an era when federal programs that are widely accepted today like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative were barely on the drawing board.

Brammeier started his advocacy work in 2001 when he managed habitat programs for the Lake Michigan Federation, which later became the Alliance for the Great Lakes as its mission expanded.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/great-lakes-environmental-justice-priority/

Gary Wilson

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Drinking Water News Roundup: Climate change and Illinois water withdrawals, clean water for Michigan students

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

More Illinois Residents Are Turning to Lake Michigan for Their Drinking Water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/drinking-water-climate-change-withdrawals-michigan-quebec-first-nations/

Grace Dempsey

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Drinking Water News Roundup: Joliet picks Chicago, Minnesota road salt, Ohio EPA loans

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Joliet Council Picks Chicago, Not Hammond, to Supply City’s Drinking Water –  Northwest Indiana Times

The city council in Joliet, Illinois has chosen Chicago to be its next water source, despite efforts by Hammond officials to persuade them otherwise.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/chicago-lake-michigan-minnesota-road-salt/

Grace Dempsey

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Deal reached on project to protect lakes from invasive fish

By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan, Illinois and a federal agency have agreed on funding the next phase of an initiative to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes by strengthening defenses on a Chicago-area waterway, officials said Thursday.

The two states and the U.S.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-deal-reached-brandon-road-project-asian-carp/

The Associated Press

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Drinking Water News Roundup: Joliet water supply, contaminated water, support for Wisconsin farmers and water quality

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Chicago Competing With Hammond To Supply Joliet With Drinking Water From Lake Michigan – CBS Chicago

The aquifer that supplies Chicago suburb Joliet’s drinking water is expected to dry up by 2030.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/water-withdrawal-contaminated-farmers-water-quality/

Grace Dempsey

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In: Books, Books, Authors, Art and Music, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Duluth, Feature Cleveland, Feature Detroit, Feature Milwaukee, Feature-Chicago, Food, Grand Rapids, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Natasha Blakely, New York, News, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Recreation, Recreation, Tourism and Culture, shopping, small business, Toronto, Traverse City, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Gift Guide 2020: Remember that road trip, boat ride, microbrew or sweatshirt you should’ve bought with this list

Want to give your loved ones a holiday gift that connects to that summer trip up north or the fall color tour you took together? 

Or maybe you have a trip planned for after the COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed and want to give them something to remind them they have something to look forward to. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/great-lakes-gift-guide-2020-list/

Natasha Blakely

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In: Chicago, Cleveland, Collaboration, Detroit, Drinking Water, Feature Cleveland, Feature Detroit, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Latest News, Michigan, Mott Foundation Partnership, Municipalities, News, Ohio, Pennsylvania, philadelphia, utilities, water affordability
Lack of Utility Data Obscures Customer Water Debt Problems

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/utility-data-customer-water-debt-problems/

Circle of Blue

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In: 2020 election, Chicago, Climate change, Drinking Water, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature-Chicago, flint, Gary Wilson, Illinois, Latest News, Michigan, News, outdoor recreation, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Recreation, Tourism and Culture, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Policy Expert Q&A: Keep advocating with elected officials for safe drinking water

The Flint water crisis that made national and international headlines was a failure on many levels, according to University of Chicago Professor Sabina Shaikh.

Particularly, it was a public policy failure, Shaikh told Great Lakes Now in an interview, and the failure in Flint put a spotlight on environmental injustices.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/policy-expert-advocating-elected-officials-safe-drinking-water/

Gary Wilson

On:
In: Chicago, Collaboration, Feature-Chicago, Fish, Birds and Animals, Habitat Restoration, Illinois, Latest News, News, Research, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research, wetlands
Chicago Wetlands Shrank by 40% During the 20th Century

By Kimberly M. S. Cartier, Eos

This story originally appeared in Eos and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

As Chicago’s industries and population boomed in the late 1800s, city officials decided to reverse the course of the Chicago River so that it flowed away from Lake Michigan.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/chicago-wetlands-shrank-40-20th-century/

Eos

On:
In: Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, museums, Natasha Blakely, News, science, Science, Technology, Research
One Old, One New: Teen project finds meteorite fragments in Lake Michigan

The teenagers and scientists searching for the 2017 meteorite in Lake Michigan found more than they had been looking for, representatives from the team reported yesterday.

In a live update on the Adler Planetarium’s YouTube channel, students and researchers shared two major finds from The Aquarius Project’s years-long attempt to find the meteorite: a sample that could be from that meteorite and a sample from a meteorite much, much older.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/aquarius-project-findings-update-meteorite-fragments-lake-michigan/

Natasha Blakely

On:
In: Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Research, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research
Missing Meteorite: Did the search in Lake Michigan find it?

Three years after a meteorite crashed into Lake Michigan, the Adler Planetarium is giving a live virtual update on the search to find it.

Join at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT on Thursday, Sept. 10. Watch here:

In February 2017, a meteorite lit up the night sky before crashing into Lake Michigan off the Wisconsin shoreline.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/planetarium-update-lake-michigan-meteorite/

GLN Editor

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In: Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Latest News, News, ships
Eastland Documentary: Filmmakers talk behind-the-scenes journey and stories

The latest episode of Great Lakes Now takes a trip to Chicago to learn all about the Eastland tragedy – one that isn’t well known, despite its big impact.

On July 24, 1915, a steamship capsized in the Chicago River, and 844 people drowned.

A documentary about the tragedy, “Eastland: The Shipwreck That Shook America,” is airing on PBS stations around the country.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/eastland-documentary-filmmakers-behind-the-scenes/

GLN Editor

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In: Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Latest News, News, Sandra Svoboda, ships
Chicago’s Eastland Disaster: Explore this Great Lakes tragedy with a Storymap

Historic photos, newly discovered film reels, archival accounts from survivors and stories from their descendants are all part of the new documentary “Eastland: The Shipwreck That Shook America.”

The steamship capsized on the Chicago River as hundreds of passengers boarded. Their destination: a day trip to Michigan City, Indiana, just across the southern end of Lake Michigan.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/chicago-eastland-disaster-great-lakes-tragedy-storymap/

Sandra Svoboda

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In: Chicago, enbridge, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Energy, Feature-Chicago, Ian Wendrow, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, Mining, News, Ohio, oil pipelines, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Back Forty mine setback, Illinois and Ohio utility shutoffs

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

In this edition: Controversial open-pit sulfide mine in UP faces major delays due to COVID-19, utility companies in Ohio and Illinois set to resume disconnections after pandemic-induced moratorium lapses, and Enbridge completes replacement work on Line 5 under St.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/great-lakes-energy-back-forty-mine-illinois-ohio-utility-shutoff/

Ian Wendrow

On:
In: Chicago, Collaboration, COVID-19, Detroit, Drinking Water, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Detroit, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Latest News, Michigan, News, Pennsylvania
In a time of COVID-19, millions of Americans are plagued by water debt

Mass water shutoffs in Detroit following the city’s bankruptcy proceedings brought the issue of water affordability and water shutoffs into public notoriety in the U.S. in 2014.

The threat of COVID-19 brought the issue back to the forefront as the CDC urged people to wash their hands frequently.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/water-debt-environmental-justice/

GLN Editor

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In: AP, Chicago, Feature-Chicago, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, Illinois, News
Number of fish types in Chicago waters up to nearly 60 from about 10

CHICAGO (AP) — The variety of fish swimming in Chicago’s rivers have increased in recent decades, which authorities attribute to a decline in pollution, according to a sampling study released Monday by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.

The report claims there are nearly 60 different types of fish swimming in the Chicago and Calumet rivers.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-fish-types-chicago-waters-increases/

The Associated Press

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In: Chicago, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature-Chicago, Gary Wilson, Illinois, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, sustainability
Priority Shift: Chicago mayor sets environmental sights on neglected communities

Since taking office in May 2019, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has emphasized that her environmental priorities are focused on the social justice issues of access to drinking water and clean air.

“The mayor is deeply committed to putting environmental justice at the forefront of her environmental agenda,” spokesperson Hali Levandoski told Great Lakes Now.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/chicago-mayor-environmental-priority-neglected-communities/

Gary Wilson

On:
In: Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, Chicago, COVID-19, Duluth, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, News, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Recreation, Recreation, Tourism and Culture, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Tourism, Wisconsin
Outdoor Escape: Visitors flock to parks, beaches, lakes as states reopen

Great Lakes states and provinces have opened up their parks to overnight campers again now that COVID-19 closures have been lifted.

In March, national parks were closed in Canada, along with Ontario provincial parks. In the U.S., while parks remained open to visitors, facilities and many campgrounds were closed to the public.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/visitors-flock-parks-beaches-lakes-provinces-states-reopen/

Emily Simroth

On:
In: Chicago, Climate change, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature-Chicago, Ian Wendrow, Illinois, indigenous communities, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Lake Huron, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ontario, renewable energy
Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Lake Huron nuclear waste storage plan dropped, renewable energy in Midland

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

In this edition: Ontario Power Generation formally withdraws its application to construct a repository for nuclear waste near Lake Huron; Illinois looks to construct offshore energy wind turbines but faces resistance; University of Minnesota may expand viability of geothermal energy in Midwest; and flood-ravaged Midland, Michigan, coming around on renewable energy.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/energy-nuclear-huron-renewables-midland-wind-geothermal/

Ian Wendrow

On:
In: Chicago, Climate change, COVID-19, Feature-Chicago, Gary Wilson, Illinois, infrastructure, Latest News, News
Green Reset: COVID-19 offers opportunity for lighter environmental impact

Out of the tragedy that is COVID-19 can come opportunities to improve our lives, our workspace and our environment.

That includes softening the impact we have on natural habitat.

That’s the view of veteran Great Lakes executive Cameron Davis who says, like businesses in big cities that are assessing their space needs, we should pause and assess our impact on the environment.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/green-reset-covid-19-offers-opportunity-for-lighter-environmental-impact/

Gary Wilson