The union local in Chicago representing Environmental Protection Agency employees across the Midwest is asking President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency and take major unprecedented actions to slow global warming. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211029-climate-emergency
Tough questions are being raised in Benton Harbor, a southwest Michigan city in the midst of a Flint-like water crisis caused by high lead levels in the municipal supply. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211029-benton-harbor
The Superior Watershed Partnership received a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant in the amount of $216,395 from the USDA Forest Service to create the Northern Tribal and Community Green Infrastructure Collaborative in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Read the full story by Radio Results Network.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211029-planting-trees
A brownout at a pumping station on Detroit’s east side during heavy July rainfall “played a large role” in basement backups reported upstream, a consultant investigation into the summer flooding concluded in a presentation to the Great Lakes Water Authority board this week. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211029-power-issues
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, announced $1,777,440 in federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support five Great Lakes harmful algal bloom research projects. Read the full story by the Port Clinton News Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211029-habs-research
Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer called on state officials Wednesday to drastically reduce the purchase of products containing a toxic class of chemicals known as PFAS. Read the full story by the Detroit Metro Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211029-alternative-chemicals
National declines of hunting license sales and the need for additional wildlife conservation funding have prompted proposals to fill the fiscal gap, including one that’s stalled in Congress despite bipartisan support. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hunting license sales have dropped in many states, including those in the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by the Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211029-habitat-funding
More than $2.5 million was awarded to 19 projects that ranged from green infrastructure to helping spread good land management practices to reduce the amount of contaminants and excess nutrients, such as phosphorous, entering the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211029-ontario-farms
Overall, the percentage of Michigan children with elevated blood lead levels has been falling for more than two decades, from nearly a third of children tested in 2000 to just 2.5 percent of children tested in 2020. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211029-lead-levels
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) recently discovered three 1800′s-era shipwrecks in Lake Superior in the vicinity of Grand Marais, Michigan. A number of additional shipwrecks have also been located and await positive identification. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-shipwrecks
Canada’s plan to store spent nuclear fuel 1,600 feet below ground in the Great Lakes basin, some 30 miles from Lake Huron, is continuing to ruffle feathers throughout the Great Lake states. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-nuclear-waste
With hundreds of ships stacked up off ports along the east and west coasts, ports around the Great Lakes can’t help alleviate the current supply chain crisis. Read the full story by WBAY-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-shipping
Heavier rainfall and more frequent droughts are now causing extreme swings in the water levels of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, wreaking havoc on the city and prompting urgent action to find a fix. Read the full story by CNBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-chicago
An invasive species, water lettuce, has recently been discovered in Macomb Township, Michigan. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-invasives
According to Joe Cappel, the Vice President of Business Development for the Port of Toledo, for Toledo to consider handling cargo containers there would have to be a multi-million dollar investment to create a specific space at the port and there would also have to be enough interest from shippers and local importers to use the service. Read and view the full story by WGTV-TV Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-ports
An incident in which an unmapped watermain was struck during construction work, resulting in the death of thousands of brown trout at a hatchery in Kincardine, Ontario, is being seen as a hiccup in what has been an otherwise successful stocking program. Read the full story by The Owen Sound Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-hatchery
The Coastal Lakeshore Economy and Resiliency (CLEAR) initiative, funded by the New York State Department of State, is holding its third and final workshop for Lake Ontario residents, property owners, business owners, and all interested parties. Read the full story by Oswego County Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-resiliency
Great Lakes water levels have fallen since record high values last year but under the right weather conditions, shoreline flooding is still a threat. Read the full story by WJRT-TV – Flint, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-flooding
Work will begin soon at South Hennepin Marsh in the Detroit River to reconstruct its protective island shoals, with the goal of enhancing the area’s fish and wildlife habitat. Read the full story by The News Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211027-restoration
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz will take a lead role in preserving and protecting the Great Lakes after being named vice chair of the Great Lakes Commission during the group’s annual meeting. Read the full story by the Herald Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-ice-glc
A recent study published in Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences measured the ice coverage of 60 lakes, and found that climate change has contributed to faster rates of ice loss. Scientist found that of those 60 lakes, Lake Superior was warming the fastest and has lost over 60 days of ice cover since 1857. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-ice-coverage
The newly launched Great Lakes FreshFishFinder.org highlights businesses where consumers can buy locally produced fish across the entire Great Lakes region. The site’s focal point is an interactive map that allows users to find a variety of fish products and offerings. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-great-lakes-fish
The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board said it has increased outflows through the Moses-Saunders Dam that will continue through mid-December. Read the full story by the Standard Freeholder.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-lake-ontario
Erie Hack, sponsored by the Cleveland Water Alliance and others, is a contest being held around Lake Erie to promote new ideas to address serious water issues in the region. Read more about the four innovative ideas that have made it into the contest’s semifinals. Read the full story the Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-erie-hack
PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam has contaminated waterways and private drinking wells in Wisconsin for decades. Between July and October, officials in nearby Eau Claire, Wisconsin shut down half its 16 municipal wells over PFAS contamination, and across the state PFAS have poisoned drinking water supplies, surface water in lakes and streams, air, soil and wildlife like deer and fish that are eaten by the state’s residents. Read the full story by The Guardian.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-pfas
The Port of Duluth-Superior announced last week it can now handle “significantly larger” volumes of containers arriving on international vessels because of expanded permissions from the Department of Homeland Security. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-duluth-port
Lake Michigan is experiencing record-breaking high water temperatures for late October. According to the National Weather Service in Chicago, these temperatures remain higher because of October’s weather being warmer than in previous years. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-lake-michigan
Expanded shipping, growing recreation and preparing for climate change are all areas that need increased focus among the Great Lakes. Officials must find ways to bolster the potential of those industries to meet the future. Read the full story The Morning Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-economic
A changing climate is altering Lake Superior in many ways including more frequent severe storms, warmer water temperatures, less ice coverage and an arrival of algal blooms. These changes are becoming a problem for us all. And, it’s time our elected officials start paying attention. Read the full story by The Capital Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211025-lake-superior
Michigan officials are working to iron out the details of a $2.5 billion spending plan focused on replacing lead water lines, improving the safety of dams and installing filtering systems in schools. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-water-plan
Northeast Wisconsin Water is launching a new watershed program to implement conservation practices that help improve water quality, including reducing sediment and runoff. Read the full story by WFRV-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-clean-waterways
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur presented her Great Lakes Authority Proposal, a plan for the nation’s largest pool of skilled and experienced production workers and the world’s largest supply of fresh water, at a field hearing of the House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth. Read the full story by The Morning Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-proposal
A recent report on blood lead levels in U.S. children highlights the urgent need for congressional action on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better House reconciliation package, both of which include funding for cities to remove lead water lines that threaten the health of Wisconsin’s children. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-lead
A film made by Michigan United Conservation Club and the National Wildlife Federation will focus on Michigan’s outdoor traditions and economy are at risk due to the impacts of a changing climate on the landscape. Read the full story by Midland Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-film
Nestle Waters North America dropped its permit for a massive water withdrawal expansion in Michigan late last month but still plans to withdraw smaller amounts from the area. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-nestle
Officials at the Duluth Seaway Port Authority announced Thursday morning that the city’s Clure Public Marine Terminal can now handle much larger volumes of international shipping containers coming by water. Duluth is now one of two ports able to receive this size of shipments on the Great lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway, the other being Cleveland, Ohio. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-ports
Michigan’s NotMISpecies webinar series, sharing current information about invasive species and what’s being done to address them returns with 10 new sessions focused on emerging threats, new research and technology, educational opportunities and “how-to” tips for managing invasives in your backyard. Read the full story by WGLQ – Escanaba, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-webinar
It is time for President Joe Biden to step up and support Michigan Governor Whitmer’s decision to decommission Line 5. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-line-5
Whitefish Bay, a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has restored its Lake Michigan shoreline nearly two years after a severe winter storm damaged the beach at Klode Park. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211022-beach-shoreline
The Biden administration is launching a broad strategy to regulate PFAS. Environmental Protection Agency Administer Michael Regan, said they are taking a series of actions to restrict PFAS from being released into the environment, accelerate cleanup of PFAS-contaminated sites such as military bases and increase investments in research to learn more about where PFAS are found and how their spread can be prevented. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-pfas-pollution
According to a recent study published in ScienceDirect, rising temperatures and drier weather due to climate change and increasing fuel loads could double the probability of wildfires occurring in the Great Lakes region by the end of the century. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-fire-climate
The operator of a Michigan oil pipeline temporarily shut down Line 5 this week after protesters posted a warning on social media that they planned to turn an emergency valve. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-line-5
There has been public push back against recent reports that the Quebec government may ban all oil and natural gas development, arguing that mandating an energy will produce rolling blackouts, energy poverty, higher food prices and environmental degradation. Meanwhile, proponents in the Quebec government are advocating for a “Just Transition” focused on sustainable development. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-fossil-fuel-climate
Michigan has been chosen as the site of a new Coast Guard National Center of Expertise that will study the impact of freshwater oil spills with the aim of improving effective emergency responses with offices in Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie and at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-oil-spill
In 2014, a harmful algal bloom overwhelmed the Toledo Water Intake Crib and caused a three-day undrinkable water crisis. This event showed that even in regions with resources as vast as the Great Lakes, water supplies are vulnerable to these kinds of man-made threats. Read the full story by Milwaukee Independent.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-water-quality
Ontario’s Environment Minister announced $2.58 million to pay for 19 new projects, focusing on keeping soil, and potential pollution from Ontario farms, from entering the province’s streams, rivers and lakes. Read the full story by CFPL-TV – London, ON.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-farm-runoff
Brown County Land Conservation has set aside 2022 budget funds to improve water quality and soil health working with farmers to adopt conservation practices. Read the full story by Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-pollution
Invasive zebra mussels have been found in Copake Lake, NY, during the most recent survey of the lake last month. Read the full story by Columbia-Greene Media.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-invasive-mussels
Citing “unsettling” revelations about the state of Michigan’s handling of Benton Harbor’s lead-in-water crisis, the leader of Senate Oversight Committee has asked Michigan environmental regulators to turn over a lengthy list of documents detailing their response. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211020-lead
A reported $35-million agricultural maritime export facility broke ground Friday, Oct. 15, on Jones Island in Milwaukee in what is the largest one-time investment in Port Milwaukee history since the 1950’s. Read the full story by WDJT – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211018-milwaukee
