Supreme Court affirms block of key PolyMet mine permit
By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed a lower court’s reversal of a critical mining permit for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota, handing environmentalists a victory in the long-running battle over the $1 billion project, though the company also declared a win.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/ap-supreme-court-block-key-polymet-mine-permit/
17 Young People on the Moment the Climate Crisis Became Real to Them
By Mary Retta, Teen Vogue
This story originally appeared in Teen Vogue and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
Watching An Inconvenient Truth in your middle-school science class.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/17-young-people-climate-crisis/
How Microfishing Took the Angling World by (Very Small) Storm
By Ben Goldfarb, Hakai Magazine
This story originally appeared in Hakai Magazine and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
In the world of competitive sportfishing, the name Arostegui is royalty.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/microfishing-angling-recreational-fishing/
PFAS News Roundup: Michigan governor invokes defense bill, high levels in Minnesota landfills, business lobby sues Wisconsin DNR
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/michigan-governor-minnesota-landfills-wisconsin-business-dnr/
Duluth mayor presses Army corps on beach erosion
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Duluth’s mayor is pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to investigate whether the agency is responsible for erosion along a six-mile stretch of Lake Superior beach.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Mayor Emily Larson sent a letter March 12 to the corps to investigate whether its maintenance work on shipping channels has caused erosion on Park Point.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/ap-duluth-mayor-army-corps-beach-erosion/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/drinking-water-news-new-york-microplastics-pennsylvania/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/drinking-water-news-new-york-microplastics-pennsylvania/
Need for disputed pipeline argued in Minnesota appeals court
By Mohamed Ibrahim, Associated Press/Report for America Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday heard arguments over Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 replacement project in northern Minnesota, which opponents are calling unnecessary due to an eventual decline in the demand for oil.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce, along with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and several Indigenous and environmental groups, argued before the three-judge panel that Enbridge failed to show long-term need for the Line 3 project.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/ap-need-for-line-3-pipeline-argued-minnesota-appeals-court/
Chippewa tribes blast wolf hunt, say it was about killing
By Todd Richmond, Associated Press Writer
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Chippewa tribal officials in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan have blasted the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for putting on what they say was a poorly planned wolf season during which state-licensed hunters blew past their quota in a matter of days.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/ap-chippewa-tribes-blast-wolf-hunt/
Drinking Water News Roundup: Lead in NY schools, Minnesota water exhibit, Wisconsin water week
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:
- Eaton Boil Water Advisory Lifted – Star Press
A boil water advisory announced Thursday for the town of Eaton has been lifted after the issue was repaired and testing showed the water was safe, the town announced Saturday night.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/drinking-water-great-lakes-lead-schools-minnesota-water-exhibit-wisconsin/
Lake Superior Winter: Researchers belatedly turn their eyes to the impact of warming winters
Deep below the cold, dark surface of Lake Superior, sensors strung like pearls along a vertical steel cable sway with the currents. Recording the lake’s dropping temperatures as winter sets in, their gentle rhythm belies their worrying readings: the lake is getting warmer.
Jay Austin heaved several of these science experiments off a boat last fall – tossing concrete blocks into the deep water to anchor the cable of sensors stretching down from floating platforms just below the surface.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/lake-superior-researchers-impact-warming-winters/
Energy News Roundup: Q&A with energy secretary Granholm, Indiana enviromental bills struggle, Ontario rate payers prepare for hike
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
In this edition: Environmentalists in Wisconsin sue EPA over regulation rollback favoring coal plants, bankruptcy plan for Ohio nuclear power company upheld by appeals court, Prairie Island tribe prepares for massive investment in renewable energy, and Ford Motors to invest millions for electric vehicle construction in southeast Michigan
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Indiana:
- 75 environmental bills were filed this session; more than two-thirds of them are now dead – Indianapolis Star
When the 2021 legislative session began, more than 75 bills related to the environment had been filed in Indiana’s General Assembly.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/energy-news-indiana-bills-ontario-hike-line-5-oversight-panel/
Rights vs. Regulations: When it comes to septic system codes, property rights remain a big barrier
Minnesota Supreme Court hands victory to PolyMet copper mine
By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday reversed an appeals court’s rejection of a critical air emissions permit for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine and sent the case back for further proceedings.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was not required under federal law to investigate allegations by environmental groups and a Native American tribe of “sham permitting.”
PolyMet and the state agency took the case to the state’s highest court after the Minnesota Court of Appeals last March sent the air permit for the $1 billion mine back to the regulators for further review.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/ap-minnesota-supreme-court-victory-polymet-copper-mine/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/drinking-water-climate-change-withdrawals-michigan-quebec-first-nations/
HotSpots H2O: Minnesota Rolls Out Plan for PFAS Contamination
By Elena Bruess, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/minnesota-plan-pfas-contamination/
Enbridge Line 3 divides Indigenous lands, people
By Mary Annette Pember, Indian Country Today via AP
CLOQUET, Minn. (AP) — Jason Goward was overjoyed to get a high-paying job on Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline project.
The job, clearing ground with a contractor for the Canadian energy company, meant he could at last pay child support for his two young sons.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/ap-enbridge-line-3-divides-indigenous-lands-people/
Drinking Water Roundup: Dispute between two Waukeshas over Lake Michigan diversion, Ontario infrastructure grants
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 Under Boil Advisory After Water Main Breaks – WGN9 TV
A series of water main breaks in Joliet this week prompted a boil water order in case of cross contamination during repairs.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/drinking-water-waukesha-lake-michigan-groundwater-contamination-ontario/
PFAS News Roundup: Minnesota sets new PFAS blueprint, Biden EPA dumps PFAS assessment over ‘political interference’
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/pfas-minnesota-biden-epa-regulations/
26 rescued from ice floe in Lake Superior off Minnesota
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Twenty-six people fishing on Lake Superior were rescued when an ice floe broke away from the Minnesota shoreline, stranding them in frigid weather.
The Duluth Fire Department got a call Tuesday morning from a resident who saw ice shanties floating away. Crews brought the anglers to shore a few at a time by boat.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/ap-26-rescued-ice-floe-lake-superior-minnesota/
Judge blocks another bid to shut down Line 3 construction
By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge has rejected another attempt by opponents to shut down construction work on Enbridge Energy’s replacement for its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota.
In an order filed Sunday, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said tribal and environmental groups that filed for an injunction in late December to suspend construction failed to prove any permanent harm would result from allowing the work to proceed or that they’re likely to win on their broader legal arguments.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/ap-judge-blocks-shut-down-line-3-construction/
PFAS News Roundup: PFAS found in Indigenous household wells, Wisconsin experimental treatment fails, WDNR fish concerns
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/pfas-michigan-indigenous-wisconsin-fish-dnr-legislation/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/chicago-lake-michigan-minnesota-road-salt/
Mussel-Phosphorus Puzzle: Invasive mussels are reshaping the chemistry of the Great Lakes
Since the late 1980s, four of the five Great Lakes have played host to an increasing number of invasive mussels. First came zebra mussels, followed shortly thereafter by quagga mussels, both members of the Dreissenid family whose native range includes the waters around Ukraine.
Today, the filter-feeders comprise more than 90% of the total animal biomass of the Great Lakes (barring Lake Superior, whose depth and water chemistry make it a less suitable habitat for the two species of mussel).
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/invasive-mussels-phosphorus-chemistry-great-lakes/
Tribal leaders blast congressman opposed to Biden nomination
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — A group of Native American tribes in a Minnesota congressman’s district is rebuking him for his attempts to derail President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for Interior secretary.
If confirmed, Rep. Deb Haaland, a Democrat from New Mexico, would be the first Native American to lead the Department of the Interior.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-tribal-leaders-congressman-opposed-haaland-nomination/
PFAS News Roundup: PFAS in Lake Superior smelt, McDonalds drops PFAS packaging, White House weakened EPA guidelines
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/pfas-news-lake-superior-smelt-wisconsin-settlement-mcdonalds-epa/
Minnesota lawmakers introduce anti-copper mining legislation
By Mohamed Ibrahim, Associated Press/Report for America
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota lawmakers are ramping up efforts to prevent mining companies from gaining a foothold in Minnesota with legislation that aims to slow or ban copper-nickel mining on the Iron Range.
Companion bills set to be proposed by state lawmakers and U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-minnesota-lawmakers-anti-copper-mining-legislation/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/great-lakes-gift-guide-2020-list/
Minnesota regulators deny request to delay Line 3 pipeline
By Mohamed Ibrahim, Associated Press/Report for America
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota regulatory panel on Friday denied a request from two tribes to prevent Enbridge Energy from moving forward with its contentious Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement, which broke ground this week after receiving its final state permit.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/ap-minnesota-regulators-deny-request-to-delay-line-3-pipeline/
Drinking Water News Roundup: Indiana utilities plan for climate change, Waukesha pipeline construction begins
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:
- ‘Will We Have Water When We Need It?’: How Indiana Utilities Are Preparing for Climate Change – Indiana Star
Just 150 miles from Lake Michigan, utility planners are worried about finding enough water to supply a growing Indianapolis because of climate change.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/drinking-water-climate-change-lead-first-nations-waukesha-pipeline/
What’s next for the Enbridge Line 3 project in Minnesota? Construction. And protests.
By Walker Orenstein, MinnPost, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network
Enbridge Energy has all the permits it needs to start construction on a controversial new crude oil pipeline in Minnesota, more than five years after the Canadian company first asked state regulators to approve the Line 3 project.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/enbridge-line-3-project-minnesota-construction-protests/
Enbridge starts construction on Line 3 in Minnesota
By Mohamed Ibrahim, Associated Press/Report for America
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Enbridge Energy began construction on its Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement in Minnesota on Tuesday, a day after state regulators approved the final permit for the $2.6 billion project amid legal challenges from local activist and Indigenous groups.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/ap-enbridge-starts-construction-line-3-minnesota/
Minnesota gives final green light to disputed oil pipeline
By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota regulators approved the final permit Monday for Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement across northern Minnesota, giving the company the green light to begin construction on the $2.6 billion project.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency granted a construction storm water permit for the project, which was the last hurdle that Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge needed to clear after years of reviews and court battles.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/ap-minnesota-final-green-light-disputed-oil-pipeline/
Minnesota tribes file to halt pipeline approval due to virus
ST. PAUL, Minn (AP) — Two Native American tribes in northern Minnesota are asking state regulators to stop the imminent construction of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement, saying it would increase the risk of coronavirus infections spreading.
The Red Lake and White Earth Bands of Chippewa filed a motion late Wednesday asking the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to stay its approval of the $2.6 billion project.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/ap-minnesota-tribes-pipeline-approval-virus/
Army Corps of Engineers grants final federal Line 3 permit
By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Monday approved the final federal permit for Enbridge Energy’s planned Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement across northern Minnesota, bringing the project a step closer to construction.
In a release from its St.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/ap-army-corps-engineers-final-federal-line-3-permit/
Drinking Water News Roundup: Wisconsin sets caps for 22 contaminants, lead pipes more likely in POC communities
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:
- People of Color in Illinois More Likely to Live in Communities with Lead Pipes – WBEZ.org Chicago NPR
Research has long shown that pollution often disproportionately affects low income — especially Black and brown — communities.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/drinking-water-wisconsin-contaminants-lead-pipes/
Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Wisconsin groups sue EPA, Ohio’s ongoing nuclear power bankruptcy saga
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
In this edition: Environmentalists in Wisconsin sue EPA over regulation rollback favoring coal plants, bankruptcy plan for Ohio nuclear power company upheld by appeals court, Prairie Island tribe prepares for massive investment in renewable energy, and Ford Motors to invest millions for electric vehicle construction in southeast Michigan
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Michigan:
- Ford EV investments in southeast Michigan and Missouri to add hundreds of jobs – Detroit News
Ford Motor Company will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in southeast Michigan and Missouri to expand its electric vehicle assembly process and develop EV parts, which is projected to add or retain several hundred jobs in both states.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/great-lakes-energy-news-wisconsin-coal-ohio-nuclear/
COVID-19 Compliance: Agencies grapple with environmental protection in the COVID-19 era
How do you protect water quality, public health and the environment when much of society comes to a near full stop with no notice?
That was the dilemma for regulatory agencies in March when the realities of the COVID-19 virus caused businesses and schools to close, factories to cease or drastically modify operations, travel to be restricted and office workers to scramble to set up makeshift workspaces in their homes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/covid-19-compliance-agencies-environmental-protection/
Groups fight to keep gray wolf protections for most of US
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Wildlife advocates and environmental groups have announced that they are challenging the removal of federal protections for gray wolves across most of the U.S.
Two coalitions of groups filed formal notices over the past several days that they plan to sue the U.S. Interior Department in federal court unless protections are restored.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/ap-groups-gray-wolf-protections/
Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Climate Jobs Illinois, Line 3, natural gas in Minnesota
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
In this edition: Michigan environmental justice advocates claim state can’t wait to 2050 for clean energy, Minnesota nuclear power plant to construct pilot facility to produce hydrogen energy, and Ohio nuclear energy company faces dangerous court motion from environmental groups.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/great-lakes-energy-illinois-minnesota-natural-gas/
Trump officials end gray wolf protections across most of US
By Matthew Brown, John Flesher and Jim Mone, Associated Press Writer
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — Trump administration officials on Thursday stripped Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in most of the U.S., ending longstanding federal safeguards and putting states and tribes in charge of overseeing the predators.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/ap-trump-officials-end-gray-wolf-protections-across-us/
Drinking Water News Roundup: Illinois COVID-19 shutoff protections, Ontario First Nation evacuation
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 Activists Push for Stronger COVID-19 Utility Shut-Off Protections as Winter Nears – The Intercept
In March, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced an emergency moratorium on utility shut-offs to protect customers during the COVID-19 health crisis, but most major Illinois providers resumed service disconnections by late summer.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/drinking-water-illinois-covid-19-coronavirus-ontario/
As policing and pandemic dominate election, climate pushed to back burner
By Frank Jossi, Energy News Network, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network
State Sen. Jason Rarick co-sponsored a rare bipartisan energy bill this spring that sought to expand and improve Minnesota’s state energy conservation program.
The proposal earned support from unions, utilities, industry and environmental groups for its potential to save money and cut carbon emissions, but you won’t hear the Republican incumbent talking it up as part of his reelection campaign.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/policing-pandemic-election-climate-minnesota/
Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Michigan clean energy transition, pilot hydrogen production plant, Ohio nuclear bankruptcy ruling
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
In this edition: Michigan environmental justice advocates claim state can’t wait to 2050 for clean energy, Minnesota nuclear power plant to construct pilot facility to produce hydrogen energy, and Ohio nuclear energy company faces dangerous court motion from environmental groups.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/great-lakes-energy-clean-energy-michigan-ohio-nuclear/
Hunters need to avoid contaminated game
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Eric Freedman, Capital News Service
To keep healthy this fall, deer hunters have more to worry about than just COVID-19 and the flu.
On the beware list: a group of chemicals known as PFAS and lead from ammunition.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/hunters-contaminated-game-pfas-lead/
Minnesota Supreme Court weighs fate of PolyMet mine permits
By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Lawyers for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine and state regulators urged the Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday to defer to the judgment of the state Department of Natural Resources and reinstate three critical permits for the project.
Attorneys for the DNR and PolyMet argued that the agency acted within its authority when it decided, after years of public environmental review and permitting proceedings, that there was no need to hold an additional trial-like proceeding known as a contested case hearing.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/ap-minnesota-supreme-court-polymet-mine-permits/
Shipwreck Life: How fish and other aquatic species utilize Great Lakes shipwrecks
All that remained of the schooner was a bit of its hull – a tightly-packed row of wooden planks stretching 40 feet across the bottom of Lake Huron. Sunbeams easily penetrated the 20 feet of clear lake water above the wreck.
The site appeared lifeless.
There were no schools of emerald shiners, black-striped minnows or yellow perch in sight.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/shipwreck-ecosystem-fish-great-lakes-species/
Great Aspirations: Great Lakes states grapple with climate change and carbon
In June 2017, when President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords, three states had an immediate reaction and plan.
New York, California and Washington announced formation of the United States Climate Alliance calling it a “coalition that will convene U.S. states committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement and taking aggressive action on climate change.”
With that action, New York led Great Lakes states in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, establish clean energy plans and fund initiatives to meet carbon reduction goals.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/great-lakes-states-climate-change-carbon/
Explainer: Who regulates U.S. drinking water, and how?
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/explainer-regulates-drinking-water/