Court: Flint class-action can proceed over lead in water

DETROIT (AP) — Flint residents whose health and homes were harmed by lead-contaminated water scored a legal milestone Wednesday when the Michigan Supreme Court said they could proceed with a lawsuit against public officials for the disastrous decisions that caused the scandal.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-court-flint-class-action-lead-water/

The Associated Press

Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Ohio nuclear bailout repeal, Minnesota coal plants, Georgian Bay hydroelectric plant

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

In this edition: Great Lakes states join others to sue EPA over new reading of Clean Water Act rule limiting their oversight capacities, Minnesota regulators allow utility company to let coal plants sit idle for half the year, Ontario residents of Georgian Bay lobby against proposed hydroelectric plant, and Ohio’s governor seeks to repeal nuclear bailout.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ohio-nuclear-bailout-minnesota-coal-georgian-bay-hydroelectric-epa/

Ian Wendrow

Multi-million dollar grant funds study of Great Lakes aquaculture

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Carin Tunney, Great Lakes Now

A million-dollar grant to study aquaculture aims to boost the number of fish farms in the Great Lakes region.

Aquaculture refers to raising fish both to eat and to stock streams and lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/grant-great-lakes-aquaculture/

Great Lakes Echo

Enbridge contractor vessels may have bumped pipeline support

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Recent damage that prompted the temporary shutdown of an Enbridge oil pipeline in a channel linking two of the Great Lakes may have been done by vessels working for the company, according to an in-house report provided Thursday to The Associated Press.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-enbridge-contractor-vessels-line-5-pipeline-support/

The Associated Press

Priority Shift: Chicago mayor sets environmental sights on neglected communities

Since taking office in May 2019, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has emphasized that her environmental priorities are focused on the social justice issues of access to drinking water and clean air.

“The mayor is deeply committed to putting environmental justice at the forefront of her environmental agenda,” spokesperson Hali Levandoski told Great Lakes Now.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/chicago-mayor-environmental-priority-neglected-communities/

Gary Wilson

Whitmer: Enbridge dodging responsibility for potential Line 5 spill

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer criticized Enbridge Inc. on Wednesday for what she described as the company’s refusal to make an airtight pledge to pay for damages caused by a potential oil spill from its pipeline beneath a Great Lakes channel.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-whitmer-enbridge-dodging-responsibility-line-5-oil-spill/

The Associated Press

Water and Wonder: Great Lakes Now producer talks the lakes and his work covering them

With two segments in the latest episode of the Great Lakes Now monthly program, producer David Ruck is bringing audiences insight about two major issues in the Great Lakes region: how pollution from farmland impacts water quality and what financial cost current high water levels are having for communities around the region.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/water-great-lakes-now-producer/

GLN Editor

COVID-19 has resurrected single-use plastics – are they back to stay?

By Jessica Heiges, University of California, Berkeley and Kate O’Neill, University of California, Berkeley, The Conversation

 is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

COVID-19 is changing how the U.S. disposes of waste. It is also threatening hard-fought victories that restricted or eliminated single-use disposable items, especially plastic, in cities and towns across the nation.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/covid-19-single-use-plastics/

The Conversation

Rich Americans spew more carbon pollution at home than poor

Rich Americans produce nearly 25% more heat-trapping gases than poorer people at home, according to a comprehensive study of U.S. residential carbon footprints.

Scientists studied 93 million housing units in the nation to analyze how much greenhouse gases are being spewed in different locations and by income, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-rich-american-more-carbon-pollution-poor/

The Associated Press

Michigan wants Enbridge to pledge funds in case of oil spill

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan sought a written pledge Friday from Enbridge Inc. to cover costs that would arise if oil were to leak from its dual pipelines that extend across a channel linking two of the Great Lakes, although the Canadian pipeline company said it had already made such a promise.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-michigan-enbridge-line-5-pledge-funds-oil-spill/

The Associated Press

2 more Indiana counties join others in mandating face masks

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — At least two more Indiana counties on Friday joined the growing list of local governments in the state mandating the wearing of face masks while in public as the state has seen recent growth in the number of coronavirus hospitalizations.

The new requirements were adopted by officials in Monroe County, home to Bloomington and Indiana University’s main campus, and northern Indiana’s LaPorte County.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-indiana-counties-covid-19-mandating-face-masks/

The Associated Press

Toxic Algae 2020: Moderate bloom forecasted for Lake Erie

Scientists believe a dry spring in Lake Erie’s western basin watershed will help keep the annual harmful algal bloom in check this summer and early autumn.

The bloom’s biomass is expected to rank 4.5 on a scale of 10 in terms of severity, according to Rick Stumpf, oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/toxic-algae-2020-harmful-algal-bloom-forecast-lake-erie/

James Proffitt

PFAS News Roundup: Research suggests link with COVID-19, disposal methods increase contamination

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/2020/07/pfas-michigan-wisconsin-legislation-foam-covid-19/

Samantha Cantie

(Pictured – Shelly Sparks, Flint Development Center Director, presented with the 2020 US Water Prize commemorative glass sculpture)

For Immediate Release
July 17, 2020

Petoskey and Flint, Michigan – The McKenzie Patrice Croom Flint Community Water Lab, the first of its kind in the world, provides a trusted laboratory for Flint, Michigan residents for water testing of lead and other pollutants. Through generous financial support, the Flint Community Water Lab is a space open to the entire community that unifies residents around a common issue – the safety of water in residents’ homes. Freshwater Future has been honored to partner with the Flint Development Center where the lab is housed to turn this remarkable project into a reality. This innovative approach and collaborative community involvement hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Flint Water Lab has recently been recognized with the 2020 US Water Prize for Outstanding Cross-Sector Partnership.

The project’s focus is providing residents with knowledge about the safety of their water, and resources to help people trust that their water is safe, as thousands of pipes have been replaced in the City of Flint and the system continues to improve. The lab will provide free water testing and resources in Flint to help residents navigate the myriad of information they see and hear about water quality, to ensure their families’ health.

April 2014 marked the beginning of the Flint Water Crisis. The cameras may be gone from Flint, but the real truth is that for many still living there, the crisis isn’t over. While filters are being used to reduce the lead in water, many residents still don’t have enough information to begin to trust the water again. Jill Ryan, Executive Director of Freshwater Future, notes that “Community leaders helped us realize that the key to developing trust was through a multigenerational approach including training and education for youth who could then pass that information along to adults in the process of testing homes for current lead levels.”

The importance of having a way for residents to access trusted information about the water quality in Flint became so evident that the next step was to create a permanent community lab located in a trusted facility. Freshwater Future and the Flint Development Center are currently in the final phases of configuration for The Flint Community Lab with a scheduled opening date of summer to early Fall 2020 (tentative opening based on current COVID-19 restrictions). The coordinated vision for this community lab provides Flint residents a long-term trusted source for water tests, a place where residents can go to have their water tested for lead and other heavy metals at no cost.

Residents will receive a personalized report with the results from their tap water and have the option to meet with lab staff to review the findings. The reports will emphasize the importance and need of using filters and filter maintenance as well as helping uncover needed pipe or fixture changes within residents’ homes. Jill Ryan states that this project’s ultimate goal is “Having a lab that is based in Flint, operated by Flint residents, with the purpose of serving Flint residents, and embracing the resilience of Flint residents to keep working to solve their problems.”

Shelly Sparks, Director of the Flint Development Center, hopes that “The community lab will provide an opportunity for Flint to be a model as an innovative approach for the community to take the lead to gather data, analyze, and find solutions to our future water issues.” With the lab fully functional, teams of students and adults will continue to take and analyze water samples, survey homeowners, and provide filter, fixture and plumbing education. The Water Lab will provide opportunities to communicate with youth and help expand the learning in other cities who are also dealing with lead issues, such as Detroit and Benton Harbor.

The success of this project to date is due to the commitment and involvement of its community partners including Freshwater Future, the Flint Development Center, Genesee County Latino Hispanic Collaborative, Flint Neighborhoods United, the University of Michigan Biological Station and the City of Flint, as well as a committee of local residents who help guide the process. While there are too many individuals and organizations to mention that have stepped forward to financially support the lab, we do want to give special thanks to major supporters: Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., the C.S. Mott Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the Hagerman Foundation, the Crown Family Philanthropies, and Nalgene Water Fund.

For more information, please visit Flint Development Center at http://www.flintdc.org/ and Freshwater Future at https://freshwaterfuture.org/.

For more information contact:
Jill M. Ryan, jill@freshwaterfuture.org
Shelly Sparks, ssparks@flintdc.org

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/mckenzie-patrice-croom-flint-community-lab-receives-2020-us-water-prize/

Leslie Burk

Drinking Water News Roundup: Ohio Resumes Water Shutoffs, Lead Exposure More Likely from Private Wells

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:

  • Andrews Residents Told Drinking Water Is Safe, But Issues Remain – Indiana Public Media

When its water supply was running low in May, Andrews tapped into an unused well but was forced to shut it down again after the town found high levels of cancer-causing chemical vinyl chloride left over from a factory now owned by Raytheon Technologies.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/drinking-water-ohio-shutoffs-lead-exposure-private-wells/

Emily Simroth

Outdoor Escape: Visitors flock to parks, beaches, lakes as states reopen

Great Lakes states and provinces have opened up their parks to overnight campers again now that COVID-19 closures have been lifted.

In March, national parks were closed in Canada, along with Ontario provincial parks. In the U.S., while parks remained open to visitors, facilities and many campgrounds were closed to the public.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/visitors-flock-parks-beaches-lakes-provinces-states-reopen/

Emily Simroth

Environmental groups question Enbridge pipeline hearing

Environmentalists contend the state Department of Natural Resources held a public hearing on Enbridge Inc.’s plans to reroute a northern Wisconsin pipeline prematurely.

Line 5 runs from Superior to Ontario, crossing about 12 miles of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation in Ashland County. The tribe sued the company in 2019 to force it to remove the section of line on the reservation.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-environmental-groups-question-enbridge-pipeline-hearing/

The Associated Press

Hot summer warming up Lake Michigan, experts say

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Lake Michigan is having a warm summer.

The average surface water temperature was 75.3 degrees on July 9, setting a record for the month based on 26 years of record keeping, government scientists said.

The summer high is 75.6 degrees recorded in August 2016, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-hot-summer-lake-michigan/

The Associated Press

Moderate algal bloom forecast for Lake Erie this summer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Lake Erie’s annual blob of pea-green algae is expected to be smaller this summer than a year ago following a relatively dry spring, but that doesn’t necessarily reflect significant improvement toward reducing the nutrient pollution that causes it, scientists said Thursday.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-2020-lake-erie-algal-bloom-forecast/

The Associated Press

Water shutoff protections extended by Michigan governor

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Protections to prevent water shutoffs during the coronavirus pandemic are being extended to the end of the year under an order signed Wednesday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Since March, 2,477 Michiganders have had their water restored through a grant to help utilities reconnect consumers.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-water-shutoff-extended-michigan-governor/

The Associated Press

Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Ohio pipeline, Indiana rejects rate increase

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

In this edition: 713-mile Rover Pipeline at center of legal dispute between Ohio EPA and Ohio Supreme Court; Hi-Crush Inc., frac sand company filing for bankruptcy after reporting negative revenue, defaulting on loans; and Indiana regulators reject utility rate increase request.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/great-lakes-energy-ohio-pipeline-wisconsin-fracking-indiana-regulators/

Ian Wendrow

Trump Cabinet members look to reassure battleground voters

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue tromped through a strawberry festival in central Florida, detailing the government’s new trade pact. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talked about foreign policy at a roundtable in south Florida.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-trump-cabinet-members-michigan-wisconsin-voters/

The Associated Press

Unchanged Mission: Activists say a Nestle Great Lakes exit doesn’t resolve bottled water issue

Nestle might be selling its contentious Michigan bottled water brand, but water rights activists in the Great Lakes region aren’t so quick to let go of the issue.

Swiss-based Nestle recently announced it’s looking for buyers for its North America regional brands including Ice Mountain which has operated in Michigan since the early 2000’s.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/nestle-great-lakes-exit-bottled-water/

Gary Wilson

Tribes, advocacy groups sue EPA over rule narrowing scope of federal waterway protections

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

A group of native American tribes and labor and environmental groups filed suit to stop the implementation of a new federal rule that limits the scope of waterways under federal protection.

The Quinault Indian Nation, Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Pascua Yaqui Tribe filed suit in Washington state against the U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/tribes-advocacy-groups-sue-epa-federal-waterway-protections/

Indiana Environmental Reporter

Contaminated Ground: Indiana’s City of Mineral Water faces specter of health threats

By Beth Edwards, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Once known as the City of Mineral Water for the healing power of its spring-fed spas, Martinsville, Indiana, now faces the specter of health threats caused by the contamination of its water supply.

For the past 20 years, slow-moving groundwater plumes contaminated with potentially dangerous chemicals have seeped into the city’s municipal well field and drinking water plant.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/contaminated-indiana-water-health-threats/

Indiana Environmental Reporter

Slow Legislation: Flushable wipes become an issue in court and in law

Fatbergs — massive buildups of wipes and hygiene products congealed with greases and oils — make for a cringe-worthy topic. And the damage they cause to sewer systems can be a huge amount of trouble for the people in charge of those sewer systems.

That includes Candice Miller, the Public Works Commissioner in southeast Michigan’s Macomb County.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/legislation-flushable-wipes-court-law-fatberg/

Natasha Blakely

Great Lakes Moment: Warmer, wetter, wilder

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.

Scientists have predicted that warmer, wetter and wilder weather is coming and that this will be one of the greatest environmental challenges of the 21st Century.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/water-levels-climate-change-warmer-wetter-wilder/

John Hartig

Whitmer’s Dilemma: How to shut down Line 5, avoid a legal swamp and keep Northern Michigan happy

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer doesn’t need another crisis.

For six of her 18 months in office she’s been grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic that grips Michigan and shows few signs of abating. Then came a May rain deluge that contributed to the failure of an already dangerous dam that displaced 10,000 people.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/whitmer-michigan-dilemma-line-5-northern-michigan/

Gary Wilson

PFAS News Roundup: Potential COVID-19 connection, DOD bill, Michigan lakes and rivers with PFAS foam

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/2020/07/pfas-michigan-foam-pfas-covid-19/

Samantha Cantie

Michigan judge allows restart of disputed Line 5 oil pipeline

By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan judge Wednesday allowed Enbridge to resume pumping oil through a Midwestern pipeline, nearly a week after shutting it down because of damage to a structure that anchors a section of the line running through a Great Lakes channel.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-michigan-judge-restart-line-5-oil-pipeline/

The Associated Press

Hope and Resilience: Great Lakes islanders continue to adapt to COVID-19 conditions

Angel Welke and her husband Paul own and operate Island Airways, the committed aviation service provider for Beaver Island. As such, the Welkes run the air ambulance that serves the island, which is located in the northern part of Lake Michigan and is home to about 600 year-round residents. When the island had a possible COVID-19 patient earlier this year, it was Paul Welke piloting the air ambulance. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/great-lakes-islanders-adapt-covid-19/

Samantha Cantie

Roller Coaster: Michigan’s long history with environmental contamination

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine you are on a roller coaster ascending the first and highest hill on the ride. You hear the click, click, click as the car slowly climbs to the top and you start getting excited, even nervous, the closer you get to the peak.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/michigan-history-environmental-contamination/

John Hartig

Judge shuts down energy pipeline in Michigan’s Great Lakes

DETROIT (AP) — A judge shut down an energy pipeline in Michigan’s Great Lakes on Thursday, granting a request from the state after the owner reported problems with a support piece far below the surface.

Enbridge Inc. has not provided enough information to Michigan officials to show that continued operation of the west leg of the Line 5 twin pipeline is safe, Ingham County Judge James Jamo said.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/ap-judge-shuts-down-energy-pipeline-michigan-great-lakes/

The Associated Press

Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Lake Huron nuclear waste storage plan dropped, renewable energy in Midland

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

In this edition: Ontario Power Generation formally withdraws its application to construct a repository for nuclear waste near Lake Huron; Illinois looks to construct offshore energy wind turbines but faces resistance; University of Minnesota may expand viability of geothermal energy in Midwest; and flood-ravaged Midland, Michigan, coming around on renewable energy.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/energy-nuclear-huron-renewables-midland-wind-geothermal/

Ian Wendrow

Least Wanted: Potential Great Lakes invasive species are little known but still a big problem

In May, the self-cloning marbled crayfish clawed Michigan and regional headlines by officially becoming an outlaw. And even though the little bugger—a popular species for aquarium aficionados—hasn’t committed any offenses in Michigan yet, wildlife authorities are hoping to stay one step ahead of the critters.

And the same goes for many others.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/great-lakes-aquatic-invasive-species-list/

James Proffitt

Michigan asks judge to shut Enbridge pipeline in Great Lakes

MACKINAW CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s attorney general on Monday asked a judge to shut down a pipeline in the Great Lakes after an energy company discovered that an anchor support had shifted deep below the surface.

Enbridge Inc. insists the Line 5 pipeline itself was not damaged, and the company resumed the flow of oil and natural gas liquids in the west leg of the twin system Saturday.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/ap-michigan-judge-shut-enbridge-pipeline/

The Associated Press

PFAS News Roundup: Michigan collects 30k gallons foam, New York burning restrictions, Wisconsin leads 22-state coalition

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/2020/06/pfas-amazon-lawsuit-epa-michigan-wisconsin/

Samantha Cantie

COVID-19 Comeback: Great Lakes businesses and scientists bounce back

In March, COVID-19 brought the Great Lakes economy and society in general to a grinding halt.

Three months later, it’s not yet business as usual and challenges remain.

That’s the consensus of a group of Great Lakes industries and scientific researchers Great Lakes Now first spoke with in April.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/covid-19-great-lakes-shipping-charter-boats-research/

Gary Wilson

Regulatory Rollbacks: Loss of federal water protections impacts Great Lakes region

The Trump administration has made a habit of rolling back federal environmental protections over the past few years.

According to The New York Times, 100 environmental rules have been reversed since President Donald Trump took office. Among those rules are thirteen changes or proposed changes that directly impact the Great Lakes, other regional waterways and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/regulatory-rollbacks-federal-water-protections-great-lakes-region/

Emily Simroth

Emmy Winner: “The Forever Chemicals” takes documentary prize

It’s still a pandemic, so we didn’t get to attend a gala – in fact I was still in filthy workout clothes when I got the news on Saturday night.

But I can’t imagine it was any less thrilling for any of us on the Great Lakes Now team that produced “The Forever Chemicals” when we all learned we won a Michigan Emmy in the Health/Science – Program/Special category for “The Forever Chemicals,” which premiered 15 months ago on Detroit Public TV.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/emmy-pfas-forever-chemicals-documentary-prize/

Sandra Svoboda

Whitmer demands answers from Enbridge on pipeline damage

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer demanded Friday that Enbridge Energy provide proof that the damage to one of its dual oil pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac will not pose a threat to the area.

The Alberta, Canada-based company closed its Line 5 pipeline under the straits on Thursday after discovering that the anchor support had shifted from its original position, company spokesman Ryan Duffy said Friday in a statement.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/ap-michigan-whitmer-enbridge-pipeline-damage/

The Associated Press

Conflicted Over Copper: Technological advances clash with environmental concerns in Twin Metals case

This is the third in a three-part series that will explore the history of Lake Superior and the Boundary waters, the communities affected by two proposed copper mines, the arguments in favor and against the mines, and what the mines might mean for the future of the Great Lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/twin-metals-copper-mine-minnesota/

Lorraine Boissoneault

Drinking Water News Roundup: Well contamination, Montreal distributing lead filters, water protection project grants awarded

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 in the region.

Keep up with drinking water-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/2020/06/drinking-water-news-roundup-contamination-runoff-grants-lead/

Emily Simroth

Dam Investment: How does Michigan stack up against Great Lakes peers?

Michigan’s dam safety program has been under intense scrutiny since the epic failure in Midland in May displaced 10,000 people.

Multiple lawsuits have ensued between Michigan, dam owner Boyce Hydro and citizens impacted by the failure, with each claiming the failure was someone else’s fault.

But a spotlight was put on Michigan dam regulators after it was revealed that the state’s 1,100 dams are monitored by a staff of two plus a supervisor, all with a meager budget of just $348,000, most of which is dedicated to salaries.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/dam-investment-michigan-other-states/

Gary Wilson

NASA images show impact of Midland County flooding

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

NASA’s Earth Observatory worked up this cool comparison to show the impact of the recent dam bursting in Midland.

The images above were captured by Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 and show the Tittabawassee River on May 20, 2020 (right), compared to June 3, 2019 (left).

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/nasa-images-impact-midland-flooding/

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Hydrogen-from-nuclear plants, coal tar and diesel fuel barge beached, Line 3 in Minnesota

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

In this edition: Federal grant launches pilot program for nuclear plants to produce hydrogen for fuel cells; Canadian barge loaded with fuel, coal tar runs aground near where Lake Superior meets Soo Locks and Lake Huron; Minnesota regulators approve new contested case hearing over Enbridge Line 3 permit, delaying project; and First Nations and university educators in Ontario demand halt to further mining exploration during pandemic.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/great-lakes-energy-line-3-indigenous-mining-nuclear/

Ian Wendrow

Conflicted Over Copper: PolyMet copper-nickel mine has been trapped in litigation

This is the second in a three-part series that will explore the history of Lake Superior and the Boundary waters, the communities affected by two proposed copper mines, the arguments in favor and against the mines, and what the mines might mean for the future of the Great Lakes.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/polymet-copper-nickel-mine-litigation-indigenous-environmental-groups/

Lorraine Boissoneault

Court: Michigan Great Lakes tunnel deal constitutional

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that legislators did not violate the state constitution by allowing construction of an oil pipeline tunnel beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes, clearing the way for the project to proceed unless another court intervenes.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/ap-court-michigan-great-lakes-tunnel-enbridge-line-5/

The Associated Press

Legal Responsibility: Michigan lawsuit blames dam owner for Midland dam failure

The state of Michigan on Tuesday put blame for the May dam failure that flooded Midland, Michigan, and displaced 10,000 people squarely on the dam’s owner, Boyce Hydro.

Michigan filed a lawsuit this week against Boyce Hydro seeking compensation, civil fines and damages that the state contends are the responsibility of the dam owner.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/legal-responsibility-michigan-lawsuit-midland-dam-failure/

Gary Wilson

State of the Lakes: Great Lakes stable, but rollbacks of protection will soon bite

The overall condition of the Great Lakes has been assessed as “fair and unchanging” in the 2019 State of the Great Lakes joint report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environmental and Climate Change Canada, published on June 3.

The lakes were assessed on nine indicators of ecosystem health as part of the 2012 Great Lakes Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/state-great-lakes-stable-rollbacks-protection/

Brian Owens