Democrats in control: Advocates want action on justice, climate and “stronger leadership” from Gov. Whitmer

Elections have consequences, the saying goes, and for the Michigan Democratic party, the election last week resulted in a sweep of the race for governor and the legislature.

Now comes their opportunity to deliver on long-stalled environmental initiatives.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was re-elected and for the first time in almost 40 years, Democrats will be the majority in the legislature.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/advocates-want-action-on-justice-climate-stronger-leadership-gov-whitmer/

Gary Wilson

Uncertainty for Michigan rivers, residents as Consumers reconsiders its 13 dams

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/uncertainty-michigan-rivers-residents-consumers-reconsiders-13-dams/

Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes-Iceland connection through the 100% Whitefish effort

While Great Lakes fish populations are constantly in a state of flux, one species has declined precipitously in the last decade: lake whitefish. But Great Lakes leaders and fisheries managers are looking ahead in planning to do more with less.

And in the case of whitefish, a lot more.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/great-lakes-iceland-connection-through-whitefish-effort/

James Proffitt

With wolf plan complete, Michiganders lobby state on possibility of a hunt

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/michiganders-lobby-state-on-possibility-of-a-hunt/

Bridge Michigan

Drinking Water News Roundup: Illinois EPA invests over $70M in drinking water projects, students receive funding for Ohio water quality research

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 EPA invests over $70M in wastewater, drinking water projects – Daily Journal

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will make more than $70.6 million in water infrastructure loans to local governments and sanitary districts for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2023.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/drinking-water-news-roundup-illinois-drinking-water-projects-students-ohio-water-quality-research/

GLN Editor

Detroit church to remember sailors lost on the Great Lakes

DETROIT (AP) — Sailors who lost their lives in shipwrecks on the Great Lakes and Michigan waterways will be remembered at a historic church in downtown Detroit.

The annual Great Lakes Memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday and will be livestreamed from Mariners’ Church along the Detroit River.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/ap-detroit-church-to-remember-sailors-lost-on-great-lakes/

The Associated Press

Energy News Roundup: Electric school buses, solar-powered recreational boats on the rise

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 entrepreneur uses clean energy to create opportunities in disinvested communities — Energy News Network

Chicago entrepreneur Arthur Burton is closing the gap in solar and electric vehicle charging stations in disinvested communities, while providing job training opportunities for at-risk youth.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/energy-news-roundup-electric-school-buses-solar-powered-recreational-boats-on-the-rise/

Kathy Johnson

Great Lakes Moment: New video game teaches watershed management

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.

Today, many educators are experimenting with unique forms of instruction to increase student engagement in the classroom and encourage critical thinking.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/great-lakes-moment-video-game-teaches-watershed-management/

John Hartig

The Catch: Record Number of Piping Plovers

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 a story about Great Lakes piping plovers.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/the-catch-record-number-of-piping-plovers/

GLN Editor

Nonprofit buys 31,000 forested acres by Copper Harbor to keep land public

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/nonprofit-buys-31000-forested-acres-by-copper-harbor/

Bridge Michigan

Surf and Turf: The Great Lakes Now Episode Quiz

Great Lakes Now tries to make every episode interesting and educational.

In “Surf and Turf,” dig into the future of land use in the Great Lakes as needs grow for both housing and agriculture, then join an eFoiling adventure on Lake Huron, and keep up with news about the lakes you love with The Catch!

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/surf-and-turf-the-great-lakes-now-episode-quiz/

Anna Sysling

Some Republicans, Democrats, environmentalists, hunters, anglers, and birders all want the same thing: more wetlands

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.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/republicans-democrats-environmentalists-more-wetlands/

Michigan Radio

PFAS News Roundup: Ongoing Upper Peninsula industrial fire raises “forever chemical” concerns, PFAS medical monitoring programs to begin in New York

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/2022/11/pfas-news-roundup-upper-peninsula-industrial-fire-forever-chemical-concerns-medical-monitoring-programs-new-york/

Kathy Johnson

Michigan businesses interested in reducing their carbon footprint are looking to build with large wooden panels instead of steel or concrete.  

The post An ancient building material could be the wave of the future. first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/28/an-ancient-building-material-could-be-the-wave-of-the-future/

Guest Contributor

Energy News Roundup: Michigan launching study of nuclear power options, clean energy jobs rebounding in Wisconsin

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

  • Transit advocates criticize new regional transportation plan featuring expressway expansion — Chicago Sun Times

Chicago transit advocates raise concerns over a state transportation plan that calls for more expressway lanes instead of prioritizing public transit.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/energy-news-roundup-michigan-study-of-nuclear-power-clean-energy-jobs-wisconsin/

Kathy Johnson

The Michigan State University Museum’s newest exhibition uses an interdisciplinary approach to engage visitors with the topic of climate change. The exhibition, called 1.5° Celsius, includes installations from 15 artists, researchers and scientists around the world. 

The post Climate change exhibition pushes boundaries of museums fighting to stay relevant first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/27/climate-change-exhibition-pushes-boundaries-of-museums-fighting-to-stay-relevant/

Guest Contributor

The Debut of “Ian Outside”

Editor’s Note: Look for coverage of Great Lakes recreation and adventure in this new monthly feature. The author, Ian Solomon, founded Amplify Outside, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access and representation by Black people in the outdoors, starting in the Great Lakes region. Find more about him HERE.

From the Detroit River to the shores of Tawas Bay, I chased the last bite of summer I could manage. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/the-debut-of-ian-outside/

Ian Solomon

Mapping the Great Lakes: Where do you live?

Love staring at a map and discovering something interesting? Then “Mapping the Great Lakes” is for you. It’s a monthly Great Lakes Now feature created by Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines cartography, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/mapping-the-great-lakes-where-do-you-live/

Alex Hill

Great Lakes, Chicago River and Asian carp in the spotlight in Elizabeth Kolbert’s “Under a White Sky”

For Elizabeth Kolbert, the path to writing a book on our penchant to control nature started with a guided tour on the infamously reversed Chicago River.

Kolbert wanted to get a close look at the Asian carp issue and talk to the people on the front lines of efforts to repel the carp advance to the Great Lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/great-lakes-chicago-river-asian-carp-elizabeth-kolbert/

Gary Wilson

PFAS News Roundup: Petition says EPA loophole lets “forever chemicals” evade review

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/2022/10/pfas-news-roundup-petition-says-epa-loophole-lets-forever-chemicals-evade-review/

Kathy Johnson

Enbridge will pay $11M fine for Minnesota water violations

By Andy BalaskovitzEnergy News Network

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

PIPELINES: Enbridge will pay more than $11 million to settle water quality violations and three aquifer breaches related to Line 3 construction in northern Minnesota; Attorney General Keith Ellison also announced a misdemeanor criminal charge for the company’s alleged taking of water without a permit. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/enbridge-will-pay-11m-fine-for-minnesota-water-violations/

Energy News Network

To help reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Michigan officials have created a 100,000 acre project in the Pigeon River Country State Forest that will sell carbon credits to businesses interested in offsetting emissions.

The post Michigan carbon offsets: Success or scam? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/18/michigan-carbon-offsets-success-or-scam/

Guest Contributor

I Speak for the Fish: Water snakes are spooktacular

When it comes to Halloween, I’m a Hallmark participant.

I like costume parties and I’ve mooched enough candy to make a significant contributor to my dentist’s children’s college fund. But I do not visit haunted houses and fail to see the appeal of fear.

I have an adventurous spirit but I do not think I’m overly courageous.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/i-speak-for-the-fish-water-snakes-are-spooktacular/

Kathy Johnson

Energy News Roundup: Indigenous communities in Canada, U.S. offer clean energy solutions

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

  • Illinois grapples with implementing 100% clean energy law — E & E News

With a 100% carbon-free electricity target by 2045, Illinois must now grapple with the complexities over how exactly to reach that goal.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/energy-news-roundup-indigenous-communities-clean-energy-solutions/

Kathy Johnson

Drinking Water News Roundup: New water infrastructure funding, projects, programs

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:

 

Indiana:

  • Water renovation project extends municipal water access to hundreds – The Indiana Gazette

Prior to the approximately $12 million project that connected Plumville and Crooked Creek water treatment plants, most residents in the area as well as the school district relied on well water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/drinking-water-news-roundup-new-water-infrastructure-funding-projects-programs/

GLN Editor

A new book details the decades-long cleanup of Detroit's River Rogue, which was once one of the most polluted watersheds in America. However, there is still more work to be done.

The post Book details how a watershed community rescued one of the nation’s most polluted rivers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/10/book-details-how-a-watershed-community-rescued-one-of-the-nations-most-polluted-rivers/

Guest Contributor

Great Lakes Moment: Rouge River Revived

Editor’s Note: Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television. This month’s article is a combination of excerpts and a preview of his new book, “Rouge River Revived: How People are Bringing Their River Back to Life,” which chronicles how citizens are leading an effort to restore their river in metropolitan Detroit.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/great-lakes-moment-rouge-river-revived/

John Hartig

Ann Arbor sends partially treated wastewater into river

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The City of Ann Arbor says an estimated 1.38 million gallons (5.2 million liters) of partially treated wastewater flowed into the Huron River during maintenance Tuesday at its treatment plant.

The wastewater had received all treatment except disinfection, the city announced Wednesday in a news release.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/ap-ann-arbor-sends-partially-treated-wastewater-into-river/

The Associated Press

PFAS News Roundup: High levels of “forever chemicals” found in pesticides, artificial turf

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/2022/10/pfas-news-roundup-high-levels-forever-chemicals-pesticides-artificial-turf/

Kathy Johnson

Fresh off Palisades closure, Michigan will study state’s nuclear prospects

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/michigan-will-study-states-nuclear-prospects/

Bridge Michigan

As septic pollution roils Higgins Lake, Michigan lawmakers consider reform

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/septic-pollution-michigan-lawmakers-reform/

Bridge Michigan

Dana Nessel sues former west Michigan company over PFAS, other pollution

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/dana-nessel-sues-company-over-pfas-pollution/

Bridge Michigan

Located on a strip of land that separates two of Michigan’s largest lakes, Elk and Torch, Maplehurst Natural Area is an unexpected delight to anybody who stumbles across it. The former summer camp is now a protected area of land thanks to a collaboration between Milton Township and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.

The post Camp Maplehurst’s enduring legacy first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/30/camp-maplehursts-enduring-legacy/

Guest Contributor

Remedies for Harmful Algal Blooms Are Available in Law and Practice

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/remedies-for-harmful-algal-blooms-available-in-law/

Circle of Blue

The installation of a state-of-the-art street lighting system on Belle Isle – located on the Michigan side of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario – was a major step forward in saving energy and electricity while improving safety for visitors. Now five years later, a new study says computer optimization modeling could lead to even further savings and other benefits, such as fewer crashes, for communities that upgrade their street light systems. 

The post Belle Isle study lights way for savings first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/27/belle-isle-study-lights-way-for-savings/

Guest Contributor

Mapping the Great Lakes: Underwater discoveries await

Love staring at a map and discovering something interesting? Then “Mapping the Great Lakes” is for you. It’s a monthly Great Lakes Now feature created by Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines cartography, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/mapping-the-great-lakes-underwater-discoveries-await/

Alex Hill

Fish scientists: From childhood aspirations to Amazonian expeditions

Most professions offer a range of subspecialties to choose from.

Want to be a doctor? What kind? Surgeon, pediatrician, neurologist…?

Want to work construction? What kind? Plumer, electrician, carpenter…?

The study of fishes is different only in that the subspecialties are far less familiar to people outside the field.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/fish-scientists/

Kathy Johnson

Energy News Roundup: Line 3 protests, renewable energy efforts growing

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

  • Illinois to tackle orphaned oil, gas wells — Alton Telegraph

Illinois Gov.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/energy-news-roundup-line-3-protests-renewable-energy-efforts-growing/

Kathy Johnson

State cracks down on Flint company after Flint River spill

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — State regulators on Monday ordered a Flint chemical company to truck wastewater to a water treatment plant, weeks after it was blamed for an oily discharge in the Flint River.

The 11-page order describes disputes between Lockhart Chemical and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/ap-state-cracks-down-on-flint-company/

The Associated Press

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in June approved a plan to make the state age-friendly. It focuses on communication and information, respect and social inclusion, health services and community support, social participation and transportation. 

The post More Michigan communities strive to become age-friendly first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/23/more-michigan-communities-strive-to-become-age-friendly/

Guest Contributor

Dave Dempsey explores connection between people, dogs and environmental policy in new book

When we think of our cherished dogs, most of us don’t easily make a connection to environmental policy or protecting the Great Lakes.

But that’s the path Traverse City’s Dave Dempsey followed in his latest book release, Half Wild: People, Dogs and Environmental Policy.

The premise of the book examines our tendency to engage in binary thinking on protecting the environment and the Great Lakes, much like dogs who are domesticated but retain long-ingrained wild tendencies.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/dave-dempsey-people-dogs-and-environmental-policy/

Gary Wilson

Powerful Industry’s Torrent of Manure Overwhelms State Regulators

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/powerful-industry-torrent-manure-overwhelms-state-regulators/

Circle of Blue

Michigan property owners settle PFAS case for $54 million

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A judge has given tentative approval to a $54 million settlement involving 3M Co., a shoe manufacturer and property owners in western Michigan who said their land and wells were contaminated by toxic “forever chemicals.”

The deal involves approximately 1,700 properties north of Grand Rapids.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/michigan-property-owners-settle-pfas-case/

The Associated Press

As Michigan enters peak color season, local officials across the state have nominated the best roads for motorists to enjoy the changing foliage.

The post And the winners are…best Michigan roads for color first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/21/and-the-winners-arebest-michigan-roads-for-color/

Guest Contributor

Great Lakes feature Midwest curiosity: Fish-cleaning houses

If you catch fish in a Great Lakes state on a river, pond, stream or reservoir and keep any to eat, most likely you’ll have to clean them yourself. But if you get close to one of the big lakes, especially Lake Erie, you could have a fish cleaner do it.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/fish-cleaning-houses/

James Proffitt

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

The Conversation

In A Year of Water Quality Reckoning, National Imperative is Impeded

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/year-of-water-quality-reckoning-national-imperative-impeded/

Circle of Blue

Testing the waters: How groups monitor toxic algae in the absence of state testing

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

By Eva Tesfaye, Harvest Public Media

This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an editorially independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism in partnership with Report For America and funded by the Walton Family Foundation. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/how-groups-monitor-toxic-algae-in-absence-state-testing/

Wisconsin Watch

Farms in Six Southeast Michigan Counties Are Major Sources of Lake Erie Toxic Blooms

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/farms-michigan-counties-sources-of-lake-erie-toxic-blooms/

Circle of Blue

Energy News Roundup: New climate laws impact states, energy bill assistance in Illinois

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:

  • New climate laws offer Illinois residents a chance to save around 70% on rooftop solar — Chicago Tribune

Starting this week, the new federal Inflation Reduction Act combined with the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act will bring the average cost for residential solar installations from $25,000 down to approximately $7,500.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/energy-news-roundup-new-climate-laws-impact-states/

Kathy Johnson