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Conflict Over A Blockbuster Farm Chemical

Not since DDT was introduced to U.S. agriculture to kill insects after World War Two has a farm chemical been as important to American crop production, and come under more scientific, political, and legal scrutiny as the weedkiller Roundup, and its active ingredient, glyphosate.

With the election of President Donald Trump, the conflict over glyphosate’s risks and benefits entered a new realm of confrontation that has the potential to alter its stature as the favored chemical tool in agriculture, the largest user of fresh water in the blue economy of Michigan and the Great Lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/conflict-over-a-blockbuster-farm-chemical/

Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue

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Chequamegon Bay Superfund site: History, environmental impact and its importance to Indigenous communities

Chequamegon Bay plays a significant role in our human lives, including past residents like the Huron and Ottawa; and current residents, the Ojibwe-Anishinaabeg, who have gathered and made history there for a millennia. An oblong, shallow bay (61 feet at the deepest point), on the south shore of Lake Superior, the water also holds dark history as a federal Superfund site.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/04/chequamegon-bay-superfund-site-history-impact-importance-to-indigenous-communities/

Staci Lola Drouillard, Great Lakes Now

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Veteran Great Lakes advocate cautions on prioritizing economic development over protecting the environment

Rolling back clean water protection, gutting agencies and defunding science, research and monitoring is a non-starter for the Great Lakes region, says Ann Arbor environmental advocate Laura Rubin.

She was reacting to the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin’s recently released economy-oriented plan for the agency under President Donald Trump.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/veteran-great-lakes-advocate-cautions-prioritizing-economic-development-over-protecting-environment/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

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Amish Farmers’ Partnership With Beef Giant Produces Manure Mess

By Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public and The Narwhal 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/2024/11/amish-farmers-partnership-with-beef-giant-produces-manure-mess/

Circle of Blue

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Groundwater: Who’s in charge?

In the early 2000s a movement to address the plight of the heavily polluted and long neglected Great Lakes started to gain traction.

The goal was to bring the gravitas of the federal government to the issue and in 2004 President George W. Bush signed an executive order declaring the lakes a “national treasure.” An interagency task force was established to bring together the disparate efforts of various federal programs who had been working independently on Great Lakes issues.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/groundwater-whos-in-charge/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

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Children of Flint water crisis make change as young environmental and health activists

By Tammy Webber, Associated Press

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Their childhood memories are still vivid: warnings against drinking or cooking with tap water, enduring long lines for cases of water, washing from buckets filled with heated, bottled water. And for some, stomach aches, skin rashes and hair loss.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/children-of-flint-water-crisis-make-change-as-young-environmental-and-health-activists/

The Associated Press

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Government watchdog: EPA slow to raise alarm in Benton Harbor water crisis

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

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/2023/09/government-watchdog-epa-slow-alarm-benton-harbor-water-crisis/

Bridge Michigan

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Minnesota Tribe Sets Enforceable Rules To Safeguard Wild Rice and Water Supply

By Keith Schneider, 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/2023/08/minnesota-tribe-enforceable-rules-safeguard-wild-rice-water-supply/

Circle of Blue

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Pentagon to address PFAS at Wurtsmith base near Oscoda

By Mike Wilkinson, Bridge Michigan

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/2023/08/pentagon-address-pfas-wurtsmith-base-oscoda/

Bridge Michigan

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Amendment to Clean Water Act improves Great Lakes through critical observation, collaboration

From fishing to enjoying a summer day at the beach, the Great Lakes provide enjoyment, comfort and a sense of home to the region. But these bodies of water were not always secure, as the lakes and connecting rivers were considered dangerous due to high pollution spots. 

The Great Lakes region has seen some of the most historic river fires.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/amendment-to-clean-water-act-improves-great-lakes-through-critical-observation-collaboration/

Jada Vasser

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PFAS News Roundup: U.S. Military proposes health benefits to veterans, How to identify contaminated foam

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/pfas-news-roundup-u-s-military-proposes-health-benefits-to-veterans-how-to-identify-contaminated-foam/

Kathy Johnson

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Flush with cash, Michigan lawmakers try again to pass state septic code

By Kelly House and Lauren Gibbons, Bridge Michigan

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

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/05/flush-with-cash-michigan-lawmakers-try-again-to-pass-state-septic-code/

Bridge Michigan

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Michigan brine brouhaha: Proposed limits for unpaved roads prompt dustup

By Kelly House and Lauren Gibbons, Bridge Michigan

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/2023/04/michigan-brine-brouhaha-proposed-limits-for-unpaved-roads-prompt-dustup/

Bridge Michigan

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A deep dive into disposing waste from East Palestine’s derailment

Some residents in Vickery, including Ohio State Rep. Gary Click, were upset to learn that hazardous wastewater from a Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment was being sent to their area for disposal. But the reality is that Vickery Environmental (VE), a Class 1 deep well injection site about five miles from Sandusky Bay, has been receiving and disposing liquid waste for nearly a half century.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/04/deep-dive-disposing-waste-east-palestine-derailment/

James Proffitt

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Science Says What: How worried should we be about microplastic pollution?

Science Says What? is a monthly column written by Great Lakes now contributor Sharon Oosthoek exploring what science can tell us about what’s happening beneath and above the waves of our beloved Great Lakes and their watershed.

Microplastic pollution has been building up in the Great Lakes since at least the 1970s.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/02/science-says-what-how-worried-should-we-be-about-microplastic-pollution/

Sharon Oosthoek

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New U.S. Climate Law Could Make Midwest Water Contamination Worse

By Keith Schneider, 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/2023/02/new-u-s-climate-law-could-make-midwest-water-contamination-worse/

Circle of Blue

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Study: Toxic PFAS chemical plume detected in Green Bay

By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer

A large plume of toxic chemicals produced by a plant that manufactures firefighting foam has seeped through groundwater to Lake Michigan’s Green Bay, scientists said Tuesday.

The chemicals belong to a family of compounds known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are used widely in consumer products ranging from nonstick cookware and water-repellent sports gear to stain-resistent carpets.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/01/ap-pfas-chemical-plume-detected-green-bay/

The Associated Press

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PFAS News Roundup: New regulations approved, new solutions explored

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/pfas-news-roundup-new-regulations-approved-new-solutions-explored/

Kathy Johnson

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US officials say 2 more places will test sewage for polio

By Mike Stobbe, AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Philadelphia and Oakland County, Michigan, are joining the small list of U.S. localities that are looking for signs of polio infections in sewage, U.S. health officials said Wednesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the communities will test for polio in sewage for at least four months.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/ap-officials-say-more-places-will-test-sewage-polio/

The Associated Press

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Analysis finds ‘stunning’ lack of compliance with coal ash rules, putting groundwater at risk

By Kari Lydersen, Energy News Network

This story was first published on the Energy News Network and was republished here with permission.

More than nine out of 10 coal ash impoundments nationwide are contaminating groundwater in violation of federal rules, according to environmental groups’ comprehensive analysis of the latest industry-reported data.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/analysis-finds-lack-of-compliance-with-coal-ash-rules-groundwater-at-risk/

Energy News Network

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Evers administration relaunches efforts to limit PFAS

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration is trying again to limit the levels of a group of chemicals known as PFAS in Wisconsin’s groundwater.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported that Evers authorized the Department of Natural Resources last week to begin work on administrative rules establishing limits.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/ap-evers-administration-efforts-limit-pfas/

The Associated Press

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America’s summer of floods: What cities can learn from today’s climate crises to prepare for tomorrow’s

By Richard B. (Ricky) Rood, University of Michigan, The Conversation

 is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

Powerful storms across the South, following flash floods in Dallas, Death Valley, St. Louis, Yellowstone and Appalachia, have left cities across the U.S.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/americas-summer-of-floods/

The Conversation

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Coal ash 101: Everything you need to know about this toxic waste

As coal plants close nationwide, they leave behind nearly a billion tons of toxic coal ash. The Medill School of Journalism spent months investigating the coal ash threat and how regulators, companies and environmental groups are handling it.

Here are the basics that will help you understand this looming threat:

What is Coal Ash?

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/coal-ash-101/

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan

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The Catch: Coal ash regulation

Broadcasting in our monthly PBS television program, The Catch is a Great Lakes Now series that brings you more news about the lakes you love. Go beyond the headlines with reporters from around the region who cover the lakes and drinking water issues. Find all the work HERE.

This month, The Catch features stories from “Poisonous Ponds: Tackling Toxic Coal Ash,” a collaborative project featuring the reporting work of students at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications on Great Lakes Now and Energy News Network programs and websites.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/the-catch-coal-ash-regulation/

GLN Editor

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Reuse can divert coal ash from landfills, but challenges remain

The amount of coal ash in the United States is hard to fathom. There are over 700 impoundments holding more than 2 billion cubic yards of ash — enough to cover the entire state of Pennsylvania one-half inch deep. 

Coal ash includes heavy metals like chromium, arsenic and selenium — linked to higher rates of cancer and other diseases — that can leach into groundwater. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/reuse-divert-coal-ash-from-landfills-challenges-remain/

Tom Quinn

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To excavate or not to excavate: With toxic coal ash, that is the question

Eighty-eight-year-old Hilda Barg hunched her shoulders and rested her forearms on her hardwood dining table, talking fiercely about coal ash contamination in her neighborhood. Barg, a lifelong resident and former supervisor of Prince William County, Virginia, is leading a local fight against how Dominion Energy — the state’s largest electric utility — is dealing with toxic coal ash at its Possum Point plant 3 miles from Barg’s home. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/excavate-toxic-coal-ash-question/

Hayley Starshak and Mrinali Dhembla

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Coal ash contaminating groundwater near Joliet to stay, despite residents’ and activists’ concerns

Joliet, Illinois, a city of about 150,000 people southwest of Chicago, has long depended on a deep sandstone aquifer for drinking water – an increasingly strained resource that city officials hope to supplement with a billion-dollar pipeline from Lake Michigan.

But while this highly publicized search for a new source of municipal water unfolds, some residents who rely on private well water face a different threat.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/coal-ash-contaminating-groundwater-near-joliet-to-stay/

Sarah Aie

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In: Chicago, Climate change, coal ash, Coal Ash Project, contamination, dams, Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, flooding, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Ohio, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Rising waters, sinking feeling: From the Great Lakes to the Ohio River, climate change puts coal ash impoundments at risk

Just upstream of Alabama’s Mobile Bay sits a vast region of wetlands known as the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the United States. As well as 21 million cubic yards of wet coal ash. 

The J.M. Barry Power Plant has been a flashpoint between environmental advocates and the state utility, Alabama Power, for years.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/climate-change-puts-coal-ash-impoundments-at-risk/

Joshua Irvine

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In the Finger Lakes, a bitcoin mining plant billed as ‘green’ has a dirty coal ash problem

The village of Dresden is nestled amid charming vineyards and the placid blue waters of Seneca Lake, the largest of Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes. 

Wineries, breweries, dairy farms, and state parks dot the lake’s shoreline, making it a picture-perfect vacation destination.

But for local residents, the three auburn-colored smokestacks of Greenidge Generation’s plant towering above the trees are an unnerving reminder that their natural resources are at risk.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/bitcoin-mining-plant-dirty-coal-ash-problem/

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan

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In: Chicago, Climate change, coal ash, Coal Ash Project, contamination, data, Drinking Water, Environmental Justice, epa, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, Groundwater Contamination, History and Culture, Illinois, Indiana, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Leaking landfills: Unregulated coal ash poses a buried, brewing threat to Lake Michigan and beyond, new lawsuit says

At almost 300 sites on the Great Lakes and coast to coast, unregulated buried and landfilled coal ash is putting water supplies at risk, alleges a federal lawsuit filed August 25. 

This threat is in addition to contamination from up to 700 coal ash repositories that are covered by 2015 federal coal ash rules.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/unregulated-coal-ash-poses-brewing-threat-to-lake-michigan/

Diana Leane and Sarah Aie

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In: AP, Climate change, contamination, Drinking Water, flooding, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, infrastructure, Lead, Michigan, Municipalities, News, PFAS, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, wells
Climate-driven flooding poses well water contamination risks

By Michael Phillis and John Flesher, Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — After a record-setting Midwestern rainstorm that damaged thousands of homes and businesses, Stefanie Johnson’s farmhouse in Blandinsville, Illinois, didn’t have safe drinking water for nearly two months.

Flood water poured into her well, turning the water a muddy brown and forcing Johnson, her husband and their two young children to use store-bought supplies.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-climate-driven-flooding-contamination-risks/

The Associated Press

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Pressure growing to remove PFAS from fast food wrappers

By Michael Casey, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Brenda Hampton first came across the toxic industrial compound PFAS after finding it was part of the cocktail of contaminants that tainted the drinking water in her North Alabama community.

Hampton, who believes the contaminated water contributed to kidney problems she and other residents suffer, soon learned the chemicals were found in another source that hit close to home — fast food wrappers, boxes and plates.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-pressure-growing-remove-pfas-wrappers/

The Associated Press

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Marshfield, Adams shut down wells due to PFAS pollution

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Marshfield and Adams have joined the list of Wisconsin cities that have shut down municipal wells due to PFAS contamination.

Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the state Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday that sampling in the two cities has detected PFAS high enough to concern state health officials.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-wisconsin-wells-pfas-pollution/

The Associated Press

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EPA: Two toxic hot spots in Michigan will take longer to clean up than many others in Great Lakes states

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

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/2022/06/toxic-hot-spots-michigan-great-lakes-states/

Michigan Radio

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Water Always Wins: “Quietly radical” book makes case for Slow Water

While growing up in California, Erica Gies became aware of the state’s water scarcity, which she told Great Lakes Now has led to a “low-key obsession about water for just about everyone in the state.”

California’s droughts have been a regular occurrence that put a spotlight on the importance of water for Gies, fostering a writing career on the topic that has spanned 15 years.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/water-always-wins-book/

Gary Wilson

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In: Drinking Water, Drinking Water News Roundup, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Latest News, Lead, Minnesota, New York, News, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Drinking Water News Roundup: $3M invested in Illinois water system, coal ash rule means safer water in Indiana

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:

  • Illinois American Water Announces Investment of Over $3 Million in Sterling Water System During National Infrastructure Week – Business Wire

Illinois American Water is investing over $3 million to replace over 8,600 feet or 1.6 miles of water main throughout the Sterling Water System.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/drinking-water-news-roundup-illinois-water-system-coal-ash-indiana/

Tynnetta Harris

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In: Agriculture, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, forever chemicals, Groundwater Contamination, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, Natasha Blakely, New York, News, PFAS, PFAS News Roundup, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
PFAS News Roundup: 20M acres of farmland polluted, PFAS found in ‘nontoxic’ children’s clothes and car seats

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/pfas-news-roundup-farmland-polluted-pfas-childrens-clothes/

Natasha Blakely

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In: Budget, clean water act, Feature Homepage, Groundwater Contamination, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, News, Pennsylvania, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, pollution, Protect, Rivers, Sharon Oosthoek, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Nonprofit report points to outdated Clean Water Act for the miles of polluted rivers across the U.S.

In 1972, the federal Clean Water Act proclaimed an ambitious goal – “fishable, swimmable” waters across the U.S. by 1983. Today, just over half of assessed river and stream miles across the U.S. remain too polluted for swimming and recreation, aquatic life, fish consumption, or as drinking water sources.

That assessment comes from a newly released report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), a non-profit group founded in 2002 by former EPA enforcement attorneys.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/outdated-clean-water-act-polluted-rivers/

Sharon Oosthoek

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In: Algae Blooms, Drinking Water, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, Forests and Plants, Groundwater Contamination, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Latest News, Michigan, Municipalities, News, Science, Technology, Research, septic systems, sewage, sewage infrastructure, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Michigan’s lack of septic system regulations is causing problems for some of its most pristine lakes

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

This story is part of “Water’s True Cost,” a series by the Great Lakes News Collaborative focused on the rising cost of water in Michigan and the various causes leading to the state of water systems today. Find the rest of the stories in the series here.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/michigans-septic-system-problems-lakes/

Michigan Radio

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In: AP, Budget, Drinking Water, Forever Chemicals Featured, Groundwater Contamination, News, PFAS, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Madison mayor wants to spend $425K on PFAS filtration system

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway wants to spend $425,000 to design a system to filter PFAS chemicals out of a city well.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported Monday that the mayor said the system would be the first in Wisconsin designed to filter the so-called “forever chemicals” out of drinking water.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/madison-mayor-pfas-filtration-system/

The Associated Press

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In: coal ash, Collaboration, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Groundwater Contamination, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The States, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Northern Indiana residents doubt outcome of coal ash cleanup

By Beth Edwards, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Some northern Indiana residents remain skeptical that communities in the area will be free of contamination from toxic coal ash, despite a renewed commitment by government agencies and one of the state’s biggest energy companies to clean up polluted sites and transition to renewable energy sources.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/indiana-residents-coal-ash-cleanup/

Indiana Environmental Reporter

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In: AP, Groundwater Contamination, News, PFAS, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
DNR restarts effort to set bacteria standards in groundwater

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Department of Natural Resources has restarted efforts to set standards for bacteria in groundwater after conservatives on the agency’s policy board killed the attempt in February.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported that the board on Wednesday authorized a public hearing and comment period on a new rule-making process to set groundwater standards for E.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/ap-dnr-effort-bacteria-standards-groundwater/

The Associated Press

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In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Drinking Water, Groundwater Contamination, Latest News, Michigan, News, PFAS, Research, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, wastewater, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Research finds more PFAS coming out of wastewater treatment plants than going in

By Tracy Samilton, Michigan Radio

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/2022/04/research-pfas-wastewater-treatment-plants/

Michigan Radio

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In: AP, groundwater, Groundwater Contamination, infrastructure, News, PFAS, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Evers lashes out at conservatives over PFAS standards

By Todd Richmond, Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Thursday at conservative members of the Department of Natural Resources policy board for refusing to set limits on a group of chemicals known as PFAS in Wisconsin’s groundwater.

The board in February adopted limits for drinking water and surface water but rejected the Department of Natural Resources’ recommendations to impose a 20 parts per trillion limit for groundwater after conservative board members voiced concerns about the cost of replacing or remediating wells with contamination that exceeds that bench mark.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/evers-conservatives-pfas-standards/

The Associated Press

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In: contaminated water, Drinking Water, Fish, Birds and Animals, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, Indiana, infrastructure, Latest News, Lead, Michigan, News, News Roundup Drinking Water, Ohio, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Drinking Water News Roundup: New DNA Computer can Reveal Water Contaminants, HydroOne Team Works Towards Cleaning up Oil Spill

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:

  • Illinois American Water Investing Over $16 Million in Jerseyville Water System – BusinessWire

Illinois American water plans to donate over $16 million to help maintain and transform the municipal water system for the city of Jerseyville.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/drinking-water-news-roundup-water-contaminants-oil-spill/

Maya Sundaresan

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In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, Groundwater Contamination, infrastructure, Michigan, News, septic systems, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Searching for help. Where can homeowners get money to fix failing septic systems?

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

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

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/homeowners-money-fix-septic-systems/

Michigan Radio

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In: Drinking Water, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, fish, forever chemicals, Forever Chemicals Featured, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, indigenous communities, Lake Superior, Latest News, Michigan, Natasha Blakely, News Roundup PFAS, PFAS, Policy, Wisconsin
PFAS News Roundup: PFAS in Lake Superior fish, two Michigan locations could land on Superfund list

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-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/2022/01/pfas-news-lake-superior-fish-michigan-superfund-list/

Natasha Blakely

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In: AP, coal ash, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, environmental protection agency, Groundwater Contamination, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
EPA moves to crack down on dangerous coal ash storage ponds

By Matthew Daly, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is taking its first major action to address toxic wastewater from coal-burning power plants, ordering utilities to stop dumping waste into unlined storage ponds and speed up plans to close leaking or otherwise dangerous coal ash sites.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-epa-dangerous-coal-ash/

The Associated Press

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In: AP, contamination, Groundwater Contamination, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, infrastucture, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Waste, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
EPA releases $1B to clean up toxic waste sites in 24 states

By Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press

Nearly 50 toxic waste sites around the U.S. will be cleaned up, and ongoing work at dozens of others will get a funding boost, as federal environmental officials announced Friday a $1 billion infusion to the Superfund program.

The money comes from the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed into law last month and will help officials tackle a backlog of highly polluted Superfund sites in 24 states that have languished for years because of a lack of funding, the Environmental Protection Agency said.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/ap-epa-toxic-waste-sites/

The Associated Press

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In: Collaboration, Groundwater Contamination, Latest News, News, PFAS, pollution, Wisconsin
‘Something has to be done’: Living along Madison’s Starkweather Creek, one of Wisconsin’s most polluted waterways.

This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.

By Isaac Wasserman, Wisconsin Watch

Carnetta Galvin and Melody Homesly stood on Galvin’s porch holding glasses of wine on an August evening. It was Galvin’s birthday, and the best friends’ laughter reverberated from their corner of the brick apartment and into the streets of the Darbo-Worthington neighborhood in Madison, Wisconsin.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/madisons-starkweather-creek-wisconsin-polluted-waterway/

Wisconsin Watch