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Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Wisconsin utility shutoffs postponed, Lake Erie wind farm, Minnesota mine legal win

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

In this edition: Wisconsin Public Service Commission extends utility shutoff moratorium, ruling that could undo Lake Erie wind farm project stands, and PolyMet copper-nickel mine gets critical legal win in Minnesota.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/great-lakes-energy-mining-utility-line-5-lake-erie/

Ian Wendrow

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30 in Their Thirties: Great Lakes Now host makes the list

When Great Lakes Now Host Ward Detwiler isn’t introducing PBS audiences to the joys and troubles of the Great Lakes on our monthly program, he’s busy running a software company that’s revolutionizing MRI technology.

That work recently landed him on DBusiness Magazine‘s 2020 “30 in Their Thirties” list.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/dbusiness-crains-list-ward-detwiler/

GLN Editor

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In: animals, AP, deer, Fish, Birds and Animals, forever chemicals, Forever Chemicals Featured, News, PFAS, recreational hunting, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Wisconsin
DNR: Avoid eating deer livers in Marinette area

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — State environmental and health officials warned people Tuesday to avoid eating the livers of deer harvested around the Marinette area to avoid exposure to PFAS chemicals.

PFAS are man-made chemicals that research suggests can cause a range of health problems in humans. The chemicals have been used for decades in a range of products, including nonstick cookware, fast-food wrappers and firefighting foam.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/ap-dnr-pfas-deer-livers-wisconsin-marinette/

The Associated Press

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Across the U.S., millions of people are drinking unsafe water. How can we fix that?

By Lynne Peeples, Ensia, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network

This story is the first in a nine-month investigation of drinking water contamination across the U.S. The series is supported by funding from the Park Foundation and Water Foundation.

Once a week, Florencia Ramos makes a special trip to the R–N Market in Lindsay, California.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/drinking-unsafe-water-contaminants-solutions/

Ensia

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Complete Eradication: Researchers look at removing sea lamprey from the Great Lakes

Sea lamprey control in the Great Lakes has been a success.

Compared to the 1950s, 90% fewer of the toothy, invasive, eel-like parasite are spawning.

Control efforts have been so successful that some researchers now suggest a more permanent solution: complete eradication of the pest from the Great Lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/sea-lamprey-invasive-species-research-eradication-great-lakes/

Andrew Blok

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In: AP, infrastructure, Michigan, Midland, News
Residents near flood-ravaged dams could be paying for years

EDENVILLE, Mich. (AP) — Residents who lost their lakes when dams collapsed in mid-Michigan could be getting expensive long-term bills to restore them.

People near Wixom and Sanford lakes in Midland and Gladwin counties could pay thousands of dollars per year for 40 years, if that duration is allowed by the state, the Four Lakes Task Force said Thursday during an online meeting.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/ap-residents-midland-dams-paying-for-years/

The Associated Press

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In: Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, museums, Natasha Blakely, News, science, Science, Technology, Research
One Old, One New: Teen project finds meteorite fragments in Lake Michigan

The teenagers and scientists searching for the 2017 meteorite in Lake Michigan found more than they had been looking for, representatives from the team reported yesterday.

In a live update on the Adler Planetarium’s YouTube channel, students and researchers shared two major finds from The Aquarius Project’s years-long attempt to find the meteorite: a sample that could be from that meteorite and a sample from a meteorite much, much older.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/aquarius-project-findings-update-meteorite-fragments-lake-michigan/

Natasha Blakely

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In: Collaboration, culture, flooding, high water, indigenous communities, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation, Tourism and Culture
In Michigan, rising lake levels disturb sacred ground

By Elena Bruess, Circle of Blue

At the shoreline, between lake and land, Melissa Wiatrolik reflects on those who were here before Michigan became Michigan. She had been raised in a community that honored the dead, that understood that their ancestors were always present. As a child, she had watched her own family clean the gravestones of those before her.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/michigan-rising-lake-levels-sacred-ground/

GLN Editor

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In: COVID-19, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, maumee river, News, Ohio, sturgeon
Sturgeon Stocking: COVID-19 puts pause on popular sturgeon release program

The Toledo Zoo’s popular lake sturgeon stocking event won’t happen this year, though a pause in the program – thanks to the international COVID-19 pandemic – won’t hurt the project.

“In a nutshell, our partners out of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alpena, Michigan, and Genoa, Wisconsin, are the ones who collect the eggs,” explained Kent Bekker, director of conservation at the zoo.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/sturgeon-stocking-covid-19-release-program/

James Proffitt

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In: Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Research, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research
Missing Meteorite: Did the search in Lake Michigan find it?

Three years after a meteorite crashed into Lake Michigan, the Adler Planetarium is giving a live virtual update on the search to find it.

Join at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT on Thursday, Sept. 10. Watch here:

In February 2017, a meteorite lit up the night sky before crashing into Lake Michigan off the Wisconsin shoreline.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/planetarium-update-lake-michigan-meteorite/

GLN Editor

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In: Collaboration, epa, Illinois, Indiana, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Wisconsin
EPA Region 5 refutes internal watchdog report finding possible major issues in record keeping

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regional office in the Midwest is refuting the findings of an internal investigation that found that a lack of record-keeping controls and standard operating procedures could be preventing it from fulfilling federal record-keeping responsibilities.

The EPA’s Office of Inspector General found that Region 5, which oversees EPA activities in Indiana and five other states, could not verify whether employees were using the agency’s official record-keeping system, preserving records for litigation holds and agency use, or knew how to report and investigate a suspected loss of records.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/epa-region-5-internal-watchdog-report-record-keeping/

Indiana Environmental Reporter

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In: Agriculture, Algae Blooms, harmful algal blooms, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, toxic algae, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Total Maximum Daily Load: Court case looks to push for Ohio EPA nutrients limit for Lake Erie

For the second time in two years Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center appears to have forced the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s hand in seeking solutions to Lake Erie’s ongoing nutrients pollution problem.

In U.S Northern District of Ohio Court hearings on July 17 and July 30, ELPC attorneys sought a summary judgement requiring the U.S.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/total-maximum-daily-load-court-case-ohio-epa-nutrients-lake-erie/

James Proffitt

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In: AP, Forests and Plants, invasive species, Michigan, News, plants
Invasive aquatic plant found in 4 Michigan inland lakes

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — An invasive aquatic plant — first detected in southeastern Michigan in 1996 — has been found in four inland lakes in Washtenaw and Jackson counties.

The presence of European frogbit has been confirmed within the Waterloo Recreation Area, according to Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/ap-frogbit-invasive-aquatic-plant-michigan-inland-lakes/

The Associated Press

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In: 2020 election, Cleveland, Detroit, Drinking Water, election, Feature Cleveland, Feature Detroit, Feature Milwaukee, Gary Wilson, Groundwater Contamination, infrastructure, Latest News, Milwaukee, News, Politics, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Message to 2020 Candidates: Focus on water quality in Great Lakes states

Detroit water rights advocate Monica Lewis-Patrick has a few questions for presidential candidates incumbent Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.

“What’s your water policy? What will you do to protect our drinking water,” Lewis-Patrick asked in a July Healing Our Waters Coalition press release that asked the candidates to support a Great Lakes water platform.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/2020-candidates-water-quality-great-lakes-states/

Gary Wilson

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In: cleanup, Detroit, detroit river, Feature Detroit, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, John Hartig, Latest News, Michigan, News, restoration, u.s. epa, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Waterfront Development
Great Lakes Moment: Cleanup of contaminated river sediment begins at old Uniroyal site

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.

Forty years after Uniroyal shut down in Detroit, contaminated sediment cleanup is starting in the Detroit River off this former industrial site.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/great-lakes-moment-uniroyal-contaminated-sediment-cleanup/

John Hartig

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In: canada, culture, Gary Wilson, indigenous communities, Lake Huron, Latest News, News, Recreation, Tourism and Culture
The Best Part of Us: Great Lakes author tackles conflict and culture in new novel

Generations of a family led by a strong patriarch clash over the future of a treasured Canadian vacation home. The local Ojibwe chief threatens to claim the land.

And a pristine but foreboding lake north of Lake Huron is an omnipresent part of the drama.

That’s the setting for The Best Part of Us, the debut novel by former international Great Lakes executive, Sally Cole-Misch.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/great-lakes-author-conflict-culture-novel/

Gary Wilson

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In: animals, enbridge, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Fish, Birds and Animals, kalamazoo river, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, Michigan, News, oil pipelines, turtles, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Turtle Recovery: Studying turtles on the Kalamazoo River 10 years after Enbridge oil spill

Josh Otten reached down and pulled two turtles from the bow compartment of his kayak. One was the size of a dinner plate; the other was barely the size of a silver dollar pancake. Both were northern map turtles, the most common species of turtle in the Kalamazoo River watershed, according to Otten who played a key role in the rescue and rehabilitation of more than 2,000 turtles in 2010 following the Kalamazoo River oil spill.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/turtle-recovery-kalamazoo-river-enbridge-oil-spill/

Kathy Johnson

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In: COVID-19, Energy, Ian Wendrow, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ohio
Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Ohio nuclear bailout bill repeal, COVID-19 energy crises in Michigan

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

In this edition: Michigan’s Bay County to lose millions in tax revenue with closure of coal plant; a COVID-19 study looking at energy crises cites rural areas and tribal nations in Michigan; and Ohio legislators begin the repeal process for controversial House Bill 6.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/great-lakes-energy-ohio-nuclear-michigan-coal-crisis/

Ian Wendrow

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In: Collaboration, forever chemicals, Forever Chemicals Featured, Indiana, Latest News, News, PFAS, Research, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Indiana universities receive grants to study PFAS impact on water quality

By Timberly Ferree, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Indiana University and Purdue University have each been awarded $1.6 million Environmental Protection Agency research grants to better understand the potential impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on water quality and availability in rural communities and agricultural operations across the United States.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/indiana-universities-pfas-impact-water-quality/

Indiana Environmental Reporter

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In: AP, Asian carp, COVID-19, dams, infrastructure, invasive species, Michigan, News
Michigan House OKs spending on jobless benefits, flood costs

By David Eggert, Associated Press Writer

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan lawmakers on Tuesday began approving a budget bill that would authorize the federal government’s supplemental $300-a-week unemployment benefit during the coronavirus pandemic and provide $6 million in state funding for costs related to devastating flooding in the Midland area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/ap-michigan-house-jobless-benefits-flood-costs/

The Associated Press

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In: AP, coal, Groundwater Contamination, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, u.s. epa, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Trump administration finalizes coal plant pollution rollback

By Matthew Brown and Travis Loller, Associated Press Writers

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration on Monday finalized its weakening of an Obama-era rule aimed at reducing polluted wastewater from coal-burning power plants that has contaminated streams, lakes and underground aquifers

The change will allow utilities to use cheaper technologies and take longer to comply with pollution reduction guidelines that are less stringent than what the agency originally adopted in 2015.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/ap-trump-administration-coal-plant-pollution-rollback/

The Associated Press

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In: canada, Collaboration, Groundwater Contamination, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Latest News, Mining, News, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
New global standards for mine waste won’t prevent dam failures, critics say

By Judith Lavoie, The Narwhal

This story originally appeared in The Narwhal and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

New global industry standards for dealing with mine waste are not enforceable, fail to set measurable standards and will not protect communities, workers or the environment from disasters such as the 2014 Mount Polley spill or the deadly 2019 Brumadinho dam failure in Brazil, says an international group of scientists, community organizations and non-profits.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/new-global-standards-mine-waste-dam-failures-critics/

The Narwhal

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In: Climate change, COVID-19, Detroit, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Detroit, Latest News, Michigan, News, Wisconsin
Intersecting Crises: Fighting for climate justice in a pandemic

Alongside the illnesses, deaths and closures caused by COVID-19, the threat of climate change still hangs over communities across the Great Lakes region and around the world. And the people and organizations fighting against climate change and for environmental justice have found themselves caught between these two threats to public health.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/intersecting-crises-climate-change-justice-covid-19/

Emily Simroth

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In: Drinking Water, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Water Withdrawals, Wisconsin
Lake Michigan Water Pipeline: Waukesha receives federal loan for water supply project

The city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, was recently awarded a $137.1 million dollar loan from the federal government for its construction project to switch the city’s municipal water source to Lake Michigan. Andrew Wheeler, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced the loan on August 12 in Waukesha alongside Mayor Shawn Reilly.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/lake-michigan-pipeline-waukesha-water-supply-project/

Emily Simroth

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In: Island Basketball, Island Basketball - Feature, Latest News, News, Recreation, Tourism and Culture
Travel Teams: How do Great Lakes island schools get their athletes to games?

Just getting to and from away basketball games can be a challenge.

Great Lakes Now followed four teams at the Great Lakes Islands Basketball Tournament  last year. See the multimodal transportation it takes to get them to the hard court:

But will the 2020 tournament happen?

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/travel-great-lakes-island-schools-games/

GLN Editor

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In: Island Basketball, Island Basketball - Feature, Latest News, News, Ohio, put-in-bay, Recreation, Tourism and Culture
Announcer: Put-in-Bay School basketball team plays in honor of beloved announcer

When the Put-In-Bay School girls and boys basketball teams played this past season, it was without one of their biggest fans.

A few months earlier, the community’s beloved announcer, Patrick Myers, took his own life.

“He’s the reason that we play so hard,” said Senior Hannah Lentz, who told Great Lakes Now about him during the second annual Great Lakes Islands Basketball Tournament, a competition between four small island schools.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/put-in-bay-school-basketball-team-beloved-announcer/

GLN Editor

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In: AP, COVID-19, epa, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, News, regulations, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Thousands allowed to bypass environmental rules in pandemic

By Ellen Knickmeyer, Cathy Bussewitz, John Flesher, Matthew Brown and Michael Casey, Associated Press Writers

Thousands of oil and gas operations, government facilities and other sites won permission to stop monitoring for hazardous emissions or otherwise bypass rules intended to protect health and the environment because of the coronavirus outbreak, The Associated Press has found.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-thousands-allowed-bypass-environmental-rules-pandemic/

The Associated Press

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In: Algae Blooms, Asian carp, Drinking Water, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Gary Wilson, Great Lakes, harmful algal blooms, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, invasive species, lake erie, Latest News, line 5, Michigan, News, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Michigan’s State of the Great Lakes: Drinking water quality garners spotlight

In her first regional appearance after taking office in January 2019, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made it clear that Michigan would take a leadership role on Great Lakes issues.

“Michigan has to lead on Great Lakes issues,” Whitmer told Great Lakes Now after speaking to fellow Great Lakes governors and Canadian premiers and the broader Great Lakes community in Milwaukee.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/michigan-state-great-lakes-drinking-water-quality/

Gary Wilson

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In: AP, economy, enbridge, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, line 5, Michigan, News, oil pipelines, straits of mackinac, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, wetlands
Pipeline tunnel supporters, foes clash before Michigan panel

By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Keeping a 64-year-old oil pipeline in operation by running one portion through a proposed Great Lakes tunnel would safeguard the economy and energy supplies, supporters said Monday, while opponents described the project as an unnecessary risk that would contribute to global warming.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-pipeline-tunnel-supporters-foes-clash-michigan-panel/

The Associated Press

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In: Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Latest News, News, ships
Eastland Documentary: Filmmakers talk behind-the-scenes journey and stories

The latest episode of Great Lakes Now takes a trip to Chicago to learn all about the Eastland tragedy – one that isn’t well known, despite its big impact.

On July 24, 1915, a steamship capsized in the Chicago River, and 844 people drowned.

A documentary about the tragedy, “Eastland: The Shipwreck That Shook America,” is airing on PBS stations around the country.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/eastland-documentary-filmmakers-behind-the-scenes/

GLN Editor

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In: Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Latest News, News, Sandra Svoboda, ships
Chicago’s Eastland Disaster: Explore this Great Lakes tragedy with a Storymap

Historic photos, newly discovered film reels, archival accounts from survivors and stories from their descendants are all part of the new documentary “Eastland: The Shipwreck That Shook America.”

The steamship capsized on the Chicago River as hundreds of passengers boarded. Their destination: a day trip to Michigan City, Indiana, just across the southern end of Lake Michigan.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/chicago-eastland-disaster-great-lakes-tragedy-storymap/

Sandra Svoboda

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In: Algae Blooms, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, fishing, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, News, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Science, Technology, Research, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Offshore Decline: Great Lakes fish populations at risk from low nutrient levels

As algal blooms flourish on the edges of the Great Lakes, lake management bodies look to cut down the flow of nutrients into the water that feeds the algae. But, as a recent report by the International Joint Commission explains, not all parts of the lakes suffer from too many nutrients — in fact, the deeper offshore waters aren’t getting enough.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/offshore-great-lakes-fish-populations-nutrient-levels/

Emily Simroth

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In: Climate change, lake erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, News
Above Average: Great Lakes water temperatures keep high after record-breaking July

Lake Ontario broke a record this July for hottest surface water temperature ever recorded on the lake since 1995. 

Lake Ontario isn’t alone. All five of the Great Lakes’ surface water temperatures are still above their 1995-2020 averages as of Aug. 21,  according to NOAA Great Lakes CoastWatch. 

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/great-lakes-water-temperatures-high/

Samantha Cantie

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In: AP, Drinking Water, flint, Latest News, Lead, Michigan, News, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Whitmer: $600M Flint water deal a step toward making amends

By John Flesher and David Eggert, Associated Press Writers

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A $600 million deal between the state of Michigan and Flint residents who were harmed by lead-tainted water is a step toward making amends for a disaster that upended life in the poor, majority-Black city, Gov.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-whitmer-flint-water-deal-600-million/

The Associated Press

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In: Agriculture, clean energy, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Ian Wendrow, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Energy-efficient fertilizer in Minnesota, Ohio bailout law repeal, Wisconsin utility rate freeze

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

In this edition: A new bill in Illinois could lead to closed coal plants being repurposed for solar power producing and storage; Minnesota agriculture startup exploring new ways to produce water and energy efficient fertilizer; Ohio lawmakers struggle over repeal of nuclear bailout bill as corruption scandal unfolds; and Wisconsin power utility Alliant Energy strikes deal to freeze electricity and natural gas rates for one year.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/great-lakes-energy-minnesota-ohio-bailout-wisconsin-utility/

Ian Wendrow

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In: AP, enbridge, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Energy, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, line 3, Minnesota, News, oil pipelines
Walz administration keeps up fight against Line 3

By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz’s administration said Tuesday it will appeal the latest approvals by state utility regulators for Enbridge Energy’s plan to replace its old and corroding Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota.

The state Commerce Department faced a Wednesday deadline to ask the Minnesota Court of Appeals to take another look at the project.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-walz-administration-minnesota-line-3/

The Associated Press

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In: AP, flint, Flint Water Crisis, Latest News, Lead, Michigan, News, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Source: Michigan reaches $600M deal in Flint water crisis

By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer

Michigan will pay $600 million to compensate Flint residents whose health was damaged by lead-tainted drinking water after the city heeded state regulators’ advice not to treat it properly, an attorney involved in the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Details will be released later this week, according to the attorney, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about it ahead of an official announcement.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-michigan-deal-flint-water-crisis/

The Associated Press

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In: AP, combined sewer overflow, Detroit, Feature Detroit, Groundwater Contamination, infrastructure, infratructure, Lake St. Clair, Macomb County, Michigan, News, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Michigan rejects Macomb County sewage treatment lagoon plan

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan regulators have rejected a suburban Detroit county’s plan to convert state waters into an open-air sewage treatment lagoon.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said Friday it had denied Macomb County’s application to place the structure at the end of the Chapaton Retention Treatment Basin.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-michigan-macomb-county-sewage-treatment-lagoon-plan/

The Associated Press

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In: Advocacy, canada, Climate change, Collaboration, Forests, Forests and Plants, indigenous communities, Latest News, News, Ontario, Quebec, Research, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research
One key solution to the world’s climate woes? Canada’s natural landscapes

By Jimmy Thomson, The Narwhal

This story originally appeared in The Narwhal and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

This is the first part of Carbon Cache, an ongoing series about nature-based climate solutions.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/climate-change-carbon-canada-natural-landscapes/

The Narwhal

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In: coal ash, Collaboration, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Illinoisans demand stricter coal ash rules, denounce state proposal

By Kari Lydersen, Energy News Network, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network

Illinoisans voiced their fears about coal ash silently contaminating their drinking water, or coal ash impoundments failing and deluging rivers with toxic sludge, during public hearings this week.

It was the latest step in a years-long debate in Illinois, which has the nation’s second-highest number of contaminated coal ash sites, according to a 2011 study.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/illinois-coal-ash-rules-state-proposal/

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In: AP, birds, Fish, Birds and Animals, Lake Michigan, Michigan, News, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research, technology
Bald eagle shows air superiority, sends drone into lake

ESCANABA, Mich. (AP) — A bald eagle launched an aerial assault on a drone operated by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy — known as EGLE — ripping off a propeller and sending the aircraft into Lake Michigan.

The attack happened July 21, when the drone was mapping shoreline erosion near Escanaba in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to document and help communities cope with high water levels, the department said in a statement.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-bald-eagle-drone-lake-michigan/

The Associated Press

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In: forever chemicals, Forever Chemicals Featured, Latest News, Michigan, News, PFAS, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
PFAS News Roundup: PFAS in fast food packaging, every Madison well

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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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/pfas-news-roundup-pfas-in-fast-food-packaging-every-madison-well/

Samantha Cantie

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In: AP, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, Michigan, News, pollution, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Michigan officials investigate fish kill on Escanaba River

ESCANABA, Mich. (AP) — Michigan officials are investigating a fish kill that affected a dozen species on the middle branch of the Escanaba River in the Upper Peninsula.

The die-off was reported Aug. 9 on the 52-mile-long river, which is popular with anglers, officials said Wednesday.

It happened near Gladstone, downstream of Verso Corp.’s Escanaba Paper Mill, which the previous week had reported the rupture of a pipe at its wastewater treatment plant.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-michigan-fish-kill-escanaba-river/

The Associated Press

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In: Groundwater Contamination, indigenous communities, infrastructure, Latest News, Lead, Mining, Minnesota, New York, News, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Drinking Water News Roundup: Drilling fluid contamination, mining pollution concerns, tribal community 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.

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Minnesota:

  • Nitrogen fertilizer restrictions in Minnesota begin September 1 – Successful Farming

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is reminding farmers and landowners that beginning Sept.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/drinking-water-contamination-mining-grants-tribal-communities/

Emily Simroth

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In: Climate change, Collaboration, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News
A vacant lot in Gary, Indiana, will soon be home to a climate-friendly community

By Audrey Henderson, Energy News Network, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network

An area in downtown Gary, Indiana, that still bears scars from a 1997 arson fire will soon boast an affordable housing complex with an eye toward energy efficiency and neighborhood revitalization.

The $11 million Broadway Lofts project, scheduled to break ground September 1 for completion in 2021, is part of Indiana’s Moving Forward incentive that targets net-zero, transit-oriented affordable housing.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/gary-indiana-climate-friendly-community/

Energy News Network

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In: Collaboration, COVID-19, Drinking Water, Feature Milwaukee, Groundwater Contamination, infrastructure, Latest News, Lead, Milwaukee, News, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Milwaukee significantly behind in project to replace 1,100 lead pipes by end of year

By Matt Martinez, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Services, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network

The city is significantly behind in its goal to replace 1,100 lead pipes by the end of the year, exacerbated in part by the ongoing pandemic, Milwaukee officials say.

As of Aug.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/milwaukee-significantly-behind-lead-pipes-by-end-of-year/

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

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In: AP, dams, Forests and Plants, infrastructure, Latest News, Michigan, Midland, News, plants
Plants cropping up in lost Michigan lakes where dams failed

By Anna Liz Nichols, Associated Press/Report for America Writer

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Nature is returning to craters left from lakes drained by two dams that failed in May during torrential rain in mid-Michigan.

But not always in a good way.

“Shortly after the water receded, you could look out over the exposed bottom lands of the lake and it was like looking at the Sahara Desert,” said Dave Rothman, a board member with the Four Lakes Task Force, which is looking to obtain the four dams as well as the two lakes that were not drained.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-plants-midland-michigan-lakes-dams-failure/

The Associated Press

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In: Climate change, Collaboration, COVID-19, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Indiana, Latest News, News
Survey analysis finds race plays role in perception, vulnerabilities to climate change in Indiana

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

People across the U.S. are taking to the streets to protest racial inequity, saying that people of color experience a wholly different experience in the country than white Americans. New findings from a statewide survey indicate that the disparity extends to how Hoosiers of different races perceive climate change and its risks.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/race-perception-vulnerabilities-climate-change-indiana/

Indiana Environmental Reporter

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In: Detroit, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Detroit, Gary Wilson, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, News, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Demanding Justice: Detroit activists make formal complaint over hazardous waste sites

Calling their communities sacrifice zones for being home to hazardous waste storage sites, residents in a Detroit neighborhood are taking a stand.

Last week, residents with support from the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center filed a formal complaint with Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy over the agency’s January decision to allow a storage site to increase capacity by nine fold.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/detroit-activists-environmental-justice-hazardous-waste-sites/

Gary Wilson

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In: Chicago, enbridge, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Energy, Feature-Chicago, Ian Wendrow, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, Mining, News, Ohio, oil pipelines, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Back Forty mine setback, Illinois and Ohio utility shutoffs

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

In this edition: Controversial open-pit sulfide mine in UP faces major delays due to COVID-19, utility companies in Ohio and Illinois set to resume disconnections after pandemic-induced moratorium lapses, and Enbridge completes replacement work on Line 5 under St.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/great-lakes-energy-back-forty-mine-illinois-ohio-utility-shutoff/

Ian Wendrow