Canadian energy company Enbridge is advocating for a new tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac for its Line 5 pipeline. Venture capitalist Ian Bund writes that the company’s safety-focused rhetoric is not what it seems and a spill would be catastrophic for Michigan. Read the full story by Bloomberg Law.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-Threat
Michigan City, Indiana officials said multiple circumstances factored into the decision to make Washington Park Beach a “swim-at-your-own-risk” area, issuing a news release to clear up “misunderstandings” surrounding the lack of lifeguards on the city’s shores. Read the full story by The Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-lifeguards
With record high Lake Michigan levels, in the Town of Clay Banks, in Door County, Wisconsin, some areas are seeing erosion among other damages and local leaders are asking the state to help with repair. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-erosion-michigan
Victory, which typically sails two ships in the Great Lakes during a six-month season, was scheduled to resume its itineraries in early July. Instead, the company announced this week that it wouldn’t sail this summer at all. Read the full story by Cleveland.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-cruise-greatlakes
Scientists at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory advanced autonomous sensing with the rollout of the Real-Time Coastal Observation Network (ReCON) in 2005, and in response to the 2014 Toledo, OH algal-bloom caused water crisis additional sensors have been deployed throughout the Great Lakes system provide real-time data about episodic events such as incursions of low-oxygen water into municipal water intakes. Read the full story by The Conversation.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-smart-lakes
Scientists with the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan, used advanced techniques to map underwater environments that helped scientists identify the depressions as sinkholes; continuing studies are occurring to explore the diverse microbial communities and other unique properties of these formations. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-huron-sinkholes
With record-breaking water levels for Lake Michigan and Huron being reported at 13.4 inches higher than last spring’s water level and nearly three inches higher than a record set in 1986, Escanaba and Gladstone, Michigan officials share how the situation has affected their communities. Read the full story by Daily Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-ontario-plastic
A team of Rochester Institute of Technology researchers are studying how microplastic materials end up in Lake Ontario and the types of effects they have on the environment. Read the full story by WHAM-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-ontario-plastic
Earlier this year, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee received a combined $3 million from the Canadian and U.S. governments to conduct an expedited review of the water management policy enforced by the International Joint Commission. Read the full story by NNY360.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-IJC-review
The H2Ohio initiative includes projects within the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio EPA, as well as efforts by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources focusing on wetlands; these projects help expand the permanent natural water-quality infrastructure to address nutrient pollution issues. Read the full story by Farm Progress.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-h2oh-wetlands
A Case Western Reserve University researcher has landed $700,000 in grants to try to remove excess nutrients from fertilizer and runoff that flows into Lake Erie and causes harmful algal blooms. Read the full story by Cleveland.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-erie-nutrients
Michigan will test soil sediments along the Tittabawassee River on Thursday following Midland County’s 500-year flood that some fear could have destroyed the work to remove toxic dioxins at a Superfund site there. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-superfund
Michigan officials last year — too quietly, some contend — expanded hunting and fishing restrictions near the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda after scientific studies showed excessive levels of PFAS in virtually every living creature tested from the area. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-pfas
The historic St. Helena Island Light Station in Northern Michigan, just west of the Mackinac Bridge, will receive repairs and restoration from the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association with the help of a $60,000 Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grant from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-lighthouse
With Chicago’s lakefront closed to recreation, wildlife has emerged in new ways. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-wildlife
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a daunting economic situation in the Niagara Falls region, one of the biggest and most important hubs for tourism in Canada. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-niagara
The development of the Burns Harbor steel plant in Indiana brought not only economic gain, but also spurred local conservation efforts leading to the creation of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 1966. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-steel
A coalition of government entities and advocates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is launching an ambitious project to remove contaminated sediment and then restore habitat, improve public access, and spur commercial and residential development. Read the full story by Milwaukee Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-swimmable
Scientists predict the harmful algal bloom in western Lake Erie this summer will be worse than in 2018, but not as severe as last year. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-bloom
Tourism officials don’t know what kind of summer awaits Pennsylvania’s Erie region tourism industry, which typically generates about $1.2 billion in visitor spending annually. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-tourism
Hopes for the future of renewable energy in Ohio have taken yet another hit, thanks to a decision by the Ohio Power Siting Board, which granted approval for a demonstration wind project in Lake Erie but imposed a condition that renders the project all but impossible. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-energy
In Minnesota, the Duluth City Council voted 7-1 Tuesday to approve a $10.1 million contract to fortify and rebuild the Canal Park portion of the Lakewalk, which was damaged by storms in 2017 and 2018. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-lakewalk
Once as many as nine types of ciscoes roamed the Great Lakes, playing a key role in the food web before the fish largely disappeared from the lower four Great Lakes in the mid-1900s. Reintroducing cisco to the Great Lakes could also strengthen the population of several other important fish species. Read the full story by the Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-foodweb
The mayor of Toledo, Ohio, has frequently stated his interest in protecting Lake Erie, however when it came time to pursue an appeal of a court ruling that invalidated a Toledo city charter change that would protect the lake, the administration quietly dropped the case. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-lake-Toledo
The City Council in Lakewood, Ohio, recently approved a resolution allowing a resident to undertake lakeshore protection measures in hopes of staving off coastal erosion of Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-Lakewood-residents
Memorial Day weekend in Chicago is typically the start of boating and beach season, but amid the coronavirus pandemic, this year looked quite a bit different. Read the full story by WGN-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-Chicago-drone
The federal government needs to assist the fishing industry in Ontario to transition and thrive in the post-COVID-19 marketplace by including Ontario-based fish processors in programs aimed at addressing the oversupply of commercial fisheries. Read the full story by the Manitoulin Expositor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-commercial-fishery
Lakes Michigan and Huron water levels have risen a little more than three inches over the past two weeks, meaning an additional 2.4 trillion gallons of water are now in the lakes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-lake-levels
At least three different proposed class action lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts on behalf of residents and business claiming losses that resulted from the Edenville Dam failure in Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-dam-failure
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking entries for the Detroit District’s 2020 photo contest, and are seeking amateur photos of Army Corps projects throughout the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WSJM – St. Joseph, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-Photo-Contest
If your building has been closed or only a few people have been using it, the water in the pipes should be flushed before you start up your business again to reduce the risk of bacterial and heavy metal contamination from stagnant water. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-flush-plumbing
Enbridge said Tuesday it had discovered four spots on the Line 5 oil pipeline in Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac where protective coating has worn away, leaving bare metal exposed. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-enbridge
The United States and Canada have invested over $22.8 billion over the last 35 years to restore Areas of Concern throughout the Great Lakes, according to a study published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research. The study found that the money has been well-spent with investments in cleanups helping revitalize communities with over a 3 to 1 return on investment. Read the full story by WLNS – TV – Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-Great-Lakes-Investments
May typically marks the start of the season for cruise vacations on the Great Lakes, a burgeoning segment of the market that was shaping up to have a banner year in 2020, but the season is being threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-cruise-season
The devastating flooding in Midland is causing concern about potential environmental contamination. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-midland-flood
The U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation announced five U.S. ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System have been awarded the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award, including the Port of Oswego, for increasing international cargo tonnage during the 2019 navigation season. Read the full story by the Oswego County News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-port-awards
Since 2010, The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) has tracked over 843 Great Lakes drownings. The not-for-profit group says drowning numbers will go down as more people, especially children, are educated about the many aspects of water safety. Read the full story by CKLW – Windsor, ON.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-glsrp
On Friday, lawyers for the state of Michigan and Canadian petroleum giant Enbridge faced off in oral arguments in Ingham County Circuit Court stemming from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s lawsuit challenging the 1953 easement that made way for the pipeline’s construction. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-enbridge
The city of Holland, Michigan, has installed a new camera at Holland State Park, which will be used to provide water and beach safety information. Read the full story by WZZM – TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-research-camera
High water levels on the Great Lakes mean there’s less beachfront this year. At the same time, the pandemic means there’s more need for space. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-high-water
The Farmory, an indoor growing center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, provides educational programming about sustainable agriculture and aquaculture. It’s also home to the state’s first bio-secure yellow perch hatchery. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-yellow-perch
Two decades after the environmental awakening that saw the EPA’s creation and the first earth day, after the environmental disasters of the decades previous, Michigan would take a clear-eyed look at the challenges of the coming years in the form of the Michigan’s Environment and Relative Risk report. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-environmental+risk
As high lake levels continue to erode Indiana’s Lake Michigan shore, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission is collecting information about the damage to help convince the state to declare a public emergency in the region and allocate funding to help with repairs. Read the full story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-nirpc
Scientists and activists fear that flooding from the dam collapse on the Tittabawassse River near Midland, Michigan, will have undone years of work to remove toxic chemicals and contamination from the nearby Superfund site. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-midland
Ohio regulators approved the siting of six wind turbines on Lake Erie with the condition that the turbines stop during the night between March and November to limit the risk to birds and bats. The company developing the wind farm says these conditions effectively kill the project. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-wind-turbines
Once an existential threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem, sea lamprey populations have been effectively controlled through the Sea Lamprey Control Program run by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-lamprey
The International Joint Commission has appointed a 16-member public advisory group of both US and Canadian stakeholders who live along Lake Ontario to help identify potential improvements to the regulation of Lake Ontario outflows. Read the full story by the Niagara Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-ijc
The EPA’s new rules remove protection for about 50 percent of wetlands and 65 percent of the streams in the Great Lakes states, threatening the lakes and people who rely on these waterbodies for clean water. Read the full story by The Hill.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-cwa
Researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology estimate there are approximately 381 metric tons of plastic in Lake Erie and over 10,000 metric tons of plastic that enter the Great Lakes each year. Read the full story by the Rochester City Newspaper.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-plastic
Following heavy bouts of rain this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Lake Michigan, Huron and Erie set a new water level record for April 2020 and is on track to set a new record in May. Read the full story by Up North Live.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-levels
