Hydropower eyes bigger energy role, less environmental harm

By Suman Naishadham, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — In southwestern Pennsylvania, eight locks and dams that for decades helped barges move goods along the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers will in a few years also generate enough power for 75,000 homes.

Rye Development, a Boston-based hydropower company, is retrofitting the dams with turbines to generate electricity and says the upgraded structures will limit damage to the rivers’ water quality and fish.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-hydropower-bigger-energy-role-less-environmental-harm/

The Associated Press

I Speak for the Fish: Playing peek-a-boo with the ducks

I’ve been outsmarted by more than one species.

A red fox in a Florida nature preserve comes to mind. I observed the fox entering a den and spent two hours patiently waiting for it to emerge so I could take its picture – only to discover the clever fellow had exited out the back shortly after I parked myself out front.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/playing-peek-a-boo-with-ducks/

Kathy Johnson

Legislation introduced for Great Lakes Authority, a new federal entity for the Great Lakes region

During the March “Great Lakes Week” organized by the Great Lakes Commission, Rep. Marcy Kaptur talked about the Great Lakes Authority.

The Great Lakes Authority, which would be a federal entity focused on the economic interests of the Great Lakes region, is an idea that the congresswoman has fought to put into legislation for a few years already.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/legislation-great-lakes-authority-federal-entity/

Natasha Blakely

Substantive change will require a ‘massive culture shift’ in federal, state and local agencies

When it comes to dealing with Michigan’s regulators on environmental justice issues, Detroit environmental law attorney Nick Leonard wants to change the narrative.

Too often when confronted with decisions that impact environmental justice communities, regulators focus on limitations and what they can’t do, Leonard recently told Great Lakes Now.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/substantive-change-federal-state-local-agencies/

Gary Wilson

New Ontario watercraft regulations fight invasive species

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Arya Dara, Great Lakes Echo

New legislation in Ontario can result in a fine if boats are not cleaned properly when they are moved from one body of water and into another.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ontario-watercraft-regulations-invasive-species/

Great Lakes Echo

Indiana University study links lead exposure to juvenile delinquency

By Timberly Ferree, Indiana Environmental Reporter

In the first direct analysis of its kind, a study by Indiana University researchers has found a link between lead in drinking water, specifically from private wells, and juvenile delinquency.

“There’s not been a direct analysis on lead exposure and children’s outcomes later in life before.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/study-lead-exposure-juvenile-delinquency/

Indiana Environmental Reporter

Great Lakes Boat Building School to expand with COVID-19 relief grant funding

In Lake Huron’s Les Cheneaux Islands, a school is preserving the craft of building wooden boats.

Opened in 2005, the Great Lakes Boat Building School is located in Cedarville, Michigan, a small town tucked in the scenic bays and natural harbors of the area. A few dozen students a year learn how to build wooden boats.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/great-lakes-boat-building-school-grant-funding/

Natasha Blakely

Drinking Water News Roundup: Illinois Well Inspections, New York Water Funding

From lead pipes to PFAs, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Illinois EPA invests over $65.6 Million in wastewater and drinking water projects in second quarter of FY22 – WAND TV

Three of the loan recipients qualified for a total of more than $3 million in principal forgiveness.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/drinking-water-news-roundup-illinois-new-york/

Natasha Blakely

Lighthouse Restoration: A volunteer effort that requires labor, love and millions of dollars

This summer, a Great Lakes watchtower will celebrate its 200th birthday as any centenarian should: with cake and ice cream.

The Marblehead Lighthouse sits on Lake Erie’s temperamental shore in Ohio, about 20 miles away from Sandusky. It’s the oldest continually operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, thanks to the state of Ohio, which, according to the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society, took over the maintenance in the 1990s.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/lighthouse-restoration/

Rachel Duckett

With new invasive carp money, the Great Lakes learns from past invasions

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/invasive-carp-money-great-lakes/

Bridge Michigan

The 2022 Great Lakes shipping season sets sail after COVID-19 hurdles

If you notice your packages arriving much faster than they did at the start of the pandemic, it isn’t just a minor coincidence – rather, it could be the Great Lakes shipping industry making a comeback after weathering the effects of COVID-19’s spread.

“(This) has been a bounce-back season from the COVID-induced lows of 2020,” said Jason Hron, director of communication and marketing for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/2022-great-lakes-shipping-season-infrastructure-improvements-covid-19/

Maya Sundaresan

Legislation to be introduced to restrict water withdrawals for bottled water and increase protections for groundwater

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/legislation-bottled-water-protections-groundwater/

Michigan Radio

Great Lakes Moment: Dozens of bald eagles overwinter in Detroit

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.

It was a mid-winter day, and I was driving to my Downriver home from a meeting in Detroit.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/great-lakes-moment-bald-eagles-detroit/

John Hartig

Benton Harbor residents should keep drinking bottled water, but EPA says filters work on lead

By Lindsey Smith, Michigan Radio

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/benton-harbor-residents-epa-filters/

Michigan Radio

Gas and oil industry report projects fuel price hikes if Enbridge Line 5 is shut down

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/gas-oil-industry-price-hikes-enbridge-line-5-shut-down/

Michigan Radio

PFAS News Roundup: Wisconsin board passes weakened state standards, stream trout contaminated

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/pfas-wisconsin-weakened-state-standards-trout-contaminated/

Natasha Blakely

Lake heatwaves driven by human-caused climate change

Just like the atmosphere and the ocean, lakes can be subject to extreme spikes in temperature, and new research shows that the vast majority of these heatwaves over the past 25 years are the result of human-caused climate change.

Iestyn Woolway – a climate scientist at Bangor University in Wales – and his colleagues analysed satellite data of surface temperatures in lakes around the world, including the Great Lakes, to identify when and where heatwaves occurred since the satellites came online in 1995.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/lake-heatwaves-human-climate-change/

Brian Owens

Trial begins in lawsuit against engineering firms that advised Flint during water crisis

By Tracy Samilton, Michigan Radio

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/trial-lawsuit-engineering-flint-water-crisis/

Michigan Radio

New national authority for Great Lakes region proposed by Ohio Congresswoman

Steadier federal funding instead of annual appropriations coming out of debates, direct investment for local communities to meet federal mandates, a dual focus on environmental clean up and economic development. 

Those would be three benefits of a Great Lakes Authority, according to Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) who spoke today during the Great Lakes Week session organized by the Great Lakes Commission.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/great-lakes-authority-proposed-ohio-congress-marcy-kaptur/

Sandra Svoboda

What Michigan can do as global report details ‘closing window’ on climate

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/michigan-global-report-climate/

Bridge Michigan

DNR announces fishing regulations for Michigan’s 2022 season

By Zahra Ahmad, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/dnr-fishing-regulations-michigans-2022-season/

Bridge Michigan

Billions Flow to Water Systems from Federal Pandemic Relief Funds

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/water-systems-pandemic-relief-funds/

Circle of Blue

Risky Drinking Water Pathogen Has Outsized Effect on Black Americans

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/drinking-water-pathogen-effect-black-americans/

Circle of Blue

Top 10 Fish to Catch: Great Lakes means great fishing

Summer is hands-down the most popular fishing season on the Great Lakes because people on vacation want to fish.

But Great Lakes fishing is a year-round sport. With a range of fish that offer a tasty meal, a challenge to land or both, anglers can have 365 days of fun on the lakes and their tributaries.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/top-10-fish-catch-great-lakes-fishing/

James Proffitt

Drinking Water News Roundup: New DNA Computer can Reveal Water Contaminants, HydroOne Team Works Towards Cleaning up Oil Spill

From lead pipes to PFAs, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Illinois American Water Investing Over $16 Million in Jerseyville Water System – BusinessWire

Illinois American water plans to donate over $16 million to help maintain and transform the municipal water system for the city of Jerseyville.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/drinking-water-news-roundup-water-contaminants-oil-spill/

Maya Sundaresan

Canada’s Maude Barlow chronicles 40 years of activism in new book, “Still Hopeful”

For Maude Barlow, the importance of hope was instilled by her parents as a child while having her morning oatmeal. It grew into a “lifelong mantra” that took her through the travails of 40 years of social justice and environmental activism in Canada and on the international stage.

Now, Barlow chronicles that hopeful trek in her 20th book, Still Hopeful: Lessons From A Lifetime Of Activism.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/maude-barlow-activism-book-still-hopeful/

Gary Wilson

Breaking up: Ice loss is changing one Anishinaabe fisherman’s relationship with Lake Superior

By Jolene Banning, The Narwhal

This story first ran on The Narwhal, a non-profit news organization that publishes in-depth stories about Canada’s natural world.

Sometime in the early 1990s, the ice was so unusually thick and smooth on Gitchigumi that Anishinaabe fisherman Phillip Solomon drove his car, a 1984 Monte Carlo, across the lake from Fort William First Nation to Pie Island with a friend.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/ice-loss-anishinaabe-fishermen-lake-superior/

The Narwhal

I Speak for the Fish: Logperch rocking, rolling and rebounding

Some fish don’t seem to mind a diver’s bubbles or humans fumbling around underwater. Others bolt at my first exhalation. Some fish are super approachable while others remain wary and aloof regardless of how I try to entice them.   

And some species, like the tiny logperch, don’t seem to give a fig what I do. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/speak-for-fish-logperch-rebounding/

Kathy Johnson

Line 5’s impact on climate change being reviewed as part of tunnel decision

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/line-5-impact-climate-change-reviewed/

Michigan Radio

Scratching the surface: Regional research groups explore winter conditions of Green Bay, Great Lakes

María Hernández, a University of Chicago graduate student studying microbial ecology, was both nervous and eager to traverse a frozen Green Bay. Being sure to walk slowly and carefully, she assisted fellow researchers in extracting samples of ice-cold freshwater.

“We’re out here because we usually sample in the spring and summer,” said Hernández, “So this is the first time we’re going to be sampling in the winter, and it just gives us another view into what the microbes are doing at different times of the year.”

Hernandez and her University of Chicago colleagues were joined by University of Minnesota Duluth researchers on Monday for the recently launched “Winter Grab,” a first of its kind, week-long collection event for regional researchers studying Great Lakes’ winter conditions.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/scratching-surface-regional-research-winter-conditions/

John McCracken

PFAS News Roundup: Bill proposes blood testing for Indiana firefighters, potential PFA contamination in Pennsylvania deer

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/pfas-news-roundup-annual-blood-tests-pennsylvania-deer/

Maya Sundaresan

New report finds Enbridge Line 5 closure will cause little pain to Michigan

By Zahra Ahmad, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/new-report-enbridge-line-5-closure-michigan/

Bridge Michigan

Cold Cover: Great Lakes ice forms after initial low percentage

A recent burst of cold weather has boosted Great Lakes ice coverage from initial projections that were well below historical average back to the typical range.

But the current levels still expose a long-term trend of overall declining coverage, scientists say.

“In terms of Great Lakes ice cover, we do see decline and reduced ice cover in recent decades,” Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome, assistant research scientist with the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, said in an interview with Great Lakes Now.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/great-lakes-ice-forms/

Natasha Blakely

A Grand Rapids lake and the consequences of Michigan’s road salt addiction

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/grand-rapids-lake-road-salt/

Bridge Michigan

Holding in the deep: What Canada wants to do with its decades-old pileup of nuclear waste

By Emma McIntosh, The Narwhal

This story first ran on The Narwhal, a non-profit news organization that publishes in-depth stories about Canada’s natural world.

The final resting place of Canada’s most radioactive nuclear waste could be a cave about as deep below the surface as the CN Tower is tall.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/canada-old-pileup-nuclear-waste/

The Narwhal

Hydroponic greenhouses continue to offer solution to urban food deserts

Urban areas around the Midwest struggle with food deserts and dense populations, a problem exacerbated by climate change impacts and the conversion of farmlands to residential developments. However, a potential solution can be found in hydroponics facilities being established in cities around the Great Lakes region like Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto and Chicago.   

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/hydroponic-greenhouses-urban-food-deserts/

Audrey Henderson

Federal Great Lakes restoration program should focus on protection and flexibility, says Ojibwe leader

As the U.S. EPA prepares to expand its Great Lakes Restoration Initiative with the $1 billion-dollar windfall from the infrastructure bill, Ojibwe Tribal executive Michael “Mic” Isham has a vision to bolster the program.   

Isham wants an increased emphasis on protection of the Great Lakes with a priority for Lake Superior, which Isham says is the “cultural and historic center” of the Ojibwe tribes.   

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/federal-great-lakes-restoration-program-protection-flexibility/

Gary Wilson

Great Lakes Moment: Overwintering ducks on the Detroit River create a sense of wonder

The lower Detroit River is a unique urban refugium where the tapestry of life has been woven with elegance, where the music of life has been rehearsed to perfection for thousands of years, where nature’s colors are most vibrant and engaging, where time is measured in seasons, and where the canvasback race across the water takes center stage.  

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/great-lakes-moment-ducks-detroit-river/

John Hartig

$3.7M grant to aid Lafarge port upgrades

By Julie Riddle, The Alpena News

This article is part of a collaboration between The Alpena News and Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television to bring audiences stories about the Great Lakes, especially Lake Huron and its watershed.

ALPENA – An Alpena company will snag a piece of more than $241 million in grants awarded to upgrade U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/grant-aid-lafarge-port-upgrades/

The Alpena News

Great Lakes platform helps connect green investors with regional projects

By Kari Lydersen

This story was first published on the Energy News Network and was republished here with permission.

A two-year-old economic development partnership is helping to draw attention — and investment dollars — to sustainability projects in the Great Lakes region.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/great-lakes-platform-green-projects/

Energy News Network

Minnesota cities hope climate emergency resolutions add urgency to responses

By Frank Jossi

This story was first published on the Energy News Network and was republished here with permission

St. Paul last week joined a growing list of Minnesota cities passing climate resolutions aimed at adding urgency to state and local climate actions.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/minnesota-cities-climate-resolutions/

Energy News Network

Drinking Water News Roundup: New Illinois water quality bill, Minnesota mine lease canceled, Ontario’s wetland filtration

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle. 

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area. 

Click on the headline to read the full-story: 

Illinois:  

  • IL Bill Could Impact Waters as Distant as Gulf of Mexico—Public News Service  

Legislators in Illinois are looking favorably upon a bill that may improve water quality for a large portion of the nation.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/water-quality-bill-mine-wetland/

Maya Sundaresan

Cargo, With a Side of Hornets, Flies and Crabs

By Tim Lydon, The Revelator

This story originally appeared in The Revelator and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

In July 2021 federal agents in New Orleans abruptly ordered the 600-foot cargo ship Pan Jasmine to leave U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/cargo-invasive-species/

The Revelator

Energy News Roundup: New Indiana nuclear bill, Ontario doubles down on natural gas, Minnesota company credits renewables for low rates

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.  

Click on the headline to read the full story: 

Illinois: 

  • Illinois legislation focuses on increasing diversity in wind and solar projects – The State Journal-Register 

Aiming to increase diversity in wind and solar jobs, a proposed measure in the Illinois General Assembly would require more transparent reporting on the level of participation of minority-owned businesses in clean energy jobs. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/energy-news-roundup-nuclear-bill-natural-gas/

Natasha Blakely

Biden’s First Year: An infrastructure win, but climate and justice plans struggle

In November 2020, shortly after President Joe Biden was elected, Great Lakes Now talked with University of Detroit Mercy  associate professor Nick Schroeck about the opportunities and challenges facing the president-elect. 

Schroeck is an environmental law attorney and urban policy expert who has a background in transboundary legal issues between the U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/bidens-first-year/

Gary Wilson

Great Lakes Water Authority monitoring Detroit River for algal bloom threat

As the Great Lakes experience more harmful algal blooms due to climate change, real time monitoring of drinking water for toxins is becoming increasingly urgent.  

Warm water temperatures, increased rainfall and fertilizer run-off from farm fields are providing fuel for blooms that can taint water. 

This spring, a floating sensor for monitoring drinking water drawn from the Detroit River will begin giving real-time data on potentially toxic blue-green algae, along with other water quality data such as temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen.  

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/detroit-river-algal-bloom-threat/

Sharon Oosthoek

Visit a Lighthouse: Explore history in one of the many preserved lighthouses around the Great Lakes

Go right to the list of lighthouses here. 

For Patrick McKinstry, his love of lighthouses began when he was 4 or 5 years old.  

He was on a family trip at the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City, Michigan, and asking his mother what it was and if he could go in. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/visit-a-lighthouse/

Natasha Blakely

Some communities in Michigan opt out of fluoridation

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Danielle James, Great Lakes Echo

Even as community water systems are praised by the state for maintaining fluoride levels, others are still holding out.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by about 25% in children and adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/communities-michigan-fluoridation/

Great Lakes Echo

Wind Turbines: Where do they cluster around the Great Lakes?

Huge breezes are commonplace around the Great Lakes, which is part of why the region makes a good location for wind turbines.

Though wind power has been utilized for centuries, it has only been harnessed as a widespread alternative energy source as recently as the 1990s.

In 2016, the United States Geological Survey began tracking wind turbines.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/wind-turbines-great-lakes/

Alex Hill

Our Latest Episode: Watch the Great Lakes Now program here

If you’re new to Great Lakes Now, find our latest episode below and ALL our monthly shows here.

If you’re a regular viewer of our monthly program on your local PBS station or our YouTube channel, thanks!

If you were looking for our show on Detroit Public Television on Wednesday, Jan.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/our-latest-episode/

GLN Editor