U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler visited two Michigan cities to announce the distribution of utility grant funds that will help replace lead water pipes of the type that contributed to tap water poisoning in Flint. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-utility-grants
A Michigan state commission considering a permit for a controversial tunnel project to house a new section of the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac will not look at the potential impacts the proposed project could have on climate change. Read the full story by the MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-climate-impacts-line-5
The Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed a lawsuit against a Washtenaw County landfill over environmental violations related to air quality issues. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-landfill
Michigan is lacking statewide septic system rules that would help protect our precious water resources from aging and failing home sewage systems that are prevalent in communities across Michigan. Read the full story by Iron Mountain Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-septic-rules
Wisconsin’s air quality has improved over the last 15 years, according to a report by state environmental officials. Read the full story by Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-air-quality
The Michigan Public Service Commission has some authority over Enbridge’s plans to build an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the channel that connects two of the Great Lakes and can evaluate the need for the project and whether it would be designed, constructed and operated safely, a state administrative law judge ruled last week. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-pipeline-tunnel
Researchers and indigenous activists in Michigan found numerous patterns of evenly-spaced stones near Line 5 under the Straits of Mackinaw that are thought to be man-made patterns potentially dating back 10,000 years. This potential archaeological discovery may halt the construction of an underground tunnel for Line 5. Read the full story by the Wall Street Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201023-archaeology
The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has invested more than $1.2 billion in receipts from oil and gas extraction into conservation of Michigan’s natural resources and outdoor recreation opportunities in Michigan. Read the full story by Upper Michigan’s Source.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201023-mi-nrtf
An $18.3 million payout to current and former Crestwood residents who alleged the village’s longtime use of well water contaminated with a known carcinogen caused them health issues is in doubt after a recent Illinois Appellate Court ruling. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201023-crestwood
A group in Chicago is advocating for a different solution to slowing the spread of invasive carp into the Great Lakes: eating the fish. Read the full story by WTTN–TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201023-eat-the-carp
A historic 400-ton pavilion in Orchard Beach State Park in Manistee, Michigan, will be moved a quarter mile away from an eroding bluff high above Lake Michigan. The pavilion was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Read the full story by WZZM–TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201023-orchard-state-park
The village of Ephraim, Wisconsin, is exploring ways to avoid further damage to their waterfront as Lake Michigan remains several feet above its average levels and continues to impact the shoreline. Read the full story by the Door County Pulse.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201023-ephraim
Emmet County and other local governments in northern Michigan are participating in a pilot program that may help provide resources and training to Michigan communities facing coastal erosion issues. The initiative is led by the Michigan Association of Planners and helps communities in the state draft long-term plans for maintaining coastline resiliency. Read the full story by the Petoskey News-Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201023-coastal-resilience
State environmental regulators are investigating whether some residents in East Bay Township in northern Michigan have been using drinking water contaminated with PFAS. Read the full story by The Association Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201023-pfas
Ontario launched an initiative to collect and analyze the different types of plastic waste at a dozen marinas on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WDIO–TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201023-marina-trash-cleanup
The public comment period is over for the proposed Line 5 pipeline tunnel below the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan. Read the full story by WLNS-TV- Lansing, MI
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-line-5
A Grand Traverse County, Michigan neighborhood is being notified that drinking wells may be contaminated by PFAS. Read the full story by UpNorthLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-traverse-pfas
Michigan is not doing well in caring for its beaches, according to a recently released report. The state was given a ‘D’ in the Surfrider Foundation’s annual State of the Beach report, which issues letter grades to beaches across the U.S. Read the full story by Patch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-michigan-beaches
After five years of requests to the Minnesota Legislature, the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District has received $6.75 million that will allow the facility to take the next major step on its long-term path toward energy self-sufficiency. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-sewage-energy
In more than half of the states affected by coastal flooding, people who purchase homes receive information about flood risk. What’s more, many homeowners in the most flood-prone areas are required to purchase flood insurance, which means mortgage lenders inform them of their flood risk. That’s in stark contrast with tenants: The vast majority of renters are not entitled to any information about flood dangers. Read the full story by Capital Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-renters-flooding
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District issued a public advisory for Edgewater Beach because of a sewage overflow into Lake Erie that occurred as a result of Wednesday morning’s rainfall. Read the full story by WOIO-TV-Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-sewage-erie
Any long-term and effective solution to improving the health of Ohio’s waters, and reducing the extent and severity of future HABs, must incorporate the strategic protection and restoration of wetlands and floodplains surrounding our streams, rivers, and lakes. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-protect-nature
Daniel Gildea, a scuba diving hobbyist, has discovered a centuries-old ship in the Henderson Bay area of Lake Ontario. Read and view the full story by WWNY-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-Ontario-ship
Grain shipments have been a bright spot in a tough year for shipping on the Great Lakes, to ports such as the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor and the Port of Chicago. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-grain-shipment
The State of Michigan should adapt state-wide rules that require septic system inspections before a home can be sold. It’s the kind of move that helps protect our precious water resources from aging and failing home sewage systems that are prevalent in communities across Michigan. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201022-septic-rules
Great Lakes steel production rose by 19,000 tons last week but remains depressed by more than 19% so far this year, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-steel-production
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and former Governors Rick Snyder, Jennifer Granholm, John Engler, and Jim Blanchard discuss Proposal 1 and its impact on Michigan’s natural resources. Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-michigan-governors
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced changes aimed at benefiting the fishing experience in the state. The new pilot program, as part of the Reimagine the Canals initiative, uses water from the Erie Canal to enhance fishing opportunities in Western New York. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV-Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-erie-canal
Endless beaches, the famous dune climb, and breathtaking views of Lake Michigan are just a snippet of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Tuesday, October 21st officially marks the lakeshore’s 50th anniversary. Read the full story by 9 & 10 News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-sleeping-bear
Holland Township is teaming up with the Michigan DNR to bring more safety measures to Holland State Park. The plan is to bring in a gate to limit public access to the pier during dangerous weather conditions and the park’s off season. Read the full story by WZZM-TV-Holland, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-holland-state-park
A new study conducted by researchers from the University at Buffalo says pollutants that haven’t been used in years or even decades are being discovered in bird breeding grounds in the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV-Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-pollutants-birds
A dam restoration project aimed at keeping sea lamprey from moving upstream and wreaking havoc in the wider watershed of Lake Michigan is scheduled to break ground on Saturday, Oct. 24. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-invasive-species
Great Lakes water levels have been rising in the past few months, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, and that raises concerns about the impacts that can occur along the shore, such as coastal flooding and erosion. Read the full story by Capital News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-michigan-huron
Meteorologist James Gilbert and the President of the Great Lakes Coalition, Ron Wilson, discussed lake levels in late September 2020. Read the full story by WROC-TV-Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-water-levels
The results of a multi-year assessment found that conditions in the inner-bay were suitable for restoration, and identified the Coreyon Reef as a priority restoration site. With financial support from the Environmental Protection Agency and Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, the collaborative reef restoration team began moving forward with the design, permitting, construction, and restoration. Read the full story by Marine Technology News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201020-reef-restoration
A proposed ban on some single-use plastics should serve as a wake-up call to Canadians concerned about the potential harms everyday items may pose, say experts who expect the move will spur research into settling ongoing questions about whether and how microplastic affects human health. Read the full story by the Chronicle Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201020-micro-plastics
On this fall’s ballot for Michigan, Proposal 1 enshrines in the state constitution a long-term funding source that protects our clean water sources, wildlife habitats, and beloved state parks, for generations to come — without a dime of taxpayer money. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201020-michigan-fund-proposal
The 80-year-old structure offers spectacular views of the big lake from atop a crumbling bluff at Orchard Beach State Park in Michigan’s Manistee Township. The pavilion will be moved to the park’s day-use area, which is a safer location that will also provide better access – although it’s view of Lake Michigan won’t be quite as impressive. Read the full story by MLive.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201020-michigan-erosion
The good news is that Lake Superior’s last surviving wild caribou appear to be thriving on their new island homes on Ontario’s Slate Islands, though hope is dwindling that any caribou remain on the Ontario mainland of Lake Superior’s North Shore, with an aerial survey last winter finding no caribou, not even any tracks. Read the full story by Brainerd Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201020-wildlife-caribou
Wisconsin power plants would no longer have to further reduce emissions as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to change regulations for air pollution that crosses state lines. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201020-wisconsin-air-emissions
Michigan’s Invasive Species Grant Program is now accepting proposals for the 2020 funding cycle through a joint effort of the Michigan departments of Natural Resources; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Agriculture and Rural Development as a part of a statewide initiative launched in 2014 to help prevent, detect and control invasive species in Michigan. Read the full story by WLUC-TV-Negaunee, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201020-invasive-species-grants-michigan
Under New York State’s goal of 70 percent renewable energy consumption by 2030 under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the New York State Public Service Commission directed the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to conduct a feasibility study regarding “stakeholder outreach, analysis, and policy options” for offshore wind facilities in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by JD Supra.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201020-great-lakes-wind-energy
Baby wipes clogged the wastewater system in Beulah in northern Michigan, causing a backup of 10,000 gallons of human waste from a manhole. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201020-wipes-waste
A group of tribal water protectors and Michigan environmentalists plan to submit comments to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, urging the state to consider new archaeological discoveries near the Line 5 pipeline before granting permits to Canadian oil company Enbridge. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201019-line-5
Michigan State University was awarded a $100,000 grant by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to study erosion along Great Lakes shorelines and what happens to sand after it erodes. Read the full story by WLNS – East Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201019-msu-grant
Hope is dwindling that any caribou remain on the Ontario mainland of Lake Superior’s North Shore, with an aerial survey last winter finding no caribou, not even any tracks. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201019-caribou
Once a week, Mike McKay, a professor and executive director at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor, collects samples from several Ontario water treatment plants to test for COVID-19. Read the full story by The Kingston Whig-Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201019-coronavirus-sewage
The Ohio State University received nearly $75,000 from the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program to test new methods to reduce phosphorous runoff into Lake Erie. Read the full story by WILO-TV – Lima, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201019-osu-grant
Every year in September and October, thousands of salmon swim upstream through Ontario’s waterways to spawn. With COVID-19 limiting many fall activities, more people are getting out to witness the phenomenon. Read the full story by Daily Hive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201019-salmon-migrating
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources continues to help boost fish populations through stocking and is fulfilling all remaining 2020 stocking quotas for Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Seehafer News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201019-fish-stocking
