TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Recent damage that prompted the temporary shutdown of an Enbridge oil pipeline in a channel linking two of the Great Lakes may have been done by vessels working for the company, according to an in-house report provided Thursday to The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-enbridge-contractor-vessels-line-5-pipeline-support/
Since taking office in May 2019, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has emphasized that her environmental priorities are focused on the social justice issues of access to drinking water and clean air.
“The mayor is deeply committed to putting environmental justice at the forefront of her environmental agenda,” spokesperson Hali Levandoski told Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/chicago-mayor-environmental-priority-neglected-communities/
With two segments in the latest episode of the Great Lakes Now monthly program, producer David Ruck is bringing audiences insight about two major issues in the Great Lakes region: how pollution from farmland impacts water quality and what financial cost current high water levels are having for communities around the region.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/water-great-lakes-now-producer/
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan sought a written pledge Friday from Enbridge Inc. to cover costs that would arise if oil were to leak from its dual pipelines that extend across a channel linking two of the Great Lakes, although the Canadian pipeline company said it had already made such a promise.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-michigan-enbridge-line-5-pledge-funds-oil-spill/
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — At least two more Indiana counties on Friday joined the growing list of local governments in the state mandating the wearing of face masks while in public as the state has seen recent growth in the number of coronavirus hospitalizations.
The new requirements were adopted by officials in Monroe County, home to Bloomington and Indiana University’s main campus, and northern Indiana’s LaPorte County.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-indiana-counties-covid-19-mandating-face-masks/
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Lake Michigan is having a warm summer.
The average surface water temperature was 75.3 degrees on July 9, setting a record for the month based on 26 years of record keeping, government scientists said.
The summer high is 75.6 degrees recorded in August 2016, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-hot-summer-lake-michigan/
This week: Public Health and Water Affordability Focus of All About Water Webinar + Lake Erie Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast Program + Illinois Announces Two Funding Sources for Improving Water Quality + Michigan House Passes Bill For Toxic Firefighting Foam To Be Reported And Disposed + Potential for Mirages on Lake Michigan from Weather Conditions
It is no secret, but access to clean, safe water is essential to prevent public health problems. This week’s first All About Water Webinar featured amazing presentations on contaminated drinking water and connections to public health problems, including research in Detroit on mapping the water crisis that revealed the inequities that illustrate the impact of water shutoffs on public health.
Limited space available in webinar next week:
Policy & Water Affordability Webinar, Wed, July 8, 10 am to Noon ET
Strategy Session & Water Affordability, Thurs, July 9, 2020, 2-4 pm ET
Video recordings, presentations, and resources from the first four sessions featuring equity and community roles in water affordability will be available on our website.
Lake Erie Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast ProgramAn Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory webinar on July 9 will discuss the forecast for harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie for 2020. Less rainfall that distributes nutrient pollutant into the rivers connected to Lake Erie may lessen the severity of the blooms in 2020 compared to 2019. However there is no accurate prediction of the level of toxicity of harmful blooms until they occur. Register for the webinar here. Illinois Announces Two Funding Sources for Improving Water QualityThe Illinois EPA announced the availability of $9.5 million in grants to improve the quality of water. The Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan provides $5 million in grants to build green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and green roofs, to reduce pollution from stormwater. An additional $4.5 million of federal funds are available to address water quality issues directly related to polluted runoff or nonpoint source pollution. Michigan House Passes Bill For Toxic Firefighting Foam To Be Reported And DisposedMichigan House approved a bill that mandates fire departments and chiefs to report their use of firefighting foam with toxic PFAS within 48 hours of use. The state environmental department is required to accept the foam and dispose of it properly. State funding support is anticipated so fire departments will not incur disposal costs. Weather Conditions Right for Mirages on Lake MichiganGhostly ships and buildings may be visible this week on Lake Michigan due to the warm temperatures and calm conditions. The mirages, called superior images appear reversed and floating above the water. |
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/lake-erie-algae/11747/
The U.S. headed into the Fourth of July weekend with many parades and fireworks displays canceled, beaches and bars closed, and health authorities warning that this will be a crucial test of Americans’ self-control that could determine the trajectory of the surging coronavirus outbreak.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-july-fourth-weekend-covid-19/
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer doesn’t need another crisis.
For six of her 18 months in office she’s been grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic that grips Michigan and shows few signs of abating. Then came a May rain deluge that contributed to the failure of an already dangerous dam that displaced 10,000 people.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/whitmer-michigan-dilemma-line-5-northern-michigan/
By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan judge Wednesday allowed Enbridge to resume pumping oil through a Midwestern pipeline, nearly a week after shutting it down because of damage to a structure that anchors a section of the line running through a Great Lakes channel.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-michigan-judge-restart-line-5-oil-pipeline/
Angel Welke and her husband Paul own and operate Island Airways, the committed aviation service provider for Beaver Island. As such, the Welkes run the air ambulance that serves the island, which is located in the northern part of Lake Michigan and is home to about 600 year-round residents. When the island had a possible COVID-19 patient earlier this year, it was Paul Welke piloting the air ambulance.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/great-lakes-islanders-adapt-covid-19/
DETROIT (AP) — A judge shut down an energy pipeline in Michigan’s Great Lakes on Thursday, granting a request from the state after the owner reported problems with a support piece far below the surface.
Enbridge Inc. has not provided enough information to Michigan officials to show that continued operation of the west leg of the Line 5 twin pipeline is safe, Ingham County Judge James Jamo said.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/ap-judge-shuts-down-energy-pipeline-michigan-great-lakes/
MACKINAW CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s attorney general on Monday asked a judge to shut down a pipeline in the Great Lakes after an energy company discovered that an anchor support had shifted deep below the surface.
Enbridge Inc. insists the Line 5 pipeline itself was not damaged, and the company resumed the flow of oil and natural gas liquids in the west leg of the twin system Saturday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/ap-michigan-judge-shut-enbridge-pipeline/
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer demanded Friday that Enbridge Energy provide proof that the damage to one of its dual oil pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac will not pose a threat to the area.
The Alberta, Canada-based company closed its Line 5 pipeline under the straits on Thursday after discovering that the anchor support had shifted from its original position, company spokesman Ryan Duffy said Friday in a statement.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/ap-michigan-whitmer-enbridge-pipeline-damage/
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that legislators did not violate the state constitution by allowing construction of an oil pipeline tunnel beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes, clearing the way for the project to proceed unless another court intervenes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/ap-court-michigan-great-lakes-tunnel-enbridge-line-5/
The overall condition of the Great Lakes has been assessed as “fair and unchanging” in the 2019 State of the Great Lakes joint report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environmental and Climate Change Canada, published on June 3.
The lakes were assessed on nine indicators of ecosystem health as part of the 2012 Great Lakes Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/state-great-lakes-stable-rollbacks-protection/
As the author of Great Lakes Now’s Collection of Lesson Plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students. His series of writings can be found HERE along with the lesson plans and a Virtual Field Trip.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/great-lakes-learning-lakes-no-boat/
As the author of Great Lakes Now’s Collection of Lesson Plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students. His series of writings can be found HERE along with the lesson plans and a Virtual Field Trip.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/great-lakes-learning-cruises/
As the author of Great Lakes Now’s Collection of Lesson Plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students. His series of writings can be found HERE along with the lesson plans and a Virtual Field Trip.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/great-lakes-learning-water-levels-currents-boating-speed-limits/
As the author of Great Lakes Now’s Collection of Lesson Plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students. His series of writings can be found HERE along with the lesson plans and a Virtual Field Trip.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/great-lakes-learning-best-of-the-5/
The controversial project to replace the existing 67-year-old Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac with a pipeline in a tunnel under the straits remains an issue between Enbridge Energy and the state of Michigan.
A new point of contention in the project is a new permit that would allow Enbridge to withdraw water from the Great Lakes and discharge wastewater.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/pollution-permits-enbridge-michigan-line-5-tunnel-project/
PORTER, Ind. (AP) — Indiana Dunes National Park has started an information line to help visitors find an open beach with available parking amid severe shoreline erosion along Lake Michigan and the need for social distancing.
Beginning Saturday morning, visitors can call 219-395-1003 to hear recorded information on available parking at Indiana Dunes National Park beaches and nearby Indiana Dunes State Park.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-indiana-dunes-covid-19-beach-parking/
By Patty Wetli, WTTW News
Chicago is drying out Monday after a record rainfall that flooded streets and yards over the weekend.
According to the National Weather Service, Sunday’s precipitation total at O’Hare Airport was 3.11 inches, the most ever recorded on May 17.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/record-rainfall-chicago-river-lake-michigan-flooding/
With the federal government writing trillion-dollar checks to fight COVID-19, support collapsing businesses and feed cash into the economy via stimulus checks, Great Lakes legislators and advocacy groups are seizing on the opportunity to secure federal funding while the money still flows.
Recently the senate committee that oversees water infrastructure projects unanimously approved legislation authorizing $18 billion for projects nationally.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/state-federal-budget-shortfalls-asian-carp-toxic-cleanups/
This week: Freshwater Future Applauds New Ohio Bills to Protect Water Safety and Affordability + Covid-19 Stimulus Package Should Support Green Water Infrastructure + 3D Mapping of Plastic Pollution in Lake Erie + Sewage Could Help Track Coronavirus + Lake Michigan/Huron Breaks Water Level Record Four Months Running
Partnering with advocates from across the region, Freshwater Future has been working to ensure water at residents’ taps is free from lead and is affordable. This week, an Ohio bill was introduced to move those issues forward. Ohio Representative Erica Crawley introduced legislation that will prevent water shut offs and require development of water affordability programs by utilities.
Covid-19 Stimulus Package Should Support Green Water InfrastructureAs the Covid-19 stimulus package includes funds for green water infrastructure, Philadelphia demonstrates leverage of these investments to support family health and community economy is possible. Emerging from old traditions, the stimulus package should support decentralized practices. Freshwater Future believes to move from the Covid-19 crisis more equitably, we need future stimulus packages to include investments in our urban and rural water infrastructure. 3D Mapping of Plastic Pollution in Lake ErieSome plastic floats and some sinks. According to a recent study by students at Rochester Institute of Technology that looked at how plastic moves, it’s estimated that there is 380 tons of plastic at the bottom of Lake Erie. An expansion of the study to Lake Ontario will consider how plastics move from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario over Niagara Falls. Sewage Could Help Track CoronavirusToledo is participating in a research project to determine if sewage can help track the coronavirus. Studies show that because of how the virus moves through the human body, it can be found in wastewater. The analysis of weekly samples from water treatment plants will hopefully give insight on where and when the next outbreak occurs to better prepare the community. Lake Michigan and Huron Break Water Level Record Four Months RunningLakes Michigan and Huron (considered one connected lake) set a new water level record for the fourth month in a row and is currently three feet higher than the average long-term level. The Army Corps of Engineers says the lake keeps getting deeper. |
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-may-18-2020-2/
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to hear from the public on Enbridge’s proposal to build an oil pipeline tunnel beneath Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac after determining the company submitted a complete application.
The Corps’ Detroit district office has scheduled a public comment period on the plan.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-army-corps-public-comment-enbridge-line-5-pipeline/
LUDINGTON, Mich. (AP) — A portion of a shipwreck was recently discovered on a Lake Michigan beach near Ludington State Park and historians are working to identify the wreckage.
The fragment was revealed by waves amid high water levels on the Great Lakes. It was spotted by people walking on the beach, the Ludington Daily News reported.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/shipwreck-fragment-emerges-along-lake-michigan-beach/
As the author of Great Lakes Now’s Collection of Lesson Plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students. His series of writings can be found HERE along with the lesson plans and a Virtual Field Trip.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/great-lakes-learning-younger-learners-2/
As the author of Great Lakes Now’s Collection of Lesson Plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students. His series of writings can be found HERE along with the lesson plans and a Virtual Field Trip.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/great-lakes-learning-younger-learners/
Wisconsin Sea Grant’s outreach specialists are used to traversing the state, sharing information of relevance directly with impacted communities. In this year marked by a global pandemic, however, it hasn’t been so easy—yet staff are finding ways to get the job done.
In mid-March, Coastal Engineering Outreach Specialist Adam Bechle had planned, along with a variety of partners, to deliver three nights of back-to-back information on high Great Lakes water levels in three Lake Michigan coastal communities: Manitowoc, Somers and Mequon. Yet, due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, those in-person sessions were replaced by a single online one on March 18.
The Zoom session featured Bechle along with speakers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Detroit District, National Weather Service Forecast Office in Milwaukee/Sullivan and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and local governments also played a role in putting the session together. About 112 participants watched it live.
The archived, two-hour webinar may be viewed on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s YouTube channel. “People in our Lake Michigan coastal communities have been hungry for information about what’s in store for water levels and what options they may have for dealing with some of the negative impacts,” said Bechle. “If people missed the live webinar, they can still get this information online, where they can hear directly from a variety of experts all in one place.”
Topics covered include forecasts for water levels through the summer, emergency management activities being undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers, the local impacts of recent storms, how coastal processes in the water affect what’s happening on land, and the permitting process for constructing erosion control structures.
Listen and watch on YouTube.
Further questions may be directed to Bechle at bechle@aqua.wisc.edu.
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/whats-in-store-for-great-lakes-water-levels-find-out-online/
As the author of Great Lakes Now’s Collection of Lesson Plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students. His series of writings can be found HERE along with the lesson plans and a Virtual Field Trip.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/great-lakes-learning-population-dynamics-invasive-species/
Increasing erosion on the Great Lakes shoreline is threatening beaches, parks and other recreation areas used by people across the region.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/rust-resilience-climate-change-shoreline-erosion/
The city has begun short-term erosion mitigation measures along Chicago’s shoreline.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/rust-resilience-flood-chicago-climate-change/
Great Lakes Now is sharing work from our partners in a project on what climate change means for Great Lakes cities. Here is the initial piece in the series.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/rust-resilience-climate-change-great-lakes-cities/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
In this edition: Chicagoans furious after smokestack demolition releases dust in Little Village, toxic coal ash to remain on Michigan shorelines indefinitely as coal plants close, Minnesota and Wisconsin natural gas plant opting away from water withdrawal for cooling purposes, Ohio consumer advocate pushing to divert energy efficiency funds to COVID-19 relief payments, and Enbridge’s project to replace part of its Line 5 pipeline under the St.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/great-lakes-energy-line-5-coal-ash-demolition-water-withdrawals/
PETOSKEY, Mich. (AP) — A portion of a popular paved trail along a Lake Michigan bay has collapsed due to erosion from high water.
The trail, called the Little Traverse Wheelway, is “falling into the lake as the wind continues and is very dangerous,” Petoskey Parks and Recreation Department said Monday on Facebook.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/ap-trail-collapse-erosion-lake-michigan/
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Enbridge Inc. applied Wednesday for state and federal authorization to construct an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the Michigan waterway that connects two of the Great Lakes.
The Canadian company wants to build a roughly 4-mile-long (6.4-kilometer-long) tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/ap-enbridge-permits-great-lakes-oil-pipeline-tunnel/
Here’s a collection of Great Lakes Now work – and other references – to help water become a fun, fascinating at-home lesson.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/great-lakes-learning-groundwater/
Events around the lakes are being canceled, postponed or put on hold until more information comes out.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/covid-19-coronavirus-sports-recreation-events-canceled/
How about dinner “on” Mackinac, Washington or Drummond islands? All while helping your family learn more about the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/great-lakes-learning-island-destination-dinner/
Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig shares his own memories of the first Earth Day and the changes he’s noticed in the nature around him since then.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/great-lakes-moment-earth-day-turns-50/
Education Consultant Gary Abud Jr. has four helpful tips to make the most of online discussions with your students and children as lessons and activities move to the home.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/great-lakes-learning-tips-student-conversation/
By Kaye LaFond, Interlochen Public Radio
Enbridge Energy will not delay submitting permits for its controversial Great Lakes Tunnel Project because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tribal governments that oppose the project want Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to slow the process down. They say it’s impossible to prepare for public comment and official tribal consultations when most tribal staff are sheltering in place.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/enbridge-move-forward-tunnel-permitting-covid-19/
Great Lakes Now and Detroit PBS KIDS takes you along on a Virtual Field Trip.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/great-lakes-now-virtual-field-trip/
Cruise season is expected to continue as normal for the Great Lakes region, even as ports and cruise lines grapple with how to protect passengers and crew.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/coronavirus-covid-19-cruises-continue/
All over the United States, mayors and other officials fed up with residents who ignore social distancing guidelines have been shutting down parks, beaches, marinas and other public areas.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/ap-covid-19-closure-parks-trails-chicago/
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/what-questions-do-you-have-talking-to-your-kids-about-the-great-lakes/
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday that the sight of crowds along Lake Michigan despite a statewide stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus has her considering shutting down the city’s parks.
“When we have masses of people out there as I just saw … it’s a problem,” Lightfoot said.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/ap-chicago-mayor-thinking-about-closing-city-trails-parks/
As the author of Great Lakes Now’s collection of lesson plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students.
Find the lesson plans and the virtual field trip online HERE.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/great-lakes-learning-introducing-resources-remote-teaching/
The One Earth Film Festival kicks off its 9th season in Chicago starting Friday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/one-earth-film-festival-great-lakes-piping-plovers-plastic-cafos/
