Attorney General Dana Nessel and Enbridge Energy have reached a deal to implement further safety measures for vessels operating near the Line 5 oil pipeline in the Mackinaw Straits. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-climate-change-michigan
New research on invasive sea lamprey and lake trout populations revealed that sea lamprey occasionally change their preferred fish host species depending on the abundance of lake trout in the lake. This finding will support efforts to manage sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-lamprey-prey
As Chicago grew during the 20th century, many of the wetlands around the city were drained and built over. New maps tracking wetland loss over the last century will help conservationists and developers plan projects that have lower impact on remaining wetlands. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-chicago-wetlands
New figures show shipments of Canadian grain through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway are up 20 percent this year, bolstering the Ontario port and shipping industry that has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by Yorkton This Week.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-gl-shipping
In Illinois, workers from the Shedd Aquarium and Cook County Forest Preserve District are searching for and tagging more than 100 freshwater mussels in Lake Michigan tributaries. A group of species researchers say these mussels are among the most endangered in the world. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202009245-mussels
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order committing the state to carbon neutrality by 2050 was applauded as an important first step in addressing climate change, but a coalition of Michigan environmental justice advocates say it doesn’t move the state fast enough to address the climate crisis. Read the full story by the Energy News Network.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-emissions-reductions
A Marinette manufacturer of firefighting foam has reported that 94% of wells near farm fields in northeastern Wisconsin that it sampled had levels of PFAS chemicals below the federal threshold for harming to human health. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-tyco-pfas
An Ohio contractor has been awarded a $111 million contract to complete phase two of a massive, multiyear project to build a new lock at the Soo Locks. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-soo-locks
Canada has long history of shipping and shipwrecks in the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. However, shipwrecks receive little attention by federal government officials and citizens despite their value in understanding Canadian history. Read the full story by the Ottawa Citizen.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-ontario-shipwrecks
Water levels have always fluctuated on the Great Lakes, but the extreme seesawing seen in recent years is unprecedented and likely due to climate change. Researchers are warning people living along the shoreline to expect high water levels for years to come. Read the full story by Physics Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-lake-levels
A recently eroded bike path along Lake Michigan could cost up to $10 million to repair, according to a study. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-north-mi-biketrail
Maitland Conversation is encouraging property owners along Lake Huron to prepare for hazardous waves and erosion as high-water levels continue through fall and winter. Read the full story by the Goderich Signal Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200925-shoreline-damage
Citing a “dangerous reality” created by global climate change, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order aimed at making the state’s economy completely carbon neutral by 2050. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-climate-change-michigan
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced that a wholesale fish dealer in Platteville, WI is facing state charges for illegally selling species of highly invasive, destructive Asian carp. Read the full story by Wisconsin Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-wisconsin-carp
The Pine River runs through five mid-Michigan counties, including Gratiot County, which is home to 27 concentrated animal feeding operations, the third highest of any county in Michigan, and has been impacted from chemical pollutants from other industrial sources. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-michigan-pollution
Michigan lawmakers are exploring a new task force aimed at combating flooding and soil erosion, a problem that Michigan has been experiencing most recently with Great Lakes water levels hitting record heights this past spring and summer. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-michigan-erosion
Ontario’s controversial new fall hunt for the double-crested cormorant has pitted outdoors’ and sportsmen’s groups against naturalist and birding organizations. Following public consultation, the province approved a shorter cormorant hunting season from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31, and reduced the limit on cormorants that can be taken by a hunter to 15 per day. Read the full story by Owen Sound Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-ontario-cormorant
The Ohio House on passed a bill blocking Cuyahoga County and other local governments from banning plastic bags and other single-user containers, sending the measure to Gov. Mike DeWine; bill opponents say the ban will prevent local governments from addressing pollution, particularly in Lake Erie. Read the full story by cleveland.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-ohio-plastic
Testing of private residential wells near the Grand Ledge Army Support Facility in Michigan did not detect PFOS or PFOA, among the most common varieties of PFAS chemicals, according to the Michigan National Guard. Read the full story by Lansing State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-pfas-michigan
Only 17 breeding pairs existed when the Great Lakes Recovery Program launched in 1986. Currently sixty-four piping plover pairs breed along all five Great Lakes, with a goal of 150 breeding pairs which would allow for the delisting of the piping plover from its federally endangered listing. Read the full story by Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-piping-plover
Officials have said the coronavirus pandemic and resulting closures presented visitors with more opportunity — and little else to do — to go to the beach this summer. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200924-covid-beaches
The National Museum of the Great Lakes is hosting its biggest fundraiser of the year this Saturday. The event will feature all kinds of amazing auction items — like a ride onboard the boat that delivers mail to sailors on the Great Lakes — plus the Luck of the Lakes raffle where you can win a freighter ride. Read the full story by WTVG-TV- Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200923-museum
Put on your rubber boots and grab your bug net because a socially distanced Thames River scavenger hunt is about to occur. The event offers Southwestern Ontarians the chance to learn about the Thames River while completing challenges and workshops, with prizes on the line. Read the full story by The London Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200923-Thames
In New York, a Jefferson County based group is calling on the St. Lawrence Seaway to be flexible with the end of the shipping season this year. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200923-shipping
The city of Algoma, Wisconsin, is digging up land by Crescent Beach and the Lake Michigan shore to improve the health of the beach and the lake. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200923-runoff-ponds
The COVID relief package passed by Congress in March, specifically set aside $300 million to bolster the struggling fishing industry, which accounts for $7 billion annually in the Great Lakes. But when it came time to distribute that funding, most of the Great Lakes states were left out altogether. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200923-fisheries
A report by the International Joint Commission’s science advisory board report shows that the Great Lakes are victims of multiple stressors that interact with each other in different ways. Read the full story by WROC-TV- Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200923-stressed-lakes
Great Lakes steel production dipped by 3,000 tons last week and remains depressed by more than a fifth 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/20200923-steel
In Wisconsin’s first-ever invasive carp case, a wholesale fish dealer is facing state charges for allegedly illegally selling Asian carp, the state’s most highly destructive and prominent invasive species. Read the full story by WMTV-TV- Platteville, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200923-illegal-fish
On a September day at an airline hanger in Freeland, Michigan, President Donald Trump trumpeted himself as a benefactor of the Great Lakes. But his critics say actions speak louder than words, and when it comes to actions, Trump’s administration has been focused on weakening environmental programs that help the Great Lakes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200923-trump
In simple terms we think of a cleanup as removal of something that, left unattended, will become a nuisance or a problem. But cleanup of toxic sites, especially in water, is not that simple. Read the full story by GreatLakesNow.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-toxic-cleanup
In 2020, the Great Lakes cruising industry took a blow at the beginning of the pandemic when Canada closed its port visits. And while the loss of income forced some of the companies to close for good, the ones that remain already look ahead to next year. Read the full story by WZZM-TV-Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-great-lakes-cruises
Clayton, New York-based organization Save the River Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper sent a letter to both the Department of Transportation and Great Lakes Seaway Management Corporation addressing high water levels for the upcoming 2021 season. Read the full story by WWTI-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-save-the-river
The Alliance for the Great Lakes is trying to reduce the amount of plastic debris found in the Great Lakes with annual Adopt-A-Beach events along the coasts of the Great Lakes as part of the International Coastal Cleanup, when people all over the world take time to clean debris from their shores. This year’s events are on Saturday. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-cleanup-days
Michigan Governor Whitmer says September 21-27 is Pollution Prevention Week. Whitmer says this time is used to reaffirm Michiganders’ commitments to protecting the state’s environment and natural resources. Read the full story by WEYI-TV- Saginaw, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-michigan-pollution-week
The company that owns the Palisades nuclear plant in Covert, Michigan is asking federal officials to approve its plan to fix “indications of cracking” on components used to generate power at the plant. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-palisades-nuclear
City Council recently passed a resolution approving a petition for the creation of a Shoreline Special Improvement District and for the levy of special assessments for shoreline improvement projects in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio. Read the full story by the News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-ohio-erosion
While several bans and policies have offered some protection, the same chemicals threatening birds 60 years ago continue to accumulate in their bodies—and new chemical threats are adding to their toxic burdens, according to two new studies. Read the full story by Environmental Health News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-pollution-birds
It will cost nearly $31 million to repair and fortify the City of Hamilton, Ontario’s waterfront trails against rising lake levels, and the city will start by spending $17 million on part of the Hamilton Harbour shoreline. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-hamilton-shoreline
The Ohio State University will receive $74,600 in funding from the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program. These funds will be used to incentivize collaborator participation and rent equipment needed to compost solid manure in Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District. Read the full story by the Sentinel-Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200922-osu-funding
The Great Lakes are getting a health boost, thanks to $7.47 million in funding from the Ontario government. The funding will be used to support projects that address environmental challenges such as increased levels of pollutants, excess nutrients, and rising levels of invasive species. Read the full story by Soo Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-great-lakes-funding
Applications are now being accepted for the recently expanded Erie Access Improvement Grant Program for entities that are interested in acquiring land or other property rights, developing or improving public access sites, or carrying out other projects that benefit public fishing in the Lake Erie watershed. Read the full story by WJET-TV – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-erie-grants
Water levels on Lake St. Lawrence will increase temporarily the second weekend of October to assist boaters with removing their craft for the season. Read the full story by Seaway News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-water-level-rise
After more than 10 years of work, a revitalization plan for the St. Lawrence River Watershed led by a multi-agency initiative is nearing completion. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-watershed-revitalization
The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority in southern Michigan issued a flood watch last Friday for Lake Huron, further slowing this year’s planned shoreline restoration work. Read the full story by Blackburn News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-shoreline-work
Wisconsin Rep. John Nygren is criticizing the state Department of Natural Resources for not requesting more money to address the growing problem of PFAS contamination. Read the full story by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-pfas-cleanup-dollars
The Bluffs Condominium Association in Frankfort, Michigan, applied for and then quickly withdrew their request for a stone seawall along Lake Michigan after the Northern Michigan beach town banded together against the installation. Read the full story by WWUP-TV – Frankfort, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-seawall
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says it counted more than 1,000 wolves this winter, a 13% increase from the winter of 2018 to 2019. Read the full story by the Superior Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-wolf-population
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will be providing options statewide for testing of white-tailed deer for chronic wasting disease this deer season. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-cwd-testing
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is asking the City of Ludington to figure out a different way to move water out of the splash pad after it learned that the water was being discharged directly into Pere Marquette Lake. Read the full story by the Ludington Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200921-water-discharge
