Drinking Water News Roundup: Flooding poses risk to well water, Indiana drinking water report shared, EPA grants for Ohio

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

 

Illinois:

  • Illinois American Water Encourages Customers to View their 2021 Community Water Quality Report – Business Wire

Illinois American Water is encouraging customers to view the company’s 2021 water quality reports to learn more about the source and quality of their drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/drinking-water-news-roundup-flooding-risk-epa-grants-ohio/

Tynnetta Harris

EXCLUSIVE: Ontario Regulator Refuses New Pipeline, Tells Enbridge to Plan for Lower Gas Demand

By Mitchell Beer, The Energy Mix 

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

The Ontario Energy Board sent minor shock waves through the province’s energy regulatory and municipal energy communities earlier this month with its refusal to approve the final phases of a $123.7-million pipeline replacement project in Ottawa proposed by Enbridge Gas.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ontario-regulator-refuses-pipeline-enbridge-gas/

The Energy Mix

Coast Guard: Oil spill closes shipping on St. Mary’s River

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario. (AP) — An oil spill temporarily closed shipping traffic on the St. Marys River between Ontario and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday.

The 5,300-gallon (20,063-liter) spill originated from Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, around 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

The 75-mile (121-kilometer) river connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron and serves as part of the border between Michigan and Ontario.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-coast-guard-oil-spill-shipping/

The Associated Press

Energy News Roundup: Illinois 6th in clean energy capacity, debate over Michigan risk of brownouts, the world’s potential impending energy crisis

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Keeping Illinois nuclear plants open is saving some customers $237 a year on average – CNBC

In September, Illinois lawmakers passed a watershed clean energy law which established the state as a leader for its efforts to decarbonize.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/energy-news-roundup-impending-energy-crisis/

Natasha Blakely

The Catch: Current issues in Canadian water infrastructure

This month of The Catch features stories from our partners in the Great Lakes News Collaborative. The collaborative’s investigation of the cost of water in the Great Lakes region was the focus of the latest episode.

Toronto-based journalist Andrew Reeves discusses a piece he wrote for Great Lakes Now about the history and current issues in Canadian water infrastructure.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/the-catch-canadian-water-infrastructure/

GLN Editor

Massive salmon farm gets green light from Ohio DNR

Despite overwhelming public opposition based on public comments received by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the agency approved a water withdrawal and consumptive use permit for Massachusetts-based Aquabounty on March 14.

The permit will allow operators to pull about 28 million gallons from the Michindoh Aquifer to fill tanks at its state-of-the-art Atlantic salmon rearing facility in Pioneer, Ohio.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/salmon-farm-ohio-dnr/

James Proffitt

Water’s True Cost: The Great Lakes Now Episode Quiz

Great Lakes Now episodes are packed with important information on current topics.

In “Water’s True Cost,” learn about the aging infrastructure problem in Michigan and how many households struggle to pay their water bills. And in “The Catch” we look at the same problem in Ontario, the problem of Michigan’s lacking sewer regulations, and a new series on Great Lakes policy.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/waters-true-cost-the-great-lakes-now-episode-quiz/

Tynnetta Harris

PFAS News Roundup: New York bill bans PFAS in clothes, Ohio city files lawsuit, Wisconsin struggles to set standards

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/pfas-news-roundup-new-york-clothes-ohio-lawsuit-wisconsin-standards/

Tynnetta Harris

AI technology could be used to monitor invaders in the Great Lakes

Invasive zebra and quagga mussels are firmly established in the Great Lakes, and efforts to control them have proved mostly fruitless. But environmental managers still want to know where they are, how many there are and what they are up to, so they can predict how the ecosystem will be affected and protect vital infrastructure.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/ai-technology-invaders-great-lakes/

Brian Owens

Drinking Water News Roundup: $3M invested in Illinois water system, coal ash rule means safer water in Indiana

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

 

Illinois:

  • Illinois American Water Announces Investment of Over $3 Million in Sterling Water System During National Infrastructure Week – Business Wire

Illinois American Water is investing over $3 million to replace over 8,600 feet or 1.6 miles of water main throughout the Sterling Water System.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/drinking-water-news-roundup-illinois-water-system-coal-ash-indiana/

Tynnetta Harris

Canada ranks dead last among G7 on climate progress: Earth Index

By Shawn McCarthy, Corporate Knights

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

Canada must make up for lost ground if it’s going to meet its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 45% from 2005 levels by 2030.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/canada-ranks-last-climate-progress/

Corporate Knights

Ontario faces uneven investment in water infrastructure

This is part two in a two-part series looking at the cost of water in Ontario. Read part one here, and find the Great Lakes News Collaborative’s series on cost of water in Michigan here.

Just how big an underinvestment Ontario is facing when it comes to the state of its drinking and wastewater infrastructure is difficult to tabulate.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/ontario-uneven-investment-water-infrastructure/

Andrew Reeves

Even in Canada, where water prices are low, aging infrastructure and rising costs are a problem

This is part one in a two-part series looking at the cost of water in Ontario. Find the Great Lakes News Collaborative’s series on cost of water in Michigan here.

Canadians living in the Great Lakes basin have perhaps become spoiled at the seemingly endless availability of water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/canada-aging-infrastructure-rising-costs/

Andrew Reeves

Energy News Roundup: Numerous Great Lakes states grapple with outages and rising rates

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Warnings of summer brownouts downstate spur scrutiny of Pritzker’s energy law – Crain’s Chicago Business

Electricity costs will soar beginning in June in central and southern Illinois, due to inadequate power supplies following coal-fired plant closures.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/energy-news-roundup-numerous-great-lakes-outages-rising-rates/

Natasha Blakely

Drinking Water News Roundup: First Nation residents call settlement restrictive, Wisconsin towns try regulating big farms, Chicago cans tap water

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Illinois American Water Ranks #1, J.D.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/drinking-water-news-roundup-first-nation-settlement-wisconsin-towns-chicago-water/

Natasha Blakely

The report on Ontario’s natural resources the government didn’t want you to read

By Emma McIntosh, The Narwhal

This story first ran on The Narwhal, a non-profit news organization that publishes in-depth stories about Canada’s natural world.

From warming water to shifting growing seasons, Ontario is already seeing the effects of climate change. But for the most part, Doug Ford and his government say, the province’s natural resources are doing just fine.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/report-ontario-natural-resources/

The Narwhal

Great Lakes Moment: Similarities between the Don and Rouge rivers, and one big difference

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.

There are many similarities between Toronto’s lower Don River and metropolitan Detroit’s Rouge River.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/great-lakes-moment-don-rouge-rivers/

John Hartig

River otters return to the Detroit River

On the cool morning of April 25, doctoral student Eric Ste Marie from the University of Windsor’s department of integrative biology went out for a walk with his partner along the Detroit River prior to an anticipated long day in his lab. Much to his surprise, he saw an animal pop its head out of the water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/river-otters-detroit-river/

John Hartig

What’s missing from Doug Ford’s proposed expansion of the Ontario Greenbelt

By Emma McIntosh, The Narwhal

This story first ran on The Narwhal, a non-profit news organization that publishes in-depth stories about Canada’s natural world.

When the Doug Ford government first announced plans to expand Ontario’s Greenbelt, it called the move a “once in a generation opportunity.”

The initial concept, presented by Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark in February 2021, involved ambitious plans to include waterways under the Greenbelt’s protection and stretch its boundaries to encompass a large swath of land west of Toronto.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/doug-fords-expansion-ontario-greenbelt/

The Narwhal

Energy News Roundup: Ontario looks to phase out natural gas, wild rice could stop Line 3, Energy Department invests in cybersecurity

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Illinois EPA grants permit to Pond Creek Mine to dump polluted water into Big Muddy – The Southern Illinoisan

On April 15, 2022, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA, IEPA, or Agency) approved a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for Williamson Energy, LLC Pond Creek Mine No.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/energy-news-roundup-ontario-natural-gas-energy-department-cybersecurity/

Natasha Blakely

Drinking Water News Roundup: EPA won’t regulate rocket fuel, Illinois prison water contaminated with Legionella

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:

  • Illinois advocates call for action after prison officials mislead on contaminated water – The Appeal

On March 11, IDOC and the Illinois Department of Public Health released a joint press release announcing that Legionella bacteria had been detected in two prisons—Stateville Correctional Center and Joliet Treatment Center.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/drinking-water-news-roundup-epa-rocket-fuel-prison-water-contaminated/

Natasha Blakely

Earth Day 2022: What can you do and where?

In-person events are back as people slowly reintroduce themselves to dining in, large gatherings and a return to the office.

But even as indoors becomes less taboo, let’s not forget the great outdoors, which served us well over the past two years. And what better time to show your gratitude to the parks than Earth Day.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/earth-day-2022/

Natasha Blakely

Easier Ride for Fossils, But $9.1B in Climate Funding as Ottawa Releases 2030 Plan

By Mitchell Beer, The Energy Mix 

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

The fossil and transportation sectors get a relatively free ride and electricity producers do the most to decarbonize in the much-anticipated 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan released March 29 by Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/climate-funding-ottawa-2030-plan/

The Energy Mix

Energy News Roundup: Weatherization money going to states for low-income homes, misinformation derails energy projects

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Illinois AG files suit against Marathon over crude oil spill in Cahokia Creek – KSDK

The lawsuit filed against Marathon Pipe Line in Madison County Court alleges multiple violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/weatherization-money-low-income-homes-misinformation-energy-projects/

Natasha Blakely

The pandemic that closed the U.S./Canadian border to people may have opened it to the invasive sea lamprey

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

By Danielle James, Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes invasive species cling to shipments and navigate canals to migrate, but one aquatic invader – sea lamprey – benefitted from border closures instead.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/border-opened-invasive-sea-lamprey/

Great Lakes Echo

Drinking Water News Roundup: Best tasting water in the world in Ohio, nation’s worst waterways in Indiana

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Gladstone warns residents of water nitrate levels, says infants younger than 6 months should not drink it—WQAD8

The Village of Gladstone is warning residents with infants younger than 6 months of high levels of nitrate in the town’s drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/drinking-water-news-roundup-best-tasting-water-ohio-worst-waterways-indiana/

Maya Sundaresan

Surfing the Great Lakes: ‘What? People do that here?’

On a cool fall day in 2007, Robin Pacquing slipped on a wetsuit, grabbed a surfboard and headed into Lake Ontario.

As a teenager, Pacquing had been a huge Baywatch fan and learned to love surfing during a family trip to Hawaii. As an adult, she went on to surf the waves off Tofino, British Colombia, never dreaming she might do the same just outside her door.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/surfing-great-lakes/

Sharon Oosthoek

Who caught the world’s largest muskie? Even the experts don’t agree

The largest known muskie is 67 pounds 8 ounces. Or it’s 69 pounds 11 ounces. Or it’s 70 pounds 10 ounces. Depending on the type of record, whom you ask or what organization you trust, it ­­could be any of those answers.

After Great Lakes Now published a column on muskies that referenced record sizes, it kicked off a dispute among readers on what record was the most accurate, so Great Lakes Now decided to do a deeper dive.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/who-caught-worlds-largest-muskie/

Kathy Johnson

New Ontario watercraft regulations fight invasive species

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

By Arya Dara, Great Lakes Echo

New legislation in Ontario can result in a fine if boats are not cleaned properly when they are moved from one body of water and into another.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ontario-watercraft-regulations-invasive-species/

Great Lakes Echo

Drinking Water News Roundup: Illinois Well Inspections, New York Water Funding

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Illinois EPA invests over $65.6 Million in wastewater and drinking water projects in second quarter of FY22 – WAND TV

Three of the loan recipients qualified for a total of more than $3 million in principal forgiveness.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/drinking-water-news-roundup-illinois-new-york/

Natasha Blakely

Gas and oil industry report projects fuel price hikes if Enbridge Line 5 is shut down

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/gas-oil-industry-price-hikes-enbridge-line-5-shut-down/

Michigan Radio

Drinking Water News Roundup: New DNA Computer can Reveal Water Contaminants, HydroOne Team Works Towards Cleaning up Oil Spill

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Illinois American Water Investing Over $16 Million in Jerseyville Water System – BusinessWire

Illinois American water plans to donate over $16 million to help maintain and transform the municipal water system for the city of Jerseyville.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/drinking-water-news-roundup-water-contaminants-oil-spill/

Maya Sundaresan

Canada’s Maude Barlow chronicles 40 years of activism in new book, “Still Hopeful”

For Maude Barlow, the importance of hope was instilled by her parents as a child while having her morning oatmeal. It grew into a “lifelong mantra” that took her through the travails of 40 years of social justice and environmental activism in Canada and on the international stage.

Now, Barlow chronicles that hopeful trek in her 20th book, Still Hopeful: Lessons From A Lifetime Of Activism.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/maude-barlow-activism-book-still-hopeful/

Gary Wilson

Line 5’s impact on climate change being reviewed as part of tunnel decision

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/line-5-impact-climate-change-reviewed/

Michigan Radio

New report finds Enbridge Line 5 closure will cause little pain to Michigan

By Zahra Ahmad, 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/new-report-enbridge-line-5-closure-michigan/

Bridge Michigan

Holding in the deep: What Canada wants to do with its decades-old pileup of nuclear waste

By Emma McIntosh, The Narwhal

This story first ran on The Narwhal, a non-profit news organization that publishes in-depth stories about Canada’s natural world.

The final resting place of Canada’s most radioactive nuclear waste could be a cave about as deep below the surface as the CN Tower is tall.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/canada-old-pileup-nuclear-waste/

The Narwhal

Great Lakes platform helps connect green investors with regional projects

By Kari Lydersen

This story was first published on the Energy News Network and was republished here with permission.

A two-year-old economic development partnership is helping to draw attention — and investment dollars — to sustainability projects in the Great Lakes region.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/great-lakes-platform-green-projects/

Energy News Network

Drinking Water News Roundup: New Illinois water quality bill, Minnesota mine lease canceled, Ontario’s wetland filtration

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full-story: 

Illinois:  

  • IL Bill Could Impact Waters as Distant as Gulf of Mexico—Public News Service  

Legislators in Illinois are looking favorably upon a bill that may improve water quality for a large portion of the nation.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/water-quality-bill-mine-wetland/

Maya Sundaresan

Energy News Roundup: New Indiana nuclear bill, Ontario doubles down on natural gas, Minnesota company credits renewables for low rates

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

Click on the headline to read the full story: 

Illinois: 

  • Illinois legislation focuses on increasing diversity in wind and solar projects – The State Journal-Register 

Aiming to increase diversity in wind and solar jobs, a proposed measure in the Illinois General Assembly would require more transparent reporting on the level of participation of minority-owned businesses in clean energy jobs. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/energy-news-roundup-nuclear-bill-natural-gas/

Natasha Blakely

Great Lakes Water Authority monitoring Detroit River for algal bloom threat

As the Great Lakes experience more harmful algal blooms due to climate change, real time monitoring of drinking water for toxins is becoming increasingly urgent.  

Warm water temperatures, increased rainfall and fertilizer run-off from farm fields are providing fuel for blooms that can taint water. 

This spring, a floating sensor for monitoring drinking water drawn from the Detroit River will begin giving real-time data on potentially toxic blue-green algae, along with other water quality data such as temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen.  

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/detroit-river-algal-bloom-threat/

Sharon Oosthoek

Drinking Water News Roundup: Toxic algae blooms in Indiana, First Nations $8B settlement, Wisconsin lead pipe replacement funding

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: 

  • More blue-green algae could drive up drinking water bills in Indiana’s larger cities —WFYI Indianapolis 

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/drinking-water-news-roundup-toxic-algae-blooms/

Maya Sundaresan

Fresh, local and forgotten: On Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, families fight to save their 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/lake-ontario-lake-erie-families-fisheries/

The Narwhal

Fresh, local and forgotten: On Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, families fight to save their 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/lake-ontario-lake-erie-families-fisheries/

The Narwhal

Public Perception: When it comes to nuclear waste in the Great Lakes region, what counts as safe?

Denia Djokić first got interested in nuclear engineering because of climate change. That was nearly two decades ago when she was a college student at UC Berkeley and learned how energy issues were central to create a more sustainable planet.  

“When we’re 21, we want to go out and save the world,” she said. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/nuclear-waste-great-lakes-region/

Natasha Blakely

Study: Fish can recover from mercury pollution faster than thought

Mercury pollution remains a problem in many parts of the Great Lakes, but new research from Canada’s Experimental Lakes Area in northern Ontario shows that efforts to reduce the amount of mercury going into a lake can have quick and dramatic effects on the levels of the pollutant in fish populations. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/fish-recover-mercury-pollution/

Brian Owens

Filter Fix: Study shows washing machine filters keep harmful microfibers out of the Great Lakes

Great Lakes communities on both sides of the border have diversion and reclamation programs for plastics, hoping to keep the trash out of the lakes.  

But how everyday people can deal with microscopic pieces of plastic is a more challenging question. Now a two-year-long study into washing machine filters in an Ontario community shows something can be done.  

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/study-washing-machine-microfibers/

Sharon Oosthoek

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

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

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

Click on the headline to read the full-story: 

Illinois: 

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

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

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Maya Sundaresan

What’s Your Water Source: Who gets their water from Lake Huron

Where do we get our water? It’s a critically important and highly regulated question, yet it took some digging to find the answers.  

Specific to Lake Huron, there are a total of 30 public water supply systems across Michigan and Ontario that source surface water for nearly 3 million people to drink. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/water-source-lake-huron/

Alex Hill

Ignore the buzz, here’s why Enbridge Line 5 won’t likely close anytime soon

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan and 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/enbridge-line-5-wont-close/

Bridge Michigan

Fossil Finds: Great Lakes coral and sea life remnants says much about its past and future

The Great Lakes region wasn’t always the freshwater realm we know today: rewind to a couple centuries ago and it was actually covered in tropical seawater. That’s why many of the fossils found in the area today are portions of coral reefs and ancient sea creatures.  

“When you think of Michigan or Illinois, you imagine cold and snow, but it wasn’t always that way.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/fossil-great-lakes-coral-remnants/

Maya Sundaresan