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Leaking landfills: Unregulated coal ash poses a buried, brewing threat to Lake Michigan and beyond, new lawsuit says

At almost 300 sites on the Great Lakes and coast to coast, unregulated buried and landfilled coal ash is putting water supplies at risk, alleges a federal lawsuit filed August 25. 

This threat is in addition to contamination from up to 700 coal ash repositories that are covered by 2015 federal coal ash rules.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/unregulated-coal-ash-poses-brewing-threat-to-lake-michigan/

Diana Leane and Sarah Aie

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PFAS News Roundup: Eliminating “forever chemicals,” reporting obligations broadening

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.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/pfas-news-roundup-eliminating-forever-chemicals-reporting-obligations/

Kathy Johnson

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Industries and public water supplies top list of main consumers of Great Lakes water

Overall water usage in the Great Lakes is dropping, largely due to water conservation and management efforts, according to the Great Lakes Commission’s most recent water use report.

The GLC compiles annual water use data, a stipulation outlined in the 2008 regional water use agreement known as the Great Lakes Compact.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/industries-public-water-consumers-great-lakes-water/

John McCracken

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The Catch: Pollution problems … and solutions

Broadcasting in our monthly PBS television program, The Catch is a Great Lakes Now series that brings you more news about the lakes you love. Go beyond the headlines with reporters from around the region who cover the lakes and drinking water issues. Find all the work HERE.

In Milwaukee, officials are working to eliminate combined sewage overflows that can pour pollution into local waterways including Lake Michigan.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/the-catch-pollution-problems/

GLN Editor

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Michigan Radio

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2022 Forecast: Smaller than average amount of harmful cyanobacterial blooms for Lake Erie, but some hot spots possible

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.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/2022-forecast-harmful-algal-blooms-forecast-lake-erie/

Michigan Radio

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Great Lakes Moment: The imperiled mussels of the Detroit River

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.

Native freshwater mussels have experienced dramatic population declines in the Great Lakes due to habitat degradation, water pollution and the introduction of invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/great-lakes-moment-mussels-detroit-river/

John Hartig

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DNR monitoring crappie kill at Loon Lake in NE Indiana

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (AP) — State Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologists have collected fish and water samples at a northeastern Indiana lake as the result of a fish kill involving thousands of crappies, the agency said June 23.

The fish kill began last week at Loon Lake in Whitley and Noble counties.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/ap-crappie-kill-loon-lake/

The Associated Press

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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

The Associated Press

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Water test: a long history and hopeful future of human impact on Great Lakes ecology

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

By Kurt Williams, Great Lakes Echo

Editor’s note: This is the last in a series of stories about profound ecological changes that test our ability to manage the Great Lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/history-future-human-impact-great-lakes-ecology/

Great Lakes Echo

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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

James Proffitt

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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

Gary Wilson

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Endangered piping plovers are recovering but still need human help

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/endangered-piping-plovers-need-human-help/

Michigan Radio

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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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PFAS News Roundup: EPA sets new standards, orders firefighting foam makers to test products

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/2022/06/pfas-news-roundup-epa-standards-firefighting-foam/

Natasha Blakely

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In: AP, Feature Homepage, flint, flint river, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Michigan, News, oil, oil spill, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
State: Chemical company likely source of Flint River spill

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Authorities focused on a chemical company Thursday as the likely source of a spill that has left a dark oily sheen for miles on the Flint River.

Lockhart Chemical in Flint was cooperating with state regulators and removing material from underground storage areas, said Jill Greenberg, spokeswoman at the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-chemical-company-flint-river-spill/

The Associated Press

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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

The Conversation

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JEWEL OF THE GREAT LAKES: Keeping our waters clean, one butt at a time

By Darby Hinkley, The Alpena News

This article is part of a collaboration between The Alpena News and Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television to bring audiences stories about the Great Lakes, especially Lake Huron and its watershed.

ALPENA — In her experience picking up litter along the Lake Huron shoreline, Meag Schwartz has seen a whole lot of cigarette butts.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/keeping-waters-clean/

The Alpena News

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JEWEL OF THE GREAT LAKES: Group battles invasive species

By Steve Schulwitz, The Alpena News

This article is part of a collaboration between The Alpena News and Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television to bring audiences stories about the Great Lakes, especially Lake Huron and its watershed.

ALPENA – Aquatic invasive species continue to spread and threaten the ecosystem in the waterways near Alpena, local environmental professionals say.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/group-battles-invasive-species/

The Alpena News

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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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Great Lakes Now

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

Great Lakes Now

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

Energy News Network

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Ohio residents fight to get radioactive oil and gas waste off their roads

By Diana Kruzman, Grist

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

Joe Mosyjowski has watched a decade-long boom in oil and gas drilling unfold in the region surrounding his 50-acre farm in northeast Ohio.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ohio-residents-radioactive-oil-gas-waste-roads/

Grist

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In: AP, Climate change, contamination, Drinking Water, flooding, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, infrastructure, Lead, Michigan, Municipalities, News, PFAS, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, wells
Climate-driven flooding poses well water contamination risks

By Michael Phillis and John Flesher, Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — After a record-setting Midwestern rainstorm that damaged thousands of homes and businesses, Stefanie Johnson’s farmhouse in Blandinsville, Illinois, didn’t have safe drinking water for nearly two months.

Flood water poured into her well, turning the water a muddy brown and forcing Johnson, her husband and their two young children to use store-bought supplies.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-climate-driven-flooding-contamination-risks/

The Associated Press

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African scientists visit the North American Great Lakes in international exchange

One by one, netted fish arrived onto the boat: smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, common carp, gizzard shad, longnose gar.

They lay on their sides, briefly stunned by the electricity that was coursing from rods on the boat’s bow and then scooped on board the 21-foot vessel on a cloudy spring day on Lake Erie.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/african-scientists-great-lakes-international-exchange/

Natasha Blakely

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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

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

Great Lakes Now

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

The Associated Press

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Michigan Radio

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Great Lakes Moment: Rewilding Metropolitan Detroit

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.

The practice of rewilding is frequently carried out in wilderness areas, but cities like Detroit are beginning to reintroduce native species of plants and animals to enhance biodiversity and reap all the benefits of making nature part of everyday urban life.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/great-lakes-moment-rewilding-metropolitan-detroit/

John Hartig

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

GLN Editor

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Rising water makes Lake Michigan wetlands vulnerable to invaders

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

By Caroline Miller, Great Lakes Echo

High water and ice scouring has shifted native wetlands inland and opened a door to invasive species along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan coast.

A new study documents the first sighting of the invasive species, European frogbit, in Wisconsin and says that it could threaten native plants, fish and invertebrates.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/rising-water-lake-michigan-wetlands-invaders/

Great Lakes Echo

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Marshfield, Adams shut down wells due to PFAS pollution

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Marshfield and Adams have joined the list of Wisconsin cities that have shut down municipal wells due to PFAS contamination.

Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the state Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday that sampling in the two cities has detected PFAS high enough to concern state health officials.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-wisconsin-wells-pfas-pollution/

The Associated Press

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Michigan Great Lakes: Expect lower waters, ample fish and a hot summer

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.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/michigan-great-lakes-summer/

Bridge Michigan

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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/

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In: Budget, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, cleanup, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Groundwater Contamination, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, invasive species, Latest News, Michigan, News, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, pollution, Protect, The States, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Waterfront Development
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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Michigan Radio

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In: Forests and Plants, infrastructure, Latest News, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, septic systems, The Catch, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
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

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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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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: Drinking Water, Forever Chemicals Featured, Latest News, New York, News, Ohio, Ontario, PFAS, PFAS News Roundup, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
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.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Gary Wilson

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In: Brian Owens, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, infrastructure, invasive species, Latest News, News, Ontario, Protect, quagga mussels, Research, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, technology, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, zebra mussels
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.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Brian Owens

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In: Alex Hill, clean energy, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature Homepage, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Lake Huron, Michigan, News, nuclear waste, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Mapping the Great Lakes: Power up

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/mapping-the-great-lakes-power-up/

Alex Hill

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

Circle of Blue

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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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

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

The Revelator