Drinking Water News Roundup: Infrastructure funding in Minnesota, Wisconsin, false confidence in Michigan water

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 To Receive $1.7 Billion To Replace Lead Pipes—1340 WJOL 

Illinois is expected to receive roughly $1.7 billion from the federal infrastructure bill to help address the issue of lead pipes in the state. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/drinking-water-roundup-infrastructure-funding/

Maya Sundaresan

Lower Rates: New flood risk assessment will reduce insurance rates in the Great Lakes region

Approximately 85,000 homeowners in the Great Lakes region will see rate reductions for the first time because of the National Flood Insurance Program’s new risk rating system, experts say.

The flood insurance program is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It provides coverage to property owners, renters and businesses to help them recover from floods faster.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/flood-risk-assessment-reduce-insurance-rates/

Taylor Haelterman

Drinking Water News Roundup: Algae blooms threaten Illinois, Wisconsin DNR cuts runoff regulations

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 $29 Million in Wastewater and Drinking Water Projects in First Quarter of FY22 —MyRadioLink 

The state of Illinois’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to invest over $29 million in wastewater and drinking water projects for the first quarter of the 2022 fiscal year.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/drinking-water-news-roundup-algae-blooms-dnr/

Maya Sundaresan

PFAS News Roundup: Minnesota requiring businesses to monitor, PFAS impact on COVID vaccine, new New York standards

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/2021/11/pfas-news-covid-vaccine-minnesota-businesses-new-york-standards/

Natasha Blakely

NY says no to voting reforms, yes to environmental right

By Marina Villeneuve, Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New Yorkers approved a ballot measure adding the right to a clean environment to the state constitution but rejected other proposed amendments that could have made it easier to vote.

The environmental measure was one of five statewide ballot questions before New York voters Tuesday.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/ap-ny-voting-reforms-environmental-right/

The Associated Press

Drinking Water News Roundup: Minnesota’s salty water problem, aging infrastructure affects taste, Pennsylvania 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:

Indiana:

  • ELIZABETHTOWN: Town using loan to improve water quality—The Republic

The Indiana community of Elizabethtown has recently been granted about $1.4 million to protect the quality of their drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/drinking-water-aging-infrastructure-pennsylvania/

Maya Sundaresan

PFAS News Roundup: Michigan works on transparency, 3M could cost the Minnesota public billions, study recruitment in Michigan

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/2021/10/pfas-study-michigan-wisconsin-minnesota-billions-transparency/

Natasha Blakely

Bridge Over Warming Water: Grants fund fish habitat conservation projects around the Great Lakes

Rivers, streams and lakes are warming, casting a dark shadow on the future of coldwater fish in the Great Lakes region. To save them, state and federal agencies around the Great Lakes are investing millions in these fish.

Currently, the Great Lakes are home to coldwater fish like ciscoes, walleyes, suckers, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, chinook salmon and coho salmon.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/warming-water-grant-programs-fish-habitat-conservation/

Rachel Duckett

Drinking Water Roundup: Senate passes $1 trillion infrastructure bill, Canada reaches $8 billion settlement with First Nations

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:

  • State moves toward phaseout of firefighting foam with harmful ‘forever chemicals’ – Chicago Sun Times

Illinois will take a first step toward reducing the use of firefighting foam containing harmful “forever chemicals” under a bill signed into law by Gov.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/drinking-water-senate-infrastructure-bill-canada-settlement-first-nations/

Rachel Duckett

In Thousand Islands, New York, near Lake Ontario, between the United States and Canada, you can find four different origin stories for Thousand Island dressing, three of which involve a woman named May Irwin.

The post Thousand Island Dressing Mystery: Great Lakes origins of one of America’s favorite sauces first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/08/04/thousand-island-dressing-mystery-great-lakes-origins-of-one-of-americas-favorite-sauces/

Guest Contributor

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

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

James Proffitt

Thousand Island Dressing Mystery: Uncertain origins of one of America’s favorite sauces

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

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Rachel Duckett

See the Sturgeon: The many ways to see, touch and appreciate sturgeon around the region

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Noah Bock

Comments Requested: Lake Ontario marine sanctuary proposal moves forward

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the beginning of a public comment period on its draft environmental impact statement and management plan for the proposed marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario, the next step toward official designation.

“Any possible new sanctuary is a big deal for NOAA, the surrounding community and the nation,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, acting director of NOAA’s National Ocean Service.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/public-comment-lake-ontario-marine-sanctuary-proposal/

Noah Bock

Drinking Water Roundup: Biden administration invests millions in rural water, treatment plant uses ultraviolet, lead pipe removal in Flint

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Rachel Duckett

Energy News Roundup: US invests in wave energy, Celebrities urge Biden to stop Line 3, Company seeks damages for Keystone XL cancellation

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 coal plants are closing even as fossil fuel objections stall energy bill again – Energy News Network

In a surprise announcement last Thursday, NRG said it would close its Waukegan and Romeoville coal plants, but the community impacts are unclear as “just transition” provisions remain held up in state energy bill negotiations.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/energy-investments-biden-line-3-keystone-xl-cancellation/

Noah Bock

Investing in the Lakes: New bill could redirect tech money to neglected Great Lakes cities

As President Joe Biden tries to advance his high-profile legislative agenda in a sharply divided Congress, a low-profile bill that could help the Great Lakes region is progressing with bipartisan support.

If passed, it could finally help the region shake its Rust Belt image.

The legislation is the U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/legislation-investment-tech-research-great-lakes-cities/

Gary Wilson

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

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

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

MOLINE, Ill.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Rachel Duckett

Citizen Science Opportunities: How can you get involved in scientific research?

For some, getting to contribute to scientific research might sound like a far-fetched possibility.

Jason Frenzel, stewardship coordinator at the Huron River Watershed Council, is one of the countless people working to change that assumption.

The HRWC is one of many organizations in the Great Lakes region that offer people, most with little prior scientific training, the opportunity to participate in science.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/citizen-science-opportunities/

Noah Bock

Raining PFAS: Amount of PFAS found is outpacing legacy contaminants

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Andrew Blok

Habitat Focus: To help the birds, nonprofit organization looks to Great Lakes habitats

There’s a bird emergency in the Great Lakes region, according to the National Audubon Society, but the nonprofit bird conservation organization is hoping to change that.

“This really is a bird emergency,” said Nat Miller, Audubon Great Lakes’ director of conservation. “We don’t think that’s hyperbole. As often is the case, birds currently serve as an indicator for larger environmental problems and today they’re telling us it’s a critical time now to act to save the wildlife, water and way of life in the Great Lakes region.”

In an effort to reduce this alarming trend, scientists and conservationists with The National Audubon Society recently released a wide-ranging and comprehensive blueprint to address climate change, pollution and other detrimental man-made effects on Great Lakes wetlands and coastal areas – and their bird populations.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/birds-wetlands-coastal-great-lakes-habitat-restoration/

James Proffitt

PFAS News Roundup: Companies hid dangers from FDA, professor documents stories, study shows high levels in fertilizer

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/2021/06/pfas-news-professor-stories-study-high-levels-fertilizer/

Noah Bock

Open Doors: Great Lakes tourist destinations make 2021 a new start

A little more than a year ago the nation’s media outlets, including Great Lakes Now, were reporting on the widespread closures and restrictions being enacted across Great Lakes states. There were complete or partial closures and restrictions at nearly all public parks, preserves and other lakes-related facilities. Bars, restaurants and many stores and businesses were locking their doors.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/great-lakes-tourism-recreation-covid-19-2021/

James Proffitt

Great Lakes Sanctuaries: Two more National Marine Sanctuaries in the region see the finish line

Growing up in Alpena, Audrey Garant could not wait to leave her hometown in Michigan’s northeast Lower Peninsula. But years later, moving back, seeing the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center built and getting to experience it changed things for her.

“It’s my place to kind of disappear,” she said.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/great-lakes-national-marine-sanctuaries/

Natasha Blakely

EPA awards Great Lakes grants to Central Michigan, Clarkson

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants to Central Michigan University and Clarkson University to continue monitoring coastal wetlands and fish contaminants throughout the Great Lakes basin.

Central Michigan will receive $10 million to monitor approximately 1,000 wetlands over the next five years.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/ap-epa-great-lakes-grants-central-michigan-clarkson/

The Associated Press

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/17-young-people-climate-crisis/

Teen Vogue

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Kari Lydersen

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/michigan-governor-minnesota-landfills-wisconsin-business-dnr/

Natasha Blakely

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

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Grace Dempsey

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

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Grace Dempsey

Biologists: Less need to stock lake trout in Lake Champlain

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The number of lake trout that are reproducing in Lake Champlain is up, meaning there is less of a need to stock the fish this year, biologists say.

A stocking program begun in the 1950s by Vermont, New York, and the federal government through the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative has in recent years been stocking 82,000 yearling trout in the lake annually.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/ap-biologists-lake-trout-champlain/

The Associated Press

PFAS News Roundup: Indiana introduces PFAS bills, Michigan citizens unhappy about 8-month disclosure delay

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/2021/03/pfas-news-roundup-indiana-introduces-pfas-bills-michigan-citizens-unhappy-about-8-month-disclosure-delay/

Natasha Blakely

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/drinking-water-great-lakes-lead-schools-minnesota-water-exhibit-wisconsin/

Grace Dempsey

PFAS News Roundup: Pennsylvania water utility sues 3M, Dupont, Michigan officials waited 8 months to warn residents

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/2021/02/pfas-news-pennsylvania-utillity-michigan-officials-wait/

Natasha Blakely

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

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Grace Dempsey

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/pfas-minnesota-biden-epa-regulations/

Natasha Blakely

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/pfas-michigan-indigenous-wisconsin-fish-dnr-legislation/

Natasha Blakely

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

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Grace Dempsey

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

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Grace Dempsey

PFAS News Roundup: PFAS exposure may affect COVID vaccine, NY bans PFAS in food packaging

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/2020/12/pfas-news-roundup-michigan-new-york-wisconsin/

Natasha Blakely

Great Lakes Gift Guide 2020: Remember that road trip, boat ride, microbrew or sweatshirt you should’ve bought with this list

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Natasha Blakely

PFAS News Roundup: Michigan health study, Wisconsin deer and fish, possible impact on COVID-19 vaccine

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/2020/11/pfas-news-roundup-michigan-wisconsin-study-vaccine/

Natasha Blakely

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/covid-19-compliance-agencies-environmental-protection/

Gary Wilson

Drinking Water News Roundup: Illinois lead issues, Michigan citizen reporting, Canada First Nations water access

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:

  • Sycamore, Illinois, Residents Sue City for Toxic Tap Water That Sickens Residents – Businesswire

Residents of Sycamore, Illinois, have filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Sycamore, alleging that it knowingly failed to maintain its water supply and ignored problems with its corrosion control treatment.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/drinking-water-news-lead-illinois-michigan-first-nations/

Grace Dempsey

Who in the U.S. Is in ‘Plumbing Poverty’? Mostly Urban Residents, Study Says

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

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

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/plumbing-poverty-urban-residents-study/

Circle of Blue

PFAS News Roundup: Huron River contamination levels drop, New York PFAS cleanup could be delayed

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.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/pfas-huron-river-michigan-new-york/

Natasha Blakely

‘Big pile’ of eels dumped in NYC park; impact not yet known

NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Orkin was taking a break from his evening jog to sit by Prospect Park Lake when he turned around and was startled to see a tangle of wriggling snakes.

“And quite a big pile — fully alive,” said Orkin, a music composer who lives near the Brooklyn park.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/ap-eels-dumped-nyc-park/

The Associated Press

When a Dam Comes Down: Removal of dams allows fish passage and habitat restoration

This article is published in conjunction with PBS’s “The Age of Nature” series which begins airing on Oct. 14.

Join Great Lakes Now‘s “Watch Party: Damming Decisions – A discussion about dam removals and what they mean for the environment” on Facebook on Monday, Oct.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/when-a-dam-comes-down-removal-of-dams-allows-fish-passage-and-habitat-restoration/

GLN Editor

Dams Across the Great Lakes: End of the line for aging infrastructure?

After nearly a century of generating hydroelectric power on the St. Regis River in upstate New York, the Hogansburg Dam came down in December 2016. Fish who could now swim freely along the river weren’t the only ones celebrating. The end of the dam also marked the first time a tribal nation led the decommissioning process for a federal dam.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/dams-great-lakes-aging-infrastructure/

Lorraine Boissoneault

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/great-lakes-states-climate-change-carbon/

Gary Wilson