The Canadian government has invited stakeholders to apply for a new US$9.2M Ballast Water Innovation Programme (BWIP). Vessels need to use a ballast water management system to comply with the regulations and reduce the risk of introducing and spreading aquatic invasive species in Canada. Read the full story by Riviera Maritime Media.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230306-canada-ballastwater-regulations
Large paper corporations along the Fox River in Wisconsin dumped tons of polychlorinated biphenyls into the river in the 1950s, contaminating fish and making the water unsafe for people. Fifty years later the chemicals were still there. Paper Valley is the story of the fight to get the chemicals removed from the river. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230306-foxrivercleanup
Macomb County Public Works Commissioner and member of the Great Lakes Commission Candice Miller believes Michigan’s fresh water resources will become even more important in the future, as the world’s climate continues to change. Read the full story by the Macomb Daily.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-protectingmiswater
For years, region environmentalists have demanded that NIPSCO remove every last bit of coal ash from the Michigan City, Indiana generating station property. Now a potential settlement in a lawsuit filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could force NIPSCO to complete the “clean closure” the groups have been asking for. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-coalashrestrictions-cleanupefforts-epa
Plans for a redeveloped DL&W Terminal call for music and a public market. Could they also include cruise ships? That prospect will be considered when a consultant is chosen in the next couple of months to conduct a feasibility study. Read and listen to the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-buffalo-greatlakescruiseshipport
Scientists have long known rising temperatures favor growth of potentially harmful algal blooms, but a new study finds increasing evidence that they also form in cold and even ice-covered waters. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-harmfulalgalbloom-coldweather
A historic off-shore lighthouse near the Mackinac Bridge may host a one-of-a-kind summer camp next year that aims to teach teens about career opportunities in the trades while on location at the remote White Shoal Lighthouse, a rare Great Lakes crib light that sits 20 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-greatlakeslighthouse-summercamp-2024
The latest shipowners joining the growing number ready to explore methanol fueling are Canada’s Algoma Central Corporation and CSL Group. They announced a newbuild order for four methanol-ready Kamsarmax-class self-unloading vessels to replace the oldest vessels in their CSL International Pool. Read the full story by Marine Log.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-methanolready-oceanselfloaders
A stretch of Lake Huron from just east of the Mackinac Bridge to the Presque Isle Lighthouse could see gusts to 40 knots and waves as high as 11 feet, with the gale watch expected to stay in effect from Monday evening through Tuesday afternoon. Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-galewatch-greatlakes
To learn more about the erosion situation and how it’s changing, a team of researchers from the University of Windsor is studying the effects of lake ice on Lake Erie’s shores. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-erosion-shoresoflakeerie-southwestontario
The search for small balloons shot down recently by US and Canadian fighter jets over Alaska and Lake Huron has been called off, military commanders have said, days after balloon hobbyists in northern Illinois indicated that one of the stray unidentified flying objects could belong to their group. Read the full story by The Guardian.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-unidentifiedobject-lakehuron-searchends
The winter of 2022-2023 has been extraordinary with record warm temperatures in the eastern United States. Great Lakes ice coverage is about 30% below average for this time of year. Read the full story by WKBN-TV – Youngstown, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230220-greatlakes-icecoverage-recordlow
The U.S. military on Sunday shot down another unidentified object, this time over the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230213-us-unidentifiedobject-shotdown-greatlakes
American Queen Voyages has announced it is adding a port for the first time to the Upper Peninsula for lakes and oceans vessels. The Escanaba port will begin being used in May for select voyages that tour the Great Lakes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230213-escanaba-greatlakescruises-2023
Norfolk County, Ontario has an ambitious $290-million plan to build 100 kilometres of pipelines and pump fresh water from Lake Erie to its far-flung rural communities from a single treatment plant in Nanticoke. But first, the county needs to plug some leaks. Read the full story by the Hamilton Spectator.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230213-norfolkagingsystem-cleanwaterloss
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos invites the public to visit the DEC Bureau of Fisheries’ angler outreach programs at the upcoming Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo. The event runs from Feb. 16-19 at the Niagara Falls Conference and Event Center. The expo provides excellent opportunities for anglers to interact directly with the biologists who study and manage our Great Lakes and inland fisheries. Read the full story by the Niagara Frontier Publications.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230213-dec-greaterniagarafishingexpo
An expedited review of the binational regulation plan for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River has moved into its second phase. The International Joint Commission’s Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management committee is working on a review of the much-scrutinized Plan 2014, which is the basic regulation plan governing Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River outflows implemented in 2017. Read the full story by NNY360 News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230213-lakeontario-stlawrenceriver-regulationplan-phase2
West Creek, a 9-mile meandering tributary of the Cuyahoga River that drains a large portion of Parma and parts of several neighboring suburbs, has received a lot of attention from conservationists over the years. The nearly $20 million stormwater management project, the largest ever undertaken by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, is designed to enhance water quality, improve fish migration, and reduce erosion. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230213-cuyahogariver-tributarywestcreek
Water levels in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have been trending down for the past year or so. Less precipitation has led to the decrease. Read the full story by WSJM – St. Joseph, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230213-greatlakeswaterlevels
For years, lack of outdoor equity has been something the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been trying to find solutions for. The primary problems stem from the location of recreation facilities, lack of facilities, discomfort and lack of activity. By promoting and hosting free fishing days in Detroit, the DNR has seen a jump in interest and outdoor activity. Free fishing weekends happen twice a year where residents and non-residents are able to fish the Great Lakes and inland waterways without a license and without charge. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230213-outdoorequity-michigan
A couple in Ontario is suing over a beach house they say they’ve never been able to set foot in, alleging the vendor disclosed just three days before their deal closed that the building with “breathtaking million-dollar views” was unsafe for human habitation. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230213-ontario-home-swallowedbylakehuron
The old Union Fish Co. building in Erie, Pennsylvania’s Wolverine Park Marina will soon take on new life. Gannon University is seeking $1.5 million from Erie County to transform the old building into the Great Lakes Research and Education Center. The facility will be used to test water samples for micro-plastics and other pollutants currently found in Lake Erie. Read the full story by Erie News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-projectneptwne-lakeerie-waterquality
Commercial fishers in Ontario may soon be able to access more online services as part of what the province says is an effort to modernize licensing and reporting systems. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said this new process will allow for faster license renewals and easier harvest reporting. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-ontario-commercialfishing-movingonline
After several close calls among boaters sailing into Port Dalhousie, Ontario over the years, the solution was a simple as changing the color of the lights that mark the entrance to the harbor. White the lights installed at the north lighthouse on the east side of the harbor entrance made it difficult for sailors who may be unfamiliar with the area to tell with any certainty what side of that light they should navigate toward at night. Read the full story by the St. Catharines Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-newlighting-boatersafety-portdalhousie
A small earthquake rumbled through western New York early Monday, alarming people in a region unaccustomed to such shaking but apparently causing no significant damage. The U.S. Geological Survey preliminarily reported a 3.8 earthquake centered east of Buffalo at about 6:15 a.m. Read full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-earthquake-lakeerie
Built in River Rouge, Michigan, the vessel originally named Leon Fraser launched on February 28, 1942. The ship spent 43 years as an iron ore carrier under the ownership of Pittsburgh Steel Corporation, and after a brief stint with Spitzer Marine Limited, was sold to Inland Lakes Transportation in 1989, where it became a cement carrier. Read the full story by WBKB-TV Alpena.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-steamshipalpena
This year, about 5,000 workers are needed to make all areas of the island run smoothly. About 1,000 of those are typically jobs supported by the United States’ H-2B visa program, which allows international workers to come here for temporary employment. Read the full story by MLive.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-apply-jobs-mackinacisland
Shipwreck hunters are closing in on more than $20m in gold coins and a cache of rare whiskey that sank with the vessel in Lake Michigan during a storm more than 150 years ago. It is forbidden to recover artifacts from Great Lakes wrecks without a permit, and the Westmoreland is no exception. But now talks are underway to salvage her cargo. Read the full story by the Daily Mail.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-westmoreland-treasures
Wetlands improve water quality, provide habitat, increase biodiversity, trap carbon, and reduce flooding in the Great Lakes. Southern Ontario has lost more than 70 per cent of its wetlands and is under threat to lose more to population and developmental pressures. Read and listen to the full story by CityNews Kitchener.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-wetlands-southernontario
Biology researchers in Michigan found the best way to kill invasive New Zealand mudsnails from fishing and boating gear is to heavily spritz with common household cleaner Formula 409. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-newzealandmudsnail-formula409
More than 100 coal ash waste sites, many unregulated, sit just feet from the Great Lakes, raising concerns for nearby communities and the 30 million people who rely on the lakes for drinking water. Read the full story by Inside Climate News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230206-coalash-greatlakes-waterquality
Happy birthday Michigan! Whether you are all the way up north in Marquette or as south as Lambertville, Michiganders can all agree that Michigan has been aging with beauty and grace. From the Sand Dunes to Pictured Rocks, there are many ways to enjoy the beauty that Michigan has to offer. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-michigansbirthday
Students from St. Clair County, MI are learning about the environment by raising salmon in the classroom. The Michigan DNR’s Salmon in the Classroom program aims to teach students between third and 12th grade about the ecology in the Great Lakes ecosystems, invasive species, and other topics. Read the full story by The Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-stclaircountystudents-salmonintheclassroom
The last ship of Green Bay’s shipping season set sail on Wednesday. Dean Haen, director for the Port of Green Bay, says warmer temperatures extended the season which was one of the longest-lasting ones on record. Read the full story by WeAreGreenBay.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-greenbay-extendedshippingseason
It’s no mystery where most of the salts are coming from. Water softeners and fertilizers are sources of chloride, but the major contributor, are the salts spread on roads, parking lots, and sidewalks to keep the pavement free from ice. A little salt can cause a lot of harm to our waterways. The U.S. EPA recommends water quality standards for rivers and lakes to prevent death and damage to fish, mussels, insects, and other aquatic species. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-roadsalt-pollution-miwaters
The deadline is here for residents who are looking to give their input on Wolverine Worldwide’s updated plan to help clean-up a dangerous chemical in Rockford, MI. PFAS, the chemicals known as “forever chemicals” are man-made and have been linked to a number of health issues. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-publiccomment-wolverineworldwide-pfascleanup
DTE Energy must soon stop depositing a toxic waste product into surface water ponds at two Michigan coal-fired power plants because the facilities are not adequately protecting nearby groundwater, regulators say. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-dte-toxiccoalash-miplants
Winter spreading of manure is a practice that is under intense scrutiny because of the elevated risks for nutrient losses and its effect on water quality. The risk of runoff to surface water increases when applied on frozen or snow-covered ground. Read the full story by Environmental Defence Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-wintertimefarming-waterpollution
The pace is picking up with the development of the waterfront Science North project in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Organizers are closing in on their end dates in the schematic design phase of the project, which is expected to wrap up on March 31. Read the full story by the Chronicle Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-thunderbay-waterfront-sciencecenter
Great Lakes ice coverage is running way behind averages in the milder than normal winter weather. This early week analysis of the percent of each Great Lake with ice underscores how the milder than normal winter weather has impacted ice coverage. Read the full story by WGN-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-greatlakes-icecoverage
From Milwaukee, Mark Jones and his wife set off on a cruise around the Great Lakes, travelling north to Mackinac, where the tips of lakes Michigan and Huron merge. Read the full story by the Daily Mail.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230126-commentary-greatlakescruise
The EPA has not been active at Wurtsmith since 2014, when it ended participation in cleanup after the Department of Defense (DOD) stopped funding its involvement. The state has struggled to obtain compliance from the Air Force, which has pushed back strongly on EGLE’s oversight and enforcement attempts. The result has been years of poor communication, technical and legal disputes and Air Force refusal to accept responsibility for PFAS in many areas. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230111-epa-fortwursmith-pollutioncleanup
A proposed 18-kilometre pipeline from Oneida Nation of the Thames would connect to the same system that supplies treated Lake Huron Water to London and other municipalities. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230111-oneida-lakehuronwater
Experts have found that ice contains oil spills, making for an easier cleanup, but there’s a catch – it also makes it harder to detect. Read the full story by Iron Mountain Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230111-ice-oilspills-containment
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority released a study saying the economics don’t support putting wind turbines in the Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario. The Great Lakes Wind project, as proposed, doesn’t offer the same benefits to the electric grid as other offshore wind projects while relying on unproven technologies that call the project’s effectiveness into doubt. Read the full story by the Observer Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230111-statestudy-windturbines
The Lower Fox River basin covers four counties including Brown, Claumet, Outagamie and Winnebago. The clean-up on the Lower Fox River focused on polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs). Although the clean-up itself was completed in 2020, a final stage known as a state closure was only recently approved. Read the full story by the Wisconsin Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230111-lowerfoxriver-pcbcleanup
It is well known that birds are constantly shifting their migration patterns to adjust to many factors from coastlines to industrial and other constructed structures, but the Great Lakes have now been found to be another factor. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230111-greatlakes-birdmigrationpatterns
The damage from the Blizzard of 2022 is evident along many sections of Buffalo’s waterfront. Some experts think that more natural barriers, such as vegetation, should be used along the shoreline, versus hardened walls. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230111-protectinglakeerie-shoreline-storms
The city of Hamilton, Ontario, says it has uncovered another sewage leak that has been dumping waste into Lake Ontario for more than two decades. The revelation comes after the city reported in November that a leak discovered to be from 1996 had dumped 337 million liters of sewage into the Hamilton harbor in the 26 years it went undetected. Read the full story by the Toronto Sun.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230111-hamilton-sewageleak-lakeontario
Captains from across the Great Lakes area gathered in Traverse City, Michigan, for the annual Industry Days conference. The conference focuses on learning from each other and how to keep passengers on ferries, tour boats and other mid-sized boats safe while out on the water. Read the full story by WPBN – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230111-captains-greatlakes-traversecity
