Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-flint
In a letter to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Enbridge Energy stated that it will not stop operations on its Line 5 oil pipeline despite Gov. Whitmer’s November revocation of the pipeline’s 67-year-old easement and her May deadline for the line’s closure. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-enbridge
Michigan’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund has hundreds of millions of dollars available in funding to support Michigan municipalities seeking to upgrade and repair their wastewater infrastructure. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-cwsrf
The U.S. Coast Guard wants to replace one of its oldest cutters on the Great Lakes but delays in funding and congressional appropriations mean that a replacement boat may be several years away. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-coast-guard-cutter
The U.S. Justice Department announced charges against a Flint, Michigan-based oil processing company for dumping leachate into Flint’s sewer system in violation of the company’s discharge permits. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-usjd-flint
Akron Council has given initial approval of a deal to allow horizontal drilling and fracking under 475 acres of public land at the La Due Reservoir, which is upstream from the city’s main drinking water supply along the Cuyahoga River. Read the full story by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-akron
The Lake Erie Agriculture Demonstrating Sustainability (LEADS) initiative in Ontario announced $2.58 million in available funding for farmers to adopt environmental sustainability and water quality improvement practices in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watersheds. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-leads-initiative
After cancelling Great Lakes cruises in 2020 and 2021, Viking Cruise Lines is offering booking for 2022 cruise voyages from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Read the full story by Radio K102.5 Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-cruises
The new law provides support for local communities facing rising water levels, coastal erosion, and flooding that have put homes, property, and communities at risk, and caused millions of dollars in damages. Read the full story by DredgeWire.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-peters-bill
With three lake freighters in for maintenance work, this will be the busiest winter in years for the Port Weller dry docks, according to officials at Heddle Shipyards, which has operated the dry docks for the past three years. Read the full story by the St. Catharines Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-port-weller
The ship was originally used to launch and retrieve test torpedoes and targets before being decommissioned from the U.S. Navy in 1995. It was then transferred to the Naval Sea Cadet Corps and was renamed the United States Naval Sea Cadet Ship Grayfox in 1998 when it came to Port Huron. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-black-river
A bill has extended the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through 2026, a program which was previously set to end at the conclusion of the 2021 fiscal year. The bill will increase the program’s current funding level from $300 million to $375 million in the next fiscal year and increases funding by $25 million per year until it reaches $475 million in 2026. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-first-nation-water
The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation is expanding its water system to deliver clean drinking water to hundreds of residents who have been grappling for more than a decade with seven drinking water safety advisories for their previous water supply. Read the full story by The Canadian Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-first-nation-water
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has organized a pilot program to keep boating access sites plowed this winter at more than two dozen popular Upper Peninsula ice-fishing locations. Read the full story by the Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-winter-fishing-access
Microplastic particles, typically studied as aquatic pollutants, are also common in coastal dunes on Great Lakes’ shorelines, according to a new study. Read the full story by the Capital News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-microplastics
Mild temperatures this winter delayed the start of ice fishing season for much of northern Michigan, but hardening ice has anglers ready to break out their shanties and ice augers. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-ice-fishing-season
Point Pelee National Park on the shores of Lake Erie in Ontario is closed for two weeks for an annual white-tailed deer cull with Indigenous partners to control the hyperabundant species. Read the full story by the National Parks Traveler.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-point-pelee
When the city’s pools closed this spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Ontario resident took to Lake Ontario to swim — and he hasn’t stopped during the winter months. Read the full story by the Toronto Sun.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-lake-ontario-swimmer
A company that owns the Au Train Hydroelectric dam in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula recently released a statement about why it is attempting to transfer ownership to state jurisdiction and what can be expected with that transfer. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Au Train, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-dam-license
Outdoorspeople have a lot to hope for in 2021 including the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine and plans that are moving forward for Great Lakes fisheries management. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-outdoors-in-2021
The Toronto Zoo has teamed up with the Coastal Centre and Green Goderich to provide a free educational webinar on aquatic species at risk in the Great Lakes on Monday, January 18. Read the full story by the Blackburn News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-great-lakes-webinar
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has signed an agreement with the State of Illinois to begin early work on an $858 million project to prevent the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-asian-carp-agreement
The increased popularity of winter angling in the past decade or more is placing unprecedented pressure on some of Minnesota’s most productive walleye lakes, among them Upper Red, Lake of the Woods and Mille Lacs. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-winter-angling
Wisconsin’s longest-running bald eagle watching extravaganza is going virtual for 2021, with programming available throughout January and February. Read the full story by Wausau Pilot & Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-eagle-watching
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in northern Michigan is seeking public input on a restoration project for Sand Point. Read the full story by WJMN-TV – Munising, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-restoration-project
As the shipping season on the Welland Canal that connects lakes Ontario and Erie winds down, the icebreaking season kicks off on the Great Lakes, says the Canadian Coast Guard. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-icebreaking
The USACE selected Camp Perry on the shores of Lake Erie as a test site for a project which focuses on locating and mapping old military munitions – including some that could still be live. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-lake-erie-munitions-study
The federal appropriations bill for the 2021 fiscal year, signed into law this week, included $26.5 million to test for lead in schools and child care centers, a nod to the legacy of the Flint water crisis, which lifted the issue of lead in drinking water into the national spotlight. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-lead-in-schools
Among the most talked about proposals in New York State’s Trout Stream Management Plan is the creation of a statewide, catch-and-release, artificial-lures-only trout fishing season from Oct. 16 to March 31. Read the full story by New York Upstate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-ny-trout-fishing
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources calls winter the “unsung hero of seasons,” and encourages people to try out winter camping at select state parks and recreation areas. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-winter-camping
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday signed into law a bill to put in place a structure to monitor and coordinate various programs designed to fight toxic algal growth in Lake Erie and problems in other Ohio waters. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-lake-erie-bill
Residents from Peshtigo, Wisconsin, have reached a $17.5 million settlement with Tyco Fire products and two other companies over widespread PFAS contamination to compensate residents to exposure to PFAS stemming from the use of firefighting foam in the area. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-peshtigo
The Canadian Coast Guard’s annual icebreaking season on the Great Lakes, which provides assistance to the shipping industry, is underway. Working in partnership with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) District 9, the Canadian Coast Guard has two icebreakers assigned to the Great Lakes for the entire winter season. Read the full story by Marine Log.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-ccg
An Ohio Department of Natural Resources program encourages farmers to take cropland out of production and establish conservation practices by offering farmers payments of $2,000 per acre for their actions. Read the full story by The Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-crep
For decades, researchers have been trying to bring back the arctic grayling to Michigan without success. Now, more than 50 collaborators think bringing back the arctic grayling has a shot at success. Read the full story by WUOM – Ann Arbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-first-nation-water
The 378-passenger ship is scheduled to debut in early 2022 and will spend its maiden season sailing itineraries to Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes region. The ship will be followed by a sister, Viking Polaris, which will debut in summer 2022 and will offer voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic. Read the full story by Cruise Critic.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-cruise
The 2020 Duluth-Superior grain shipping season ended with the saltie Federal Oshima departing on Dec. 18 after loading at Duluth’s Riverland Ag facility. Its cargo included 26,070 short tons of North American spring wheat bound for Italy. Read the full story by Progressive Farmer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-duluth-harbor
The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority reported the water levels in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair remain will remain above average through January, and continue to cause flooding, erosion, and shoreline damage. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-le-water-levels
All five of the Great Lakes closed out 2020 at lower levels than they were a year ago. But according to new projections from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the upper lakes are still expected to remain high in 2021. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-lakemichigan-levels
The Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Committee (SPC) in Ontario released a video that highlights how marine industries in Goderich, Ontario, help to protect the Great Lakes drinking water source in Goderich. Read the full story by the Goderich Signal-Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-arctic-grayling
For decades, researchers have been trying to bring back the arctic grayling to Michigan without success. Now, more than 50 collaborators think bringing back the arctic grayling has a shot at success. Read the full story by WUOM – Ann Arbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-arctic-grayling
Ohio Sea Grant, The Ohio State University and The University of Toledo are requesting pre-proposals for one- to two-year research projects from Ohio colleges and universities as part of the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative. Read the full story by The Bryan Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-algal-bloom-research
A northern Michigan Native American community is refusing to assist Enbridge on a cultural resource survey of the Straits of Mackinac. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-michigan-tribe
The Adopt-A-Nest Osprey Monitoring Program enables citizen scientist volunteers to monitor osprey nests in their area. This marked the third phase of the osprey reintroduction program in Michigan. Read the full story by The News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-osprey
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act has been signed into law, delivering a “major increase” in funding for the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Niagara Frontier Publications.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-glri
Generous donors are helping the Lake Superior Research Institute and the University of Wisconsin Superior inch closer to making a floating classroom a reality. Read the full story by KQDS-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-floating-classroom
The endangered piping plovers have chosen a sliver of Montrose Beach as their yearly nesting ground. The space should be added to the nearby dunes natural area, conservationists say. Read the full story by Block Club Chicago.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-piping-plovers
The few commercial fishing businesses that remain in Michigan are suing the state’s Department of Natural Resources over changes to industry rules, stating that the new provisions will make commercial fishing all but impossible. Read the full story by WKAR – East Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-commercial-fishing
The federal government built lighthouses to protect life and property at risk on stormy seas and their survival requires urgent congressional action. Read the full story by the Kenosha News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-lighthouses
All the Great Lakes saw water levels drop in 2020. Lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior all saw the water level drop 6″ during the year, Lake Erie fell one inch, but the biggest drop was on Lake Ontario, with a year-to-year drop of 14″. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-water-level
