If you’re new to Great Lakes Now, find our latest episode below and ALL our monthly shows here.
If you’re a regular viewer of our monthly program on your local PBS station or our YouTube channel, thanks!
If you were looking for our show on Detroit Public Television on Wednesday, Jan.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/our-latest-episode/
By Timberly Ferree, Indiana Environmental Reporter
A new Duke University-led study has found that the anti-fogging sprays and cloths used to prevent condensation on eyeglasses contain toxic PFAS chemicals.
Researchers tested five top-rated anti-fogging cloths and four top-rated anti-fogging sprays sold on Amazon and found all the products to contain fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and fluorotelomer ethoxylates (FTEOs).
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/elevated-levels-pfas-sprays-cloths/
By Anna Liz Nichols, Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan will build clean energy infrastructure and invest in green programs over the next 30 years with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 to confront climate change, a draft of a state plan says.
Gov.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-plan-draft-carbon-neutrality/
The project to construct a new Soo Lock has been fully funded as of Wednesday, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which included $479 million directed to the new lock.
“In Michigan, we know how vital the Locks are to our economy and our national defense,” Sen.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/army-corps-millions-great-lakes-coastal-resiliency-soo-locks-invasive-carp/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/homeowners-money-fix-septic-systems/
Recently released Ohio Department of Natural Resources yellow perch hatch results indicate more of the same: overall mediocrity, leaning toward the not-so-good side.
That’s the result of an average hatch in the Western Basin and a very poor hatch in the Central Basin from Huron, Ohio, to Conneaut, Ohio.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/2022-perch-outlook/
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (AP) — The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are shutting down to marine traffic to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform critical maintenance.
The locks on the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron are expected to be closed from Saturday to March 25, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-soo-locks-close-winter/
By 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/low-ice-coverage/
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — More than 400 water service lines in Benton Harbor have been replaced or verified to be free of lead, according to state officials.
City officials also are reviewing bids from contractors for removal of an estimated 3,900 lead service lines, Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services said this week in a release.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-lead-water-lines-benton/
Just like serious birders and all manner of naturalists, many divers keep a life list of the species they have seen. Typically, the more elusive the species, the more coveted the sighting. Size also plays a role in desirability, whether it’s a condor or a blue whale.
When it comes to impressively large and elusive freshwater species, a couple come to mind.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/meeting-mysterious-muskie/
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:
The increasingly warm air and heavy rain showers have caused a rise in toxic algae blooms, which has led to fish sickness, beach closures, and drinking water pollution.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/drinking-water-news-roundup-toxic-algae-blooms/
For Professor Nancy Langston, our intransigence in protecting struggling species like caribou and others is a puzzle. These species exist in our memories and culture, and we’ve invested in protecting them, so why do their populations continue to crash?
That’s the question at the core of Langston’s latest book, “Climate Ghosts: Migratory Species in the Anthropocene”.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/climate-ghosts-author/
By Lindsay Campbell with photography by Johnny C. Lam, The Narwhal
This story first ran on The Narwhal, a non-profit news organization that publishes in-depth stories about Canada’s natural world.
Those who choose a life in commercial fishing on the Great Lakes are granted a front row seat to the natural world.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/lake-ontario-lake-erie-families-fisheries/
By Lindsay Campbell with photography by Johnny C. Lam, The Narwhal
This story first ran on The Narwhal, a non-profit news organization that publishes in-depth stories about Canada’s natural world.
Those who choose a life in commercial fishing on the Great Lakes are granted a front row seat to the natural world.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/lake-ontario-lake-erie-families-fisheries/
By Matthew Daly, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is taking its first major action to address toxic wastewater from coal-burning power plants, ordering utilities to stop dumping waste into unlined storage ponds and speed up plans to close leaking or otherwise dangerous coal ash sites.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-epa-dangerous-coal-ash/
Inadequate regulations, infrastructure failures and developments, water quality and quantity, and climate migration were just some of the many pressing Great Lakes issues covered collectively by the Great Lakes News Collaborative over the past year.
With timely stories set to a backdrop of visually compelling photos and video, the goal for the Great Lakes News Collaborative was to give voice to what residents all over the region are already seeing at their doorsteps.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/combined-effort-sierra-club-to-award-great-lakes-news-collaborative/
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A judge on Monday refused to dismiss a lawsuit against an engineering company, which is accused of not doing enough to stop the flow of lead-contaminated water in Flint in 2015.
Four families are suing Veolia North America. The company did not participate in the recent $626 million settlement with Flint residents, mostly paid by the state.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-lawsuit-flint-water-contractor/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/red-bellied-snake-endangered/
By 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/flint-water-crisis-settlement-claims/
For 20 years, the mystery behind what was killing coho salmon in Seattle’s urban creeks seemed unsolvable.
Every time it rained, fish would begin swimming in circles, floating belly up just a few hours later. Scientists looked at heavy metals, various chemical contaminants, water temperature and oxygen levels, but none of these things were the problem.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/great-lakes-fish-populations-tires/
By Drew Costley, Associated Press
The White House’s top official on environmental justice is stepping down a year after President Joe Biden took office with an ambitious plan to help disadvantaged communities and overhaul policies that have historically hurt them.
The departure Friday of Cecilia Martinez, senior director for environmental justice at the Council for Environmental Quality, puts a spotlight on both the administration’s successes and promises yet to be fulfilled.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-environmental-justice-official/
ESCANABA, Mich. (AP) — A paper mill in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has agreed to pay nearly $250,000 to settle an investigation of a fish kill in the Escanaba River, state regulators said.
A “catastrophic pipe failure” at the Verso Corp. site in Escanaba resulted in a discharge of partially treated wastewater in August 2020, regulators said.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-ohio-company-pay-250k/
SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. (AP) — A southwestern Michigan town that swells with summer visitors is taking steps to keep people out of Lake Michigan during hazardous conditions.
The city council in South Haven agreed to install gates to close popular piers at certain times. Swimmers also could be fined if they’re in the lake, though surfers or kite boarders who embrace big wind and waves would be exempt.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-south-haven-restrictions/
The day was like any other in summer on the Lake Michigan coast: hot. But Charles Stanier remembers the breeze.
It was the summer of 2017, and he’d been working up a sweat in a trailer in Illinois Beach State Park. A professor of chemical and biochemical engineering at the University of Iowa, Stanier spent the morning checking instruments, climbing up and down ladders, and wondering if anything would come of all his team’s work.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/lake-michigan-ozone-levels/
The Erie County Ag Research Corporation facility started as a small building in northeast Pennsylvania near the Lake Erie shore in 1948. Pennsylvania State University bought it just four years later.
Now, Penn State’s grape research center boasts 43 acres and has a joint program with Cornell University’s Grape Research Lab in New York.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/great-lakes-vineyards-changing/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/road-salt-michigan-lakes/
By Michael Allen, 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.
As the climate warms, the price of adapting homes and infrastructure to cope with increasing temperatures, heavier rainfalls, stronger storms, and rising seas will be staggering.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/adapting-climate-change-expensive/
Once living on the brink of extinction, the Kirtland’s warbler is now thriving thanks to collaborative conservation efforts.
The Kirtland’s warbler is one of the largest and rarest songbirds in North America. This handsome yellow-and-gray warbler is named for Dr. Jared Kirtland, on whose farm near Cleveland, Ohio, the first specimen was collected in 1851.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/great-lakes-moment-warblers/
Walking my 90-pound shepherd a few days after Christmas in our suburban neighborhood, the jangling bell on his collar seemed a festive touch, one of the neighbors told us.
But it was more of a reminder of our August trip to Drummond Island than some holiday décor.
My 11-day summer vacation this year involved throwing my dog, some swimsuits and a lot of sunscreen in my car and heading up to visit generous friends with houses along Grand Lake (north of Alpena) and Lake Huron.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/year-in-review-2021-canine-adventures/
A year ago, I wrote a year-end summary of our 2020 TV coverage that highlighted the obvious theme for that terrible year: poop.
I ended that story with these words: “There will probably be more poop in the news in 2021, and if there is, we’ll bring it to you.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/year-in-review-2021-creaturesl/
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — State regulators who three years ago issued an air quality permit for a proposed copper-nickel mine in northwestern Minnesota stood by their decision in a report released Monday that said the mine did not provide misleading information on its plans.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency report is a blow to several environmental groups and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, although it does not clear the way for construction.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/ap-minnesota-regulators-mine/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/environmental-groups-algal-blooms/
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will review a ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals that provided environmental protections for Renville County’s last free-flowing stream.
The October appeals court decision called for an environmental review to determine whether a proposed drainage ditch improvement could harm the stream in the heavily agricultural western county.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/ap-minnesota-supreme-court-drainage-projects/
Not to overshare and get too personal, but I don’t deal well with change.
Unfortunately, as evidenced by the past two years, unexpected change is unavoidable.
What a lot of people – including me for a while – don’t seem to realize about change is that it isn’t temporary.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/year-in-review-2021-change/
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The lengthy effort to clean up the Buffalo River could pay off in the next few years.
The Buffalo News reported Sunday that the federal Environmental Protection Agency has told a local U.S. representative that the winding waterway could lose its status as an environmental danger zone, or “area of concern,” by 2025.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/ap-buffalo-river-cleanup-efforts/
For me personally, I’ll always remember 2021 as the year I achieved one of my greatest accomplishments – graduating from Zoom University back in May and eventually becoming a part of Great Lakes Now’s growing team in October.
I’m only about two months into my role as the new digital content coordinator for Great Lakes Now, but I’ve already learned a lot – and I’ve already gotten to see the team achieve a lot of great accomplishments in just the one-sixth of a year I’ve been on board.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/year-in-review-2021-new-beginnings/
Like many people, I made some really big changes to my life in 2021. One of the more significant changes was leaving my former role at WDET, Detroit’s NPR station, and joining the team at Great Lakes Now as associate producer.
Having joined the GLN team in October, it still feels like a brand new experience for me as the calendar year comes to a close, but so far, I’m learning a lot from Supervising Producer Rob Green and our fearless Program Director Sandra Svoboda.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/year-in-review-2021-summer-flooding/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Hannah Brock, Great Lakes Echo
Researchers are studying a long-vanished village near southern Lake Michigan that a World War II arsenal helped preserve.
A recent study by archaeologists sought to learn about those who lived at what is now the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/wwii-armory-preserves-indigenous/
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/2021/12/pfas-news-roundup-water/
By Kari Lydersen
This story was republished with permission from Energy News Network.
Coal ash will remain in the ground at the site of a closing coal plant on the shores of Lake Michigan in Waukegan, Illinois.
Owner NRG explained its plans on Dec.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/historic-coal-ash-concerns/
Everyone loves Monty and Rose – and Great Lakes Now featured the charming piping plover pair earlier this year.
Now Monty and Rose have chicks and even grand-chicks, many of whom are thriving as they fly south for the winter.
Chicago-based filmmaker Bob Dolgan has documented the progress of Monty and Rose and their offspring over the years.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/monty-rose-chicago-plovers/
By Lindsey Smith, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/benton-harbor-residents-pay-water/
Big waves pounding Midwestern city waterfronts are common images around the Great Lakes, which means communities are dealing with the impacts of storms that are increasing in frequency and severity.
One of those cities has been making strides in improving its resiliency while preserving its culture – Duluth, Minnesota.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/superior-stewardship-duluth/
Earlier this month, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared December 2021 as “Christmas Tree Month” in Michigan.
It’s a move that makes sense — the Christmas tree industry provides jobs and bolsters the national and state economy.
“Michigan’s integrated network of family farmers, processors, wholesalers and retailers, work together to ensure a quality product that is enjoyed by millions throughout our state and country,” Whitmer said in a statement.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/christmas-tree-environmentally-friendly/
The sucker maybe not be a popular recreational fish, but the Great Lakes native works hard to contribute to the ecosystems of all five Lakes as well as the creeks and streams feeding into them.
In the summer of 2021, Great Lakes Now covered some of Karen Murchie’s research into this Great Lakes fish.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/community-sucker-science-shedd-aquarium-fish-researcher/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/high-costs-benton-harbor-water/
By Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press
Nearly 50 toxic waste sites around the U.S. will be cleaned up, and ongoing work at dozens of others will get a funding boost, as federal environmental officials announced Friday a $1 billion infusion to the Superfund program.
The money comes from the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed into law last month and will help officials tackle a backlog of highly polluted Superfund sites in 24 states that have languished for years because of a lack of funding, the Environmental Protection Agency said.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/ap-epa-toxic-waste-sites/
In the spirit of yuletide reminiscing, I recently found myself looking back at my journey to bringing more freshwater fish content to PBS audiences. One particularly poignant and mildly terrifying turning point was the first time I stepped onto a really big stage to speak on behalf of freshwater fish.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/center-stage-steelhead-trout/
By Scott Bauer, Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A state appeals court on Thursday refused to reinstate a permit for a proposed $75 million frac sand operation in western Wisconsin, a victory for environmentalists who have been fighting for years to protect the 16 acres (6.5 hectares) of pristine wetlands.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/ap-court-frac-sand-plant/
By John Flesher, Associated Press
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A new federal regulation requires higher safety standards for pipelines carrying oil and other hazardous liquids through the Great Lakes region, marine coastal waters and beaches, officials said Thursday.
The rule issued by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration designates those locations as “high consequence” zones where pipeline operators must step up inspections, repairs and other measures to avoid spills.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/ap-safety-standards-pipelines/
