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Solar, storage projects set to bring jobs, tax revenue to Illinois coal communities

By Kari Lydersen, Energy News Network

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

A recent state procurement formalizes plans to put solar and storage on the site of several retired coal plants. The owners will receive grants and higher-value renewable energy credits to finance the projects.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/solar-storage-projects-set-to-bring-jobs-tax-revenue-to-illinois-coal-communities/

Energy News Network

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Wisconsin court: Conservative holdover can stay on DNR board

By TODD RICHMOND, Associated Press

 

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s conservative-controlled Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a conservative member of the Department of Natural Resources policy board may remain on the panel indefinitely in a far-reaching decision that leaves Democratic Gov. Tony Evers all but powerless to seat any of his appointees who need legislative approval.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/wisconsin-court-conservative-holdover-can-stay-on-dnr-board/

The Associated Press

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Wisconsin court bats down challenge to Kohler golf course

By Harm Venhuizen, Associated Press/Report for America

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Conservatives on the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled June 30 that a conservation group couldn’t challenge an agency’s decision to sell state park land for the construction of a high-end golf course along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Opponents said the ruling will make it much harder for the public to challenge decisions of state agencies.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/ap-wisconsin-court-kohler-golf-course/

The Associated Press

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New laws make it easier for communities to access state financing for water infrastructure

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

Bipartisan legislation to help cities get money to fix their water systems has been signed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

A lot of Michigan’s drinking water systems are in bad shape.

“We have been very behind in maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure across the state,” Charlotte Jameson with the Michigan Environmental Council.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/new-laws-community-access-water-infrastructure/

Michigan Radio

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New laws and tech are changing the tides for hydroelectricity in Indiana

By Christopher Parker, National Newspaper Association Foundation News Fellows Program

Great Lakes Now is publishing this story in conjunction with the National Newspaper Association Foundation’s News Fellows Program. In March, during NNA’s Community Newspaper Leadership Summit, a group of student journalists met with experts and policy leaders in Washington D.C.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/laws-tech-hydroelectricity-energy-indiana/

Christopher Parker

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Indiana might be changing its tone toward wind energy

By Kyla Russell, National Newspaper Association Foundation News Fellows Program

Great Lakes Now is publishing this story in conjunction with the National Newspaper Association Foundation’s News Fellows Program. In March, during NNA’s Community Newspaper Leadership Summit, a group of student journalists met with experts and policy leaders in Washington D.C.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/indiana-changing-tone-toward-wind-energy/

Kyla Russell

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Soaring Fertilizer Prices Could Deliver ‘Silver Lining’ For Emissions, But Farmers Struggle to Limit Use

By Christopher Bonasia, 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 sudden rise in fertilizer prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could have implications for global emissions by reducing how much of it farmers use in their fields.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/soaring-fertilizer-prices-emissions-farmers/

The Energy Mix

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See where you can borrow free camping gear in Michigan

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

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

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/borrow-free-camping-gear-michigan/

Bridge Michigan

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Bird flu has killed nearly 1,500 threatened Caspian terns on Lake Michigan islands

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.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/bird-flu-killed-threatened-caspian-terns/

Michigan Radio

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Court kills Flint water charges against ex-governor, others

By Ed White, Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out charges against former Gov. Rick Snyder and others in the Flint water scandal, saying a judge sitting as a one-person grand jury had no power to issue indictments under rarely used state laws.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-court-kills-flint-water-charges-ex-governor/

The Associated Press

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Feds issue draft assessment that could doom Minnesota mine

By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service issued a draft environmental assessment Thursday to lay the foundation for a proposed 20-year moratorium on copper-nickel mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Formally, the proposal would “withdraw” from new mineral leasing for 20 years about 352 square miles within the Rainy River watershed in the Superior National Forest around the town of Ely.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-feds-draft-assessment-minnesota-mine/

The Associated Press

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Mapping the Great Lakes: How old are our cities?

Love staring at a map and discovering something interesting? Then “Mapping the Great Lakes” is for you. It’s a monthly Great Lakes Now feature created by Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines cartography, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/mapping-great-lakes-cities/

Alex Hill

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Study suggests phosphorous reduction alone could lead to more toxic algae

A new study completed by international researchers says current efforts to reduce harmful algae blooms by limiting phosphorous in Lake Erie could result in more toxic algae.

“I think it has implications for how we think about cleaning up Lake Erie,” said Greg Dick, director of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research at Michigan State University, and one of the study’s authors.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/phosphorous-reduction-toxic-algae/

James Proffitt

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In: Climate change, Feature Homepage, Gary Wilson, infrastructure, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Michigan, News, nuclear waste, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The States, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Waste, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Does extreme weather threaten the hazardous waste sites that border Lake Michigan?

Climate change-fueled weather such as extreme storms will provide a direct threat to contaminated waste storage sites, nuclear power plants and industrial facilities at multiple sites on the shores of Lake Michigan, according to a new report.

The 63-mile corridor from Gary, Indiana, through Illinois to the Wisconsin border is particularly at risk.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/extreme-weather-hazardous-waste-sites/

Gary Wilson

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How will tire chemicals affect Great Lakes fish? Some scientists hope to find out

Just a couple years ago, nobody had heard of 6PPD-quinone, a chemical by-product of car tires. Until it was discovered that it can kill fish, including species in the Great Lakes.

Researchers with the University of Washington discovered in late 2020 that 6PPD-quinone was washing off roadways and into Seattle’s urban creeks during rainstorms – a death sentence for coho salmon.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/tire-chemicals-great-lakes-fish/

Sharon Oosthoek

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MI environmental group calls EPA’s PFAS advisory a “wake-up call” for industries

By Tracy Samilton, 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.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/environmental-group-pfas-advisory/

Michigan Radio

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FRESH: Research Highlights Gaps in Federal Air Pollution Data

June 14, 2022

Fresh is a biweekly newsletter from Circle of Blue that unpacks the biggest international, state, and local policy news stories facing the Great Lakes region today. Sign up for Fresh: A Great Lakes Policy Briefing, straight to your inbox, every other Tuesday.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/fresh-research-highlights-gaps-in-federal-air-pollution-data/

Circle of Blue

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In: canada, Collaboration, Drinking Water, Equity and Environmental Justice, First Nations, History and Culture, indigenous communities, Latest News, News, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, Tribal Governments and First Nations, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Living water: Northern Indigenous communities’ use and perceptions of drinking water

By Mylène Ratelle, University of Waterloo, and Jessie Yakeleya, Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, The Conversation

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

In Indigenous communities that have lacked access to safe water for years, getting access to a safe water supply is crucial.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/northern-indigenous-communities-drinking-water/

The Conversation

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In: Advocacy, Climate change, Detroit, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, Latest News, Lead, Michigan, News, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The States, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Michigan Gov. Whitmer’s plan needs to move from aspiration to action, says Detroit climate advocate

In February 2021, Detroit’s Michelle Martinez was excited like she hadn’t been in years about the potential of progress on core environmental and climate justice issues.

President Donald Trump, who took the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accords and was rolling back Obama-era environmental protections, was out of office.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/michigan-gov-plan-action/

Gary Wilson

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In: AP, government, News, PFAS, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The States, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Republicans allow PFAS standards to take effect

By Todd Richmond, Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans will allow regulations Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration developed to control pollution from a group of chemicals known as PFAS to take effect, a spokesman for the lawmaker who controls the Legislature’s rules committee said Monday.

The Legislature’s Republican-controlled Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Reviews has no objections to the regulations and will allow the Department of Natural Resources to implement them, said Mike Mikalsen, an aide to the committee’s co-chairman, Sen.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-wisconsin-republicans-pfas-standards/

The Associated Press

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As agencies seek more environmental justice data, longtime residents are skeptical

By Eleanore Catolico, Energy News Network

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

This article is co-published by the Energy News Network and Planet Detroit with support from the Race and Justice Reporting Initiative at the Damon J.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/agencies-environmental-data-residents/

Energy News Network

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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.

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Great Lakes Now

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

The Energy Mix

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In Minnesota, the PolyMet mine pits renewable energy needs against tribes and the EPA

By Diana Kruzman, Grist

This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here.

Northeastern Minnesota’s Iron Range has been a major mining hub since the 1860s. Nestled among thick forests and many of the state’s famed “10,000 lakes,” open-pit mines there produce low-grade iron ore that’s shipped to steel mills around the country.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/minnesota-polymet-mine-renewable-energy-tribes/

Grist

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Pennsylvania public water utilities say Senate bill will force up rates

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Legislation criticized by opponents as a vehicle for-profit water companies to take over municipal water authorities in Pennsylvania by imposing expensive regulations on them passed the Republican-controlled state Senate on Tuesday.

Opponents also warned that the bill will precipitate ratepayer increases when water authorities must meet the new regulations or after they are forced to sell out to for-profit water companies.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-pennsylvania-senate-bill-rates/

The Associated Press

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Wisconsin judge leaves PFAS regulation ruling on hold

By Scott Bauer, Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge on Tuesday agreed to keep on hold his ruling from April that prevented state regulators from requiring businesses and others responsible for pollution by PFAS chemicals to investigate and clean up the contamination.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren said because of the importance and impact of his ruling, it made sense to keep it on hold while the state Department of Natural Resources appeals.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-wisconsin-judge-pfas-hold/

The Associated Press

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Landmark bill to limit cryptomining passes NY Legislature

By Michael Hill, Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York lawmakers have passed a milestone environmental measure designed to tap the brakes on the spread of cryptocurrency mining operations that burn fossil fuels.

Both supporters and opponents say that the closely watched bill, approved early Friday by the state Senate, is the first of its kind in the U.S.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-landmark-bill-limit-cryptomining/

The Associated Press

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COVID hits Buttigieg, others who attended Michigan event

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP) — At least 15 people who attended a public affairs conference last week on Michigan’s Mackinac Island have tested positive for COVID-19, including U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The gathering is put on each year by a business group, the Detroit Regional Chamber, and attracts more than 1,000 public officials, journalists and others who discuss a variety of political and policy issues.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-covid-michigan-event/

The Associated Press

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Mapping tools help Ohio cities chart course for environmental justice

By Kathiann M. Kowalski, Energy News Network

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

Ohio cities are using new data mapping tools to identify and respond to disparities in energy burdens, climate risks, and pollution impacts.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/mapping-tools-ohio-environmental-justice/

Energy News Network

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Citizens Energy launches lead service line replacement program

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Citizens Energy Group announced it would begin a multi-year program to replace thousands of lead service lines owned by its customers.

The company said it received an order from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission granting it permission to launch a five-year, $22.7 million effort to replace customer-owned lead service lines at about 2,500 homes.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/citizens-energy-lead-service-line-program/

Indiana Environmental Reporter

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Pressure growing to remove PFAS from fast food wrappers

By Michael Casey, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Brenda Hampton first came across the toxic industrial compound PFAS after finding it was part of the cocktail of contaminants that tainted the drinking water in her North Alabama community.

Hampton, who believes the contaminated water contributed to kidney problems she and other residents suffer, soon learned the chemicals were found in another source that hit close to home — fast food wrappers, boxes and plates.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-pressure-growing-remove-pfas-wrappers/

The Associated Press

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In: Algae Blooms, algal blooms, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Drinking Water, harmful algal blooms, lake erie, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ohio, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Harmful algal blooms cause problems in Lake Erie; drinking water customers pay the price

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.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/harmful-algal-blooms-lake-erie/

Michigan Radio

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In: Air Quality, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Detroit, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
“Thank God that smell is gone”: Detroit incinerator to be demolished after decades of complaints

By Briana Rice, 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.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/detroit-incinerator-demolished-complaints/

Michigan Radio

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The Catch: Policy news facing the Great Lakes region

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.

In Chicago, journalist Laura Gersony is rolling out a new biweekly offering from Circle of Blue called Fresh: A Great Lakes Policy Briefing.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/the-catch-policy-news-great-lakes-region/

GLN Editor

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In: canada, Drinking Water, infrastructure, Municipalities, News, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The Catch, The Provinces, Toronto, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
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.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

GLN Editor

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EPA: Two toxic hot spots in Michigan will take longer to clean up than many others in Great Lakes states

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.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/toxic-hot-spots-michigan-great-lakes-states/

Michigan Radio

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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.

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Great Lakes Now

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

James Proffitt

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The Catch: E. Coli and faulty septic systems

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.

Michigan Radio‘s Lester Graham discusses a story he’s been following in northern Michigan on Elk Lake, where plant life and E.Coli are showing up in previously crystal-clear water.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/the-catch-septic-systems/

GLN Editor

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In: AP, biden administration, Budget, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, gas, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, News, oil, Pennsylvania, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, wells
Infrastructure plan: $33M to clean up hundreds of oil wells

By Janet McConnaughey, Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — About $33 million of the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan recently signed into law by President Joe Biden will go toward cleanning up 277 of an estimated 15,000 abandoned oil and gas wells on federal land, the nation’s interior secretary said Wednesday.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/ap-infrastructure-plan-clean-up-wells/

The Associated Press

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In: Collaboration, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, forever chemicals, Forever Chemicals Featured, Illinois, Indiana, infrastructure, Latest News, Municipalities, News, PFAS, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
IDEM Testing Confirms “Forever Chemicals” in Some Public Water Systems

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Final results of the first phase of statewide community water system testing confirmed the presence of PFAS chemicals in the treated drinking water of nearly a dozen Indiana communities.

The presence of PFAS chemicals in drinking water could be exposing thousands of Hoosiers to a series of adverse health conditions ranging from increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers to high cholesterol levels.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/testing-confirms-forever-chemicals-water-systems/

Indiana Environmental Reporter

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In: Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, great lakes now, infrastructure, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ontario, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Quiz, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
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.

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Great Lakes Now

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

Tynnetta Harris

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In: Budget, Feature Homepage, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Lake Superior, Latest News, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, soo locks, The States, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Soo Locks project no longer fully funded

After a big announcement in January celebrating $479 million directed to fully fund the construction of a new lock, the Army Corps of Engineers has had to walk it back, according to a report by The Detroit News.

The billion-dollar project, authorized by Congress at $922 million in 2018, is now estimated to be “somewhere between two times and three times” the cost, Sen.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/soo-locks-project-no-longer-fully-funded/

Natasha Blakely

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In: Advocacy, author, Books, Books, Authors, Art and Music, Climate change, Feature Homepage, Groundwater Contamination, History and Culture, infrastructure, Latest News, Lead, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Water Always Wins: “Quietly radical” book makes case for Slow Water

While growing up in California, Erica Gies became aware of the state’s water scarcity, which she told Great Lakes Now has led to a “low-key obsession about water for just about everyone in the state.”

California’s droughts have been a regular occurrence that put a spotlight on the importance of water for Gies, fostering a writing career on the topic that has spanned 15 years.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/water-always-wins-book/

Gary Wilson

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In: Budget, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, infrastructure, Latest News, Michigan, Municipalities, News, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Water's True Cost
Water’s True Cost

By J. Carl Ganter, Circle of Blue

This story is part of “Water’s True Cost,” a series by the Great Lakes News Collaborative focused on the rising cost of water in Michigan and the various causes leading to the state of water systems today. Find the rest of the stories in the series here.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/waters-true-cost/

Circle of Blue

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In: AP, biden administration, Climate change, Forests and Plants, News, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, Science, Technology, Research, trees, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments
Biden forest plan stirs dispute over what counts as “old”

By Matthew Brown and Matthew Daly, Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s order to protect the nation’s oldest forests against climate change, wildfires and other problems devastating vast woodlands is raising a simple yet vexing question: When does a forest grow old?

Millions of acres are potentially on the line — federal land that could eventually get new protections or remain open to logging as the administration decides which trees to count under Biden’s order covering “old growth” and “mature” forests.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/ap-biden-forest-plan-dispute/

The Associated Press

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In: Climate change, Collaboration, dams, Equity and Environmental Justice, hydropower, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Latest News, News, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Dam Accounting: Taking Stock of Methane Emissions From Reservoirs

By Tara Lohan, The Revelator

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

This month regulators greenlighted a transmission line that would bring power generated from Canadian hydroelectric dams to New York City.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/stock-methane-emissions-reservoirs/

The Revelator

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In: Agriculture, AP, Climate change, Duluth, flood damage, flooding, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Minnesota, Municipalities, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The States
National Guard to help with northeastern Minnesota flooding

ST. PAUL (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday activated the National Guard to help control record flooding in areas of northeastern Minnesota.

Emergency management officials in St. Louis and Koochiching counties requested the assistance to deal with high water caused by heavy spring rains and rapid snowmelt throughout the Rainy River Basin.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/ap-national-guard-minnesota-flooding/

The Associated Press

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In: canada, Climate change, Collaboration, government, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, News, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Quebec, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, The Provinces, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments
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.

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Great Lakes Now

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

Corporate Knights

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In: Andrew Reeves, Budget, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, infrastructure, Latest News, News, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The Provinces, Tribal Governments and First Nations, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
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.

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Great Lakes Now

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

Andrew Reeves

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In: canada, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, indigenous communities, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Tribal Governments and First Nations, water
FRESH: EPA Recommends Against Minnesota Mining Permit

Fresh is a biweekly newsletter from Circle of Blue that unpacks the biggest international, state, and local policy news stories facing the Great Lakes region today. Sign up for Fresh: A Great Lakes Policy Briefing, straight to your inbox, every other Tuesday.

— Laura Gersony, Fresh Editor

This Week’s Watersheds

  • The U.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/fresh-epa-minnesota-mining-permit/

Circle of Blue

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In: Andrew Reeves, Budget, canada, Drinking Water, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, infrastructure, lake erie, Lake Ontario, Lake St. Clair, Lake Superior, Latest News, News, Ontario, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, The Provinces, Toronto, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
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.

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Great Lakes Now

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

Andrew Reeves