Beth Wanamaker (Page 4)

COMMENTARY: Our water belongs to all of us. Its ownership should never be privatized.

On: June 25, 2021

“Access to clean water and sanitation is not a future problem,” writes Cameron Davis, commissioner of Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, who served as President Obama’s Great Lakes “czar” from 2009 through 2017. “It is here and now and will exponentially increase in severity if we do not address it head-on.” Read the full story by Chicago Sun-Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210625-access

EPA Ship the Lake Guardian docks in Marquette’s Lower Harbor

On: June 25, 2021

An EPA research vessel docked in Marquette’s Lower Harbor Thursday morning. The Lake Guardian, a 180 foot-long, 959 ton ship left Milwaukee a couple days ago and is taking samples from Lake Superior. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Negaunee, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210625-ship

New York, Canada join forces for annual Aquatic Invasive Species Landing Blitz

On: June 25, 2021

A regional effort to prevent the spread of invasive species will cross over to other states and Canada. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, seven Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces are partnering for the third annual Aquatic Invasive Species Landing Blitz. Read the full story by WWTI-TV – Watertown, NY.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210625-blitz

COMMENTARY: April showers bring vernal pools and baby salamanders

On: June 25, 2021

Each spring, melting snow and April showers fill low-lying areas with water, forming shallow pools. These vernal, or spring, pools are short-term wetlands that will be forest-fire dry by the 4^th of July. Vernal pools are a highly valuable wetland habitat that is increasingly threatened across most of North America. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210625-vernal

Army Corps plans extensive review of Great Lakes tunnel plan

On: June 25, 2021

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday it would conduct an extensive review of Enbridge Energy’s plan to build an oil pipeline tunnel beneath a Great Lakes channel in Michigan, which could significantly delay the project. The tunnel would house a replacement for a portion of Enbridge’s Line 5 that crosses the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac. Read the full story by the Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210625-tunnel

Canada expands ballast water restrictions to reduce invasive species spread

On: June 25, 2021

Canada is expanding its rules for ballast water in ships. The rules require all Canadian ships and all ships visiting Canadian ports to treat ballast water. That includes so-called “lakers,” ships which only haul cargo within the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210625-ballast

Regional organizations urge Congress to invest in Great Lakes infrastructure

On: June 24, 2021

In: News and Announcements

News

Regional organizations urge Congress to invest in Great Lakes infrastructure

Ann Arbor, Mich. – A coalition of regional agencies, legislators, mayors, and business and environmental groups urged Congressional leaders to include key Great Lakes priorities in upcoming infrastructure legislation. The groups communicated their priorities through a joint letter following the release of President Biden’s infrastructure investment plan earlier this year and ongoing negotiations on the Hill.

“Investments in water infrastructure, commercial navigation, environmental restoration, and resilience will create jobs, foster equity for underserved communities, and strengthen the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes region for future generations,” reads the letter. “Our agencies and organizations – representing the Great Lakes states, cities, conservation groups, ports, and business – strongly support robust investments in these areas. These investments will address longstanding basin-wide priorities while stimulating economic activity in hard-hit communities throughout our region.”

The coalition urges Congress to accelerate the bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; invest in drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure; ensure the Great Lakes economy, environment, and communities are resilient to the impacts of a changing climate; and strengthen Great Lakes ports and the maritime transportation system.

The priorities are endorsed by the Great Lakes Commission, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition, American Great Lakes Ports Association, and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus.

← Previous news release

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Contact

Upcoming GLC Events

ARCHIVES

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/news/infrastructure-062421

Great Lakes aquatic invasive species are the focus of the third annual “Landing Blitz”

On: June 23, 2021

In: News and Announcements

News

Great Lakes aquatic invasive species are the focus of the third annual “Landing Blitz”

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Hundreds of organizations across the Great Lakes region will be coming together to educate boaters and the public about the risks of spreading aquatic invasive species (AIS) during the third annual Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, to be held June 26 to July 4. The event is coordinated annually among state and provincial agencies with the support of the Great Lakes Commission and partner organizations.

As part of the Landing Blitz, volunteers will join paid inspectors at boat launches to educate boaters on how to prevent the spread of AIS, ways to identify AIS, and how to report an AIS discovery. Properly inspecting and cleaning boats, trailers and other equipment helps prevent the spread of AIS, which are recognized as one of the most significant threats to the ecological and economic health of the Great Lakes.

“More than 185 nonnative species are already established in the Great Lakes, many of which are invasive and cause harm,” said Sharon M. Jackson, chair of the Great Lakes Commission and deputy general counsel for Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. “Progress is being made, but we must continue to work together through successful partnerships like the AIS Landing Blitz to prevent new invasions and reduce the damage from species already here.”

Last year’s Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz reached 128,000 people at over 1,000 public and private boat landings across the region, and an additional 830,000 people engaged with online virtual content and social media about the event. This year, agencies leading the effort will host a hybrid event, continuing to reinstate in-person inspections and outreach in accordance with relevant COVID-19 public health procedures while maintaining an online presence.

“As recreation and tourism continues to open back up across the Great Lakes basin, we are excited to communicate directly with boaters at landing sites, while continuing to exercise appropriate safety procedures,” said James M. Tierney, Great Lakes Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner for Water Resources at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

For more information on the Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, including educational materials, location, and volunteer opportunities, visit www.glc.org/blitz.

← Previous news release

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Contact

Upcoming GLC Events

ARCHIVES

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/news/blitz-062321

Great Lakes region’s climate keeps getting warmer, wetter, and wilder

On: May 24, 2021

New research by NOAA documents warmer, wetter, and more frequent, intense storms in the Great Lakes region between 1991-2020. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210524-climate

Think cleaning up polluted waterways is too pricey? Consider the global benefit

On: May 24, 2021

It has been estimated that it would cost nearly US$20 million for all farms in Ohio that feed Lake Erie to reduce their nutrient pollution by 30 per cent. The benefits of a cleaner lake, meanwhile, would only recoup about half that amount. However, there’s something missing from that calculation – and it has major implications for protecting local waterways all over the world.. Read the full story by CTV News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210524-global

Where to see thousands of hawks as they migrate through Michigan

On: May 24, 2021

As part of spring and fall migration, hundreds of thousands of hawks and other birds of prey follow a flight path over the Great Lakes, where wind, water and our state’s unique geography converge to create hot spots over which these birds fly in droves. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210524-birds

COMMENTARY: Great Lakes region, Cleveland emerging as leaders in global investment shift

On: May 24, 2021

Our region is home to more than 20 percent of the world’s surface fresh water, including Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes. Our region also offers exceptional economic opportunity, with an economy that generates about $6 trillion annually. Read the full story by the Plain Dealer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210524-cleve

For reasons largely mysterious, walleye on Lake Erie are booming while yellow perch are going bust

On: May 24, 2021

For anglers journeying to Lake Erie, walleye and yellow perch long have been main drivers of their efforts. Yet for reasons largely mysterious walleye currently are booming, and yellow perch seem to be going bust. Read the full story by the Columbus Dispatch.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210524-walleye

A mallard wearing a tracking device? DNR researchers are taking a high-tech look at habitat preferences

On: May 24, 2021

A new study involves placing transmitters on hen mallards in the Great Lakes region. The tracking devices will allow researchers to document hen movements and habitat use, estimate the number that return to the same breeding, staging and wintering areas and estimate survival and productivity rates. Some Great Lakes states have shown declines in mallard populations in recent years. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210524-duck

Great Lakes water surge eases after 2 record-setting years

On: May 24, 2021

Although still above normal, Great Lakes water levels have dropped steadily since last fall and are expected to remain below 2020 levels for most of this year, according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forecast. Read the full story by the Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210524-levels

Great Lakes Commission holds 2021 Semiannual Meeting online

On: May 13, 2021

In: News and Announcements

News

Great Lakes Commission holds 2021 Semiannual Meeting online

Ann Arbor, Mich. – At its 2021 Semiannual Meeting, held online this week, the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) convened leaders from the United States and Canada on top issues facing the Great Lakes. The GLC and more than 150 guests received updates on Great Lakes issues from leaders of key U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as from the province of Québec’s Transport Minister.

“Healthy, productive Great Lakes are critical to the future of both the U.S. and Canada,” said GLC Chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel to Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “These issues don’t stop at the border, and the Great Lakes Commission is committed to bringing binational leadership to the table to tackle the biggest issues facing the lakes.”

“At EPA, we’re committed to accelerating Great Lakes restoration, bolstering the region’s economic health, and supporting the cleanup of the region’s most contaminated sites,” said U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan in recorded remarks. “The entire Biden-Harris administration knows how important it is to collaborate on priorities like water infrastructure, water quality and environmental protection. Agencies like the Great Lakes Commission are crucial to facilitating that collaboration across jurisdictions and all levels of government.”

During the meeting, the GLC assembled expert panels on Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River maritime strategy, regional water equity, and harmful algal blooms. Commissioners and guests also received updates from senior legislative staff on climate and infrastructure priorities for the 116^th U.S. Congress, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on construction of critical national projects at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois and Soo Locks complex in Michigan. In an action item, the GLC agreed to update its policy on supporting small commercial and recreational harbors in the Great Lakes basin. Video of meeting sessions will be available online in the days to come.

The GLC will next convene in October 2021 for its annual meeting, to be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The formats of these events will be announced in the future.

← Previous news release

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Contact

Upcoming GLC Events

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/news/sam-051321

Study: Folk songs preserve memories of Great Lakes shipwrecks

On: May 10, 2021

A new study found that exposure to traditional maritime music may influence listeners to support Great Lakes shipwreck preservation. Read the full story by Marquette Mining Journal.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210510-folk

How can farmers help protect Wisconsin waters? Some in Fond du Lac, Outagamie counties are experimenting

On: May 10, 2021

In Wisconsin, experimental projects underway in both Fond du Lac and Outagamie counties are pioneering the continuous use of conservation practices aimed at protecting the soil. The initiative incorporates no-till farming methods, planting of cover crops and the use of low-disturbance manure injection instead of spraying manure onto bare, open fields. Read the full story by the FDL Reporter.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210510-fdl

Wisconsin doesn’t have full information on algae blooms in its 15,000 lakes, though algae can make humans and pets extremely ill

On: May 10, 2021

Algae blooms can be dangerous, but there is no system that captures the total picture of algal blooms in Wisconsin’s 15,000 lakes, according to a new study. Read the full story by the Journal Sentinel.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210510-blooms

What happens if the Line 5 pipeline shuts down?

On: May 10, 2021

It’s unlikely that Line 5 will actually go offline this week. But if it were to shut down for more than a few weeks, the situation could spur a scramble to meet fuel demand in Ontario and Quebec, experts say. Read the full story by the National Observer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210510-line5

Evolving Presque Isle: The peninsula transformed from an island, and back, many times

On: May 10, 2021

Pennsylvania’s Presqu’ Isle translates from French to English as “almost island.” However, did you know that Presque Isle was an island five times in the past? Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210510-presque

EDITORIAL: Should lakefront property owners have to grant public waterfront access for erosion-control loans?

On: May 10, 2021

So, should erosion control or lake access be the primary goal of a lakefront district, or can they build off each other? Is this lakefront district a wise long-term model, setting the stage for more public-private partnerships to create lake access or near-lake access for public trails? Or should allowing public lakefront access be required for those participating in any publicly subsidized program, which likely would reduce participation and could end the lakefront district before it starts? The Editorial Board Roundtable surveys the landscape. Read the full story by the Plain Dealer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210510-erosion

‘We now have a seat at the table:’ Michigan tribes embrace new Interior secretary

On: May 10, 2021

With the recent confirmation of Deb Haaland to lead the Department of the Interior, the nation has its first Native American cabinet member. The position has significant influence on Native American affairs, and tribal representatives in Michigan say they’re optimistic about what Biden administration’s policies and Haaland’s position mean for Native representation. Read the full story by Capital News Service.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210507-haaland

RiverSweep event draws hundreds of volunteers to help keep Cuyahoga River clean

On: May 10, 2021

Over the past 30 years, thousands of volunteers from around Northeast Ohio have picked up nearly 715 tons of trash along the Cuyahoga River. Saturday morning at the annual RiverSweep cleanup, hundreds more lent a hand to help keep the waterfront free of debris and trash. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210507-riversweep

Protecting birds in the Great Lakes

On: May 3, 2021

Audubon Great Lakes has released a new report focusing on restoring the Great Lakes for birds and people. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-birds

Lake Ontario residents optimistic about new tool that could reduce flooding risks

On: May 3, 2021

The international body that oversees the regulation of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River is in the middle of a comprehensive review of Plan 2014, the water management plan that governs decisions on things like outflows. As part of that process, the committee leading this effort has developed a new tool that has some shoreline homeowners feeling optimistic about the future. Read the full story by WBFO.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-flooding

COMMENTARY: Time for bold action to protect Lake Erie from toxic algal blooms

On: May 3, 2021

George A. Elmaraghy, a former Ohio EPA official, writes in a guest column today that bolder state action is needed to curb the phosphorus runoff feeding toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie. Read the full story by the Plain Dealer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-algae

Test-drilling begins for controversial nuclear disposal site near Lake Huron

On: May 3, 2021

Nuclear industry officials have begun test drilling deep into the bedrock below southwestern Ontario to determine whether the small town of Teeswater, a community about 40 km from Lake Huron’s shore, could be the future home of Canada’s first spent nuclear fuel repository. Read the full story by the CBC.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-nuclear

How many walleyes are in the St. Louis River?

On: May 3, 2021

Crews from Wisconsin and Minnesota departments of natural resources have been busy capturing and tagging thousands of walleyes in the St. Louis River estuary this spring, and then recapturing as many as they can to estimate the walleye population. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-walleyes

Company begins replacing underwater cables damaged by anchor

On: May 3, 2021

The company whose underwater power cables were damaged by an anchor strike in Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac three years ago said Monday it was beginning to install replacements. Read the full story by the Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-cable

Looming showdown as Michigan governor orders Canadian pipeline shut down

On: May 3, 2021

The clash over Calgary-based Enbridge’s Line 5, which carries up to 540,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids across Michigan and under the Great Lakes each day, is placing stress on U.S.-Canada ties — and raising questions about how the close allies, which have expressed a desire to work together to fight climate change, can balance energy security with the transition to a clean-energy economy. Read the full story by the Washington Post.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-line5

Gavarone named to Great Lakes Commission

On: May 3, 2021

Ohio State Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, has been named to the Great Lakes Commission, an interstate commission of eight member states — Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — and two Canadian provinces. Read the full story by the Sandusky Register.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-gavarone

A matter of locks: Shipping advocates seek longer Great Lakes-Seaway season

On: May 3, 2021

Shipping advocates are calling for a harmonized schedule for the Great Lakes maritime transportation system — that the shipping system should be opened all at the same time and closed at the same time. Read the full story by Watertown Daily Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-shipping

Fact or Fiction: Do our Great Lakes have tides like the ocean?

On: May 3, 2021

The Great Lakes have tides that occur twice each day, but they are much smaller in scale and barely noticeable in comparison to ocean tides. Read the full story by WROC-TV – Rochester, NY.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210503-tides

Ottawa pledges $63.8M toward flood protection

On: April 26, 2021

The Canadian federal government is taking steps to map and identify vulnerable areas across the country, including along the Great Lakes, as a first step to protect homeowners and businesses from property damage when water sources their banks. The funding was announced in the 2021 federal budget handed down by the Liberal government last week in Ottawa. Read the full story by the Kingston Whig Standard.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-flood

Frustrated Canada presses White House to keep Great Lakes oil pipeline open

On: April 26, 2021

Canada is pushing on several diplomatic fronts against the U.S. state of Michigan’s efforts to close a cross-border oil pipeline, the second such dispute since Joe Biden became U.S. president in January, complicating the governments’ efforts to work together to lower carbon emissions. Read the full story by Reuters.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-oil

Famed Piping Plover Rose returns to Montrose Beach for third straight year, now has more room to roam

On: April 26, 2021

Rose, the female Great Lakes piping plover, was spotted at Chicago’s Montrose Beach Sunday, marking the third straight year the bird has come to the North Side beach during mating season. Their presence at the beach in 2019 marked the first time a pair of endangered piping plovers had chosen to nest in Chicago since 1955. Read the full story by the Block Club Chicago.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-piper

COMMENTARY: Heidelberg’s David Baker will have a lasting impact on Lake Erie

On: April 26, 2021

We lost one of the more influential Great Lakes scientists of recent years this month. David Baker was for years a staple of scientific conferences, especially in the western Lake Erie watershed, for his presentations of algae-forming phosphorus and nitrogen data collected by Heidelberg University’s renowned National Center for Water Quality Research, which he founded more than 50 years ago. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-baker

Report: Wisconsin Air Quality Is Improving, But Some Counties Along Lake Michigan Get Failing Grades

On: April 26, 2021

Most of Wisconsin has breathed cleaner air over the last several years, according to the American Lung Association. But, the group gave failing grades to six counties along Lake Michigan over smog pollution as part of its annual national report card on the state of air quality. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-air

No easy target for new contaminant, Duluth wastewater agency finds

On: April 26, 2021

As the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District works to better understand PFAS, a survey of its biggest wastewater users found that the chemicals are not in heavy use at those places. Read the full story by Duluth News Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-pfas-1

How COVID-19 is changing Lake Michigan beach cleanups

On: April 26, 2021

On Saturday, thousands of volunteers will kick off the Great Lakes beach cleanup season through the Adopt-A-Beach program. It will be the first full-fledged effort since COVID-19 took hold of the region last year — a pandemic that also prompted renewed interest in Michigan’s natural resources but curbed cleanups. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-cleanup

7 years after Flint water crisis started, pipe replacement nears end but other issues drag on

On: April 26, 2021

Seven years after the city’s water source was switched, triggering the Flint water crisis, the fallout continues to cast its pall. While the city expects to close out three major water infrastructure projects related to the water crisis, including the final phase of a pipe replacement program, this year, other reminders of the man-made emergency linger with no clear end in sight. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-flint

Smelt run draws netters to Duluth for tasty spring tradition

On: April 26, 2021

A warmer spring may have meant an earlier than usual spawning run for Lake Superior smelt. Read the full story by Duluth News Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-smelt

EPA awards Great Lakes grants to Central Michigan, Clarkson

On: April 26, 2021

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants to Central Michigan University and Clarkson University to continue monitoring coastal wetlands and fish contaminants throughout the Great Lakes basin.. Read the full story by the Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210426-epa

Michigan’s rural water systems confront generations of inadequate investment

On: April 19, 2021

In Michigan, rural town managers are balancing immediate needs for new water pipes and treatment works with the financial constraints of a resident population that is shrinking, poorer, and older than the rest of Michigan. New legislation approved in Washington could help by awarding additional water infrastructure grants to rural towns. At the same time, the state’s changing climate opens another level of concern and calculation. Read the full story by Michigan Radio/Circle of Blue.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210419-rural

New study traces mercury in St. Louis River fish back to its source

On: April 19, 2021

A new study has found that the primary reason St. Louis River estuary walleyes carry so much toxic mercury is because of decades-old legacy mercury in the sediment. Efforts to clean up that sediment may help lower the mercury levels in fish. The St. Louis River enters Lake Superior at the twin ports of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. Read the full story by Forum News Service.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210419-mercury

Proposal to bottle, sell water from well near Lake Superior highlights fears over water diversions

On: April 19, 2021

A northern Wisconsin couple planned to bottle and sell water from a well on their land near Lake Superior, but their proposal was shot down over concerns about whether it violated the intent of a landmark agreement that aims to prevent water diversions outside the Great Lakes basin. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210419-bottle

100 miles of lead pipes supply water to Buffalo. Could Biden’s plan fix that health risk?

On: April 19, 2021

Some 100 miles of lead service lines supply water to homes in Buffalo. That’s why environmentalists and health advocates are thrilled with one of the most ambitious proposals in President Biden’s sprawling $2 trillion infrastructure bill: a $45 billion promise to replace all the lead service lines in the country. Read the full story by the Buffalo News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210419-lead

Two lakeshore communities focus of shoreline erosion study

On: April 19, 2021

Two coastal communities in Southwest Michigan – South Haven and Chikaming Township – are part of a two-year Michigan State University study that will detail how erosion and changing weather patterns in the past several years affects Michigan’s shoreline communities. Read the full story by the South Haven Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210419-erosion

LNG-powered ship sighting on St. Lawrence Seaway signals a small wave of the future

On: April 19, 2021

The Sweden-flagged Ramelia was launched in 2019 and made its maiden voyage on the St. Lawrence Seaway this month. The liquid natural gas-powered vessel, a rarity on the Seaway, attracted the attention of ship watchers. Read the full story by Watertown Daily News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210419-lng