Judicial oversight is not a panacea to addressing Lake Erie pollution, but judges should exercise their authority to enforce the implementation of a Lake Erie clean-up plan required under the Clean Water Act. Read the full editorial by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-judges
The novel coronavirus pandemic has drawn attention to the consequences of insufficient water access, air pollution and the role of federal oversight in protecting the basic right to clean water. Read the full story by WDET – Radio – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-water-is-a-human-right
As spring returns and birds migrate north, bird enthusiasts in Chicago are hoping a locally famous pair of piping plovers returns to Lake Michigan. As the coronavirus shuts down activity along Chicago’s beaches, bird enthusiasts hope that the new quiet help birds like the piping plover safely nest and hatch their eggs. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-plovers
Stay-out-home orders and restrictions on “non-essential” businesses have left Ohio’s fishing and tourism industry floundering. The halt in manufacturing across the region has also beached cargo shipping along the lakes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-fish-n-freight
Coronavirus restrictions have scuttled boating in Chicago, leaving charter boat operators and sightseeing cruises with no source of income. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-charter-boats
While less flooding is expected this year, Canadian mayors along Lake Ontario are continuing to implement coastal resiliency strategies to protect their communities from further flooding and erosion. Read the full story by the Belleville Intelligencer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-mayors
At a recent public hearing, community environmental groups urged the Northern Indiana Public Service Company to protect public health and fully remediate the areas currently used as a coal ash pond near a power generation facility in Northwest Indiana. Read the full story by the Indiana Environmental Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-nipsco
To reach the Atlantic Ocean from Lake Erie through Canada, freight vessels must traverse a series of locks, known as Neptune’s Staircase, that drop 100 meters down the Niagara Escarpment. Read the full story by the Niagara Falls Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-locks
A cruise ship visit to Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Little Current scheduled for early June has been scrubbed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by Soo Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-great-lakes-cruise
A group by the name of “Boatnerds” are using a phone app to track the ships making their way to Buffalo, New York. Read the full story by Buffalo Rising.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-boatnerds
New York Sea Grant’s Great Lakes program is now offering free virtual site visits to waterfront property owners in need of erosion management expertise. Read the full story by the Oswego County News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-virtual-management
Some of the big players in the marine shipping industry have now agreed to something called a COVID-19 Trusted Partners Initiative, created by the Chamber of Marine Commerce. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-freighters
On Tuesday night people had the chance to ask questions about high water levels in Michigan and shoreline erosion problems. Read the full story by WPBN -TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-egle-summit
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is approving an application that gives the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community authority to set water quality standards for its reservation in Michigan. Read the full story by WLUC – TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-KBIC
A state administrative judge has upheld a permit that allows global food and beverage giant Nestle to boost the amount of Michigan groundwater it extracts for sale under the Ice Mountain bottled water brand. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-nestle
The city council of Flint, MI has postponed reconsidering two critical water infrastructure projects until May 11. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-flint
As lake levels sit six inches higher than they were at this time last year, City of Windsor officials are reminding residents to be prepared and stay informed. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-flood-season
The port of Thunder Bay has seen a noticeable uptick in ocean-going vessel traffic this season so far. Tim Heney, chief executive officer for the Port of Thunder Bay, said that restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic are not really slowing things down. Read the full story by the Chronicle Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-thunder-bay
In a statement late Tuesday afternoon, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board declared water levels “are expected to peak well below the record-highs of 2017 and 2019. Read the full story by WWNY – TV – Carthage, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200429-water-levels
The potential solutions to address longtime flooding and erosion issues along a problematic 120-kilometre stretch of Lake Erie shoreline in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, could top $217 million, but no commitments have been made. Read the full story by The Chatham Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-lake-erie-erosion
A “sheen” spotted on Lake Michigan off Washington Park in Indiana is likely gasoline that spilled from a small boat, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Read the full story by The La Porte County Herald-Argus.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-lake-michigan-sheen
A big storm can overwhelm the combined sewage and stormwater runoff treatment facilities of many Great Lakes cities. When that happens, untreated water ends up in the lakes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-single-sewer-system
One month ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it would ease up on enforcing some of the more routine procedural violations of pollution laws. But the Chicago-based Environmental Policy & Law Center said it has crunched data and documented declines in enforcement of Clean Water Act violations across the Great Lakes region for several years now. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-epa-enforcement
Victory Cruise Lines, the predominant operator in the Great Lakes cruise market, has canceled more than half its sailings this summer, and pulled one of its ships from the region. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-great-lakes-cruising
The number of bald eagle nests in Ohio has skyrocketed 151% over the last eight years, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by The Daily Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-eagle-numbers-up
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a change that removes the legal foundation for regulations on mercury and other toxins emitted from coal- and oil-fired power plants. The change, some experts worry, might set a precedent for rolling back pollution standards that have improved air quality in the Great Lakes area. Read the full story by the Indy Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-mercury-standards
The Valley Camp, a historic ship docked in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been swaying back and forth due to water levels and ship traffic. It the first movement of the freighter in 50 years. Read the full story by The Sault News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-freighters-and-high-water
Remains of a shipwreck were discovered in Ludington, Michigan after high water revealed the wreckage buried on the beach north of the city. The wreckage is a hull fragment from a wooden vessel. Read the full story by Up North Live.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-shipwreck
Nearly halfway into a 10-year pledge to combat the toxic algae that turns Lake Erie a ghastly shade of green, Ohio has made little progress. The governor has authorized an ambitious plan that this year will begin offering farmers financial incentives to adopt new agriculture practices and will create a network of wetlands to capture and filter runoff from fields. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-algae
The practice of holding Chinook salmon in holding pens in the Great Lakes began in the St. Joseph River, which feeds Lake Michigan. It is now widely accepted as a great way to reduce predation on the valuable salmon stocks not only in the Great Lakes but also on the West Coast. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-pen
Six years after the City of Flint switched its water source to the Flint River, ultimately beginning the Flint Water Crisis, the city is still struggling to address critical infrastructure needs, one of which is a secondary or back-up water source. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Flint, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-flint
In Minnesota, only 8% of all lakes have a verified aquatic invasive species (AIS). And officials say the math shows that efforts to slow the spread of AIS are in fact working. Read the full story by the Post Bulletin.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-ais
Erosion along Lake Michigan is pitting neighbor against neighbor in Indiana. While some want to build barriers to protect their property along the lake, others want to block those efforts. Read the full story by WFYI-TV – Indianapolis, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-erosion
146,400 chinook salmon were poured into the Milwaukee river last week as a part of a yearly stocking event. The purpose of this event is to enhance fishing opportunities for anglers in the area. Read and view the full story by WTMJ-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-salmon
Trout season opened across most of Ontario on Saturday, but the owner and co-host of a Canadian fishing TV show is urging anglers in southern Ontario to reconsider casting their lines. With many public boat launches closed, there is concern that limited riverbanks will be busy and anglers won’t be able to maintain physical distance. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-fishing
In some Great Lakes cities, a single system of pipes may transport sewage as well as stormwater runoff. That system is sufficient on most days, but a big storm can overwhelm a treatment plant’s capacity. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-cso
In 2019 Republican Mike DeWine got the Ohio General Assembly to fund an unprecedented, statewide commitment to water quality branded under the moniker H2Ohio. Now, because of costs associated with the coronavirus pandemic, it’s in limbo. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-h2ohio
In a case described as the “clean water case of the century,” the Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Water Act applies to pollutants reaching legally protected waters indirectly through groundwater. Read the full story by The New York Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-scotus-cwa
Coal was once the primary commodity shipped from the Port of Duluth-Superior, but coal shipping has declined as the demand for coal has dropped throughout the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-energy-port
Shipping season on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway opened on April 1, so the Windsor Port Authority issued a message Wednesday that it remains fully open for business and fulfilling its vital role during ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Read the full story by Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-climate-change
Concerns about possible exposure to the coronavirus through aerosolized wastewater have prompted some treatment facilities in Michigan to ask state regulators to relax some routine testing requirements until the potential danger passes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-sewage
The city of Green Bay, Wisconsin, distributed thousands of sandbags to residents at risk of flood damage as the Fox River and Lake Michigan reach record-high water levels. Read the full story by WBAY–TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-green-bay
City officials in South Haven, Michigan, say repairs to their marina due to historically high water levels are more expensive than expected, but necessary to protect critical infrastructure. Read the full story by WKZO – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-south-haven
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission has approved its 2020 Lake Erie Protection and Restoration Plan to address priorities including nutrient pollution reduction, invasive species, and habitat restoration. Read the full story by WNVO–TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-ohio-lake-erie-commission
Lake Ontario’s water level is below record levels observed last year, but remains above average levels, thanks primarily to favorable weather conditions this spring. Read the full story by WWNY–TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-lake-ontario
Shipping season on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway opened on April 1, so the Windsor Port Authority issued a message Wednesday that it remains fully open for business and fulfilling its vital role during ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Read the full story by Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-port-authority
In Illinois, Indiana and the four other Midwest states surrounding the Great Lakes, the number of water pollution cases filed by the EPA has declined during each of the past three years, according to a new analysis of agency records by the nonprofit Environmental Law and Policy Center. Read the full story by Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-epa-enforcement
In Indiana, five communities have made emergency declarations due damages related to erosion, this concern is also due in part that it could also drive tourists away; millions visit Indiana’s lakeshore every year, contributing more than $350 million to the local economy annually. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-shorelines
A lack of protective ice cover on Lake Erie this winter plus historic high-water levels has led to changing priorities in Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle from bolstering beach and swimming areas to instead making sure that infrastructure is safe. Read the full story by Erie Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-erosion-presque
The 40th annual Cleveland Race Week, the largest sailing regatta on Lake Erie and one of the largest in the country, has been postponed from June to August because of the coronavirus. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-race-regatta
