The peak of the pandemic brought unfamiliar free time that led many people to adopt a pet. As life returns closer to normal and in-person activities resume, these new owners continue to embrace their pandemic pets.
The post New owners hold on to pandemic pets first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/11/10/new-owners-hold-on-to-pandemic-pets/
After an unusually warm and stormy summer, the Great Lakes region has in store a “frosty flip-flop” winter, according to the 2021-22 Farmers’ Almanac forecast.
The post Farmers’ Almanac forecasts frosty Great Lakes flip-flop first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/11/10/farmers-almanac-forecasts-frosty-great-lakes-flip-flop/
The harmful effects of lead are well known. When consumed, it can damage childrens’ brains and nervous systems, stunt their growth and affect their ability to focus. Children with high levels of lead in their blood are more likely to drop out of school or have brushes with the law.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/check-lead-pipes-home/
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will soon start testing the water in 300 homes in a Michigan city where there’s been a lead crisis to check certified filters given area residents by the state to remove lead from the drinking water.
EPA officials will collect water samples in Benton Harbor, according to The Herald-Palladium.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/ap-epa-testing-water-benton-harbor-homes/
Actions to Address High Lead Levels in Drinking Water Due to Benton Harbor Residents’ Leadership
Last week 9,000 cases of water were delivered and distributed to Benton Harbor, Michigan residents by volunteers with the Benton Harbor Community Water Council. The water was provided by the state after Governor Whitmer signed an executive directive on October 14 to “coordinate all available state resources to deliver safe drinking water to residents in Benton Harbor,” where lead levels have been high for over three years. The Benton Harbor Community Water Council (BHCWC) and Freshwater Future believe this all-hands-on-deck approach provides the urgency and resources appropriate to the drinking water emergency occurring in Benton Harbor.
This action comes after years of struggle by Benton Harbor residents to be heard outside of their community in order to secure the resources needed to safeguard public health in the city from lead. Because no level of lead is safe, residents have needed alternative water, filters and educational information. Jill Ryan, Executive Director of Freshwater Future commented “we have been honored to work with residents and the BHCWC to ensure resources continued to be available in Benton Harbor to not only inform residents of the lead issue and how to protect their families, but also to work toward a resolution that returns the water system to providing safe drinking water, which is what every resident wants and should expect.” Freshwater Future supports the BHCWC in providing training, conducting community science, distributing educational information, conducting water testing, securing water filter stations in schools, and hosting community engagement.
Recently a collaboration of more than 20 community and environmental groups, led by the BHCWC, Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, People’s Water Board and National Resources Defense Council petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to step in and help Benton Harbor. This action and the attention it garnered, finally pushed the struggle into national and state focus. We thank all of those groups for their leadership in this effort. Reverend Edward Pinkney, President and CEO of the BHCWC stated, “after years of struggle to raise awareness, I am happy we were able to work together to achieve this declaration. The BHCWC and our allies will be here to ensure that these statements are followed with action to safeguard the health of the people of Benton Harbor.”
After three years of being out of compliance with the water standards set by the state of Michigan at 15 ppb of lead, massive attention from the public and the government is creating new found support for the BHCWC. The group has championed the work the past three years to ensure their neighbors’ safety and their access to clean and safe water. Governor Whitmer’s announcement invokes a sense of urgency to pool resources from the state to provide clean and accessible water.
The BHCWC has been working tirelessly to support the community and provide education to its residents. While the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy recently stated there is “in general an improvement overall,” we have seen no evidence of such improvement. We look forward to working with the state to understand where improvements to the lead situation exist and where there are opportunities to improve further.
Reverend Pinkney requested the state, on behalf of the BHCWC, to tell residents directly that the water is unsafe to drink currently, and therefore they should utilize bottled water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula. Finally, the state under pressure made the announcement that residents should use bottled water on October 21.
Residents working through the BHCWC have been steering the way information, water and filters are distributed in the community by listening to the needs of the community. As the resources provided by the government are certainly positive, the resources they provide will be most effective if they listen to and work with community groups like the BHCWC. Community groups are in the best position to continue to lead the good work from the residents’ perspective. Working together to alleviate water insecurity can be an example of how the government and community collaborate for the most effective outcome for the residents living with unsafe water.
The U.S. EPA is conducting a study starting the week of November 8 on faucet filters designed to remove lead to determine the efficacy for removing lead in Benton Harbor’s water. One-hundred homes will have water samples analyzed before and after filter use.
Benton Harbor residents have continued to be resilient in their efforts to ensure the safety of fellow residents’, and show no signs of giving up. “Benton Harbor residents have created solutions to educate and keep people safe in the community over the past three years, and those efforts should continue to lead this work. What will certainly help are the resources and the expertise the state can bring to bear on this problem,” said Benton Harbor City Commissioner MaryAlice Adams.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/drinking-water/actions-to-address-high-lead-levels-in-drinking-water-due-to-benton-harbor-residents-leadership/
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota pollution officials on Monday released a proposed impaired waters list for 2022, an update that included the addition of 15 northeastern and central Minnesota water bodies where fish have been contaminated with long-lasting chemicals.
The 15 were added due to contamination with a family of widely used chemicals known as PFAS, sometimes called “forever chemicals “due to their inability to break down.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/ap-minnesota-pollution-officials-impaired-waters/
By John Flesher, Associated Press
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. and Canada will discuss the future of an oil pipeline that crosses part of the Great Lakes and is the subject of rising tension over whether it should be shut down, the White House said Monday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/white-ap-house-michigan-pipeline-canada/
By Kelly House and Jonathan Oosting, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/benton-harbor-water-response-poor-messaging/
Environmental groups say they hope that a new Environmental Protection Agency administrator for the Great Lakes region works to restore infrastructure while revitalizing an agency they say is depleted and demoralized.
The post Great Lakes groups hope EPA regional administrator revitalizes infrastructure, morale first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/11/09/great-lakes-groups-hope-epa-regional-administrator-revitalizes-infrastructure-morale/
“The legend lives on…”
Nov. 10 has been an unassailable part of Great Lakes culture and history since 1975 when the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior with its entire crew of 29 and was immortalized in the famous song by Gordon Lightfoot.
The ship went down in Lake Superior, near Whitefish Point, but it’s a piece of history that connects people all around the region who care about the lakes and their history or have experienced their own loss.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/edmund-fitzgerald-shipwreck-memorial-service-2021/
Water levels on lakes Erie and St. Clair remain well above average, leaving vulnerable shoreline areas at risk. Average daily levels on Lake Erie at the beginning of November were around 174.71 m, which is down about 43 cm from last year’s peak daily average record set at the end of May. Read the full story by Chatham Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-lake-levels
A recent study by Central Michigan University professors and students examined ring-billed gull travel patterns at several Lake Michigan beaches in Michigan’s Ottawa and Muskegon counties. Ring-billed gulls travel between populated beaches and human waste sites like landfills and water treatment plants, carrying human pathogens with them. Read the full story by Capital News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-gulls-birds
Researchers at Michigan State University are collecting data on Great Lakes shorelines, including how residents view coastlines and the impact of high water levels. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-shoreline
News and history of regulatory violations should result in alarms to immediately shut down Pipeline 5 in Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac. The question isn’t if an oil pipeline will become a problem, but when. Read the full story by Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-line-5-oil
There have been large botulism kills of birds in Lake Huron and Lake Erie since 1998. It killed many birds in Georgian Bay in October 2011 and October 2012, and again this October. Read the full story by Orillia Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-algae-botulism
Oaktree Capital Management LP and American Industrial Partners are exploring a sale of the Great Lakes marine transportation company Rand Logistics, which could fetch more than $1 billion, including debt, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Read the full story by Bloomberg.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-transportation-shipping
Oaktree Capital Management LP and American Industrial Partners are exploring a sale of the Great Lakes marine transportation company Rand Logistics, which could fetch more than $1 billion, including debt, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Read the full story by Bloomberg.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-transportation-shipping
Students in Careerline Tech Center’s Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies program are exploring the issue of microplastics by collecting samples from six beaches along Lake Michigan in Michigan’s Ottawa County, from Grand Haven State Park to Holland State Park. Read the full story by Holland Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-plastic
Students in Careerline Tech Center’s Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies program are exploring the issue of microplastics by collecting samples from six beaches along Lake Michigan in Michigan’s Ottawa County, from Grand Haven State Park to Holland State Park. Read the full story by Holland Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-plastic
Residents in Pellston, MI can expect another round of water testing as the state Department of Health and Human Services looks to see how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance levels have fluctuated. Read the full story by Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-pfas
Residents in Pellston, MI can expect another round of water testing as the state Department of Health and Human Services looks to see how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance levels have fluctuated. Read the full story by Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-pfas
For the first time since 1983, a U.S.-flagged freighter has been constructed on the Great Lakes. Fincatieri Bay Shipbuilding, based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, built the 639-foot vessel for the Great Lakes’ own Interlake Steamship Company, whose roots trace back more than a century, to 1913. Read the full story by the Northern Express.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-shipping
The popular SS Badger is away from her home for a bit for a long-awaited sprucing up. The U.S. Coast Guard requires the ship to be inspected every five years. The Badger last made the trip to Sturgeon Bay in 2015, but because of her fresh-water operations and seasonality, Interlake Steamship Company, the ferry’s parent company, received an extension for an additional year. Read the full story by Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-ship-inspection
The Viking cruise line has announced new expedition cruises in 2023 that include a two-week cruise on the Great Lakes and a 16-day cruise on the St. Lawrence River and Atlantic coast. Read the full story by Cruise Fever.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211108-cruises
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202110
Sharon displays the Greek-Style Lake Whitefish, sizzling in the pan. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
For the latest “dish” about Great Lakes fish, you’ll want to listen to “The Fish Dish.” The podcast, co-hosted by longtime coworkers and friends Sharon Moen and Marie Zhuikov, introduces you to the people behind Wisconsin’s fishing and aquaculture industries. Each episode includes a “Fish-o-licious” section where Moen and Zhuikov cook a new fish recipe.
The first episode features Craig Hoopman, a sixth-generation commercial fisherman from Bayfield, Wisconsin. Hoopman shares his beginnings in the business, current challenges, plus his dreams for the future. Also, Eat Wisconsin Fish Outreach Specialist Moen and Science Communicator Zhuikov share their backgrounds in fishing and introduce listeners to the Eat Wisconsin Fish campaign. During the “Fish-o-licious” part of the show, they cook Greek-Style Lake Whitefish at Hoopman’s recommendation.
Tying it all together is ska music by Twin Ports band, Woodblind.
The post The Fish Dish: New Podcast Mixes Friends, Fun and Food first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/the-fish-dish-new-podcast-mixes-friends-fun-and-food/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-fish-dish-new-podcast-mixes-friends-fun-and-food
This story is the third in a four-part series looking at sturgeon restoration efforts.
Lake sturgeon restoration efforts are taking place across the Great Lakes basin.
But what that restoration looks like is entirely dependent on location and other factors, such as whether or not any lake sturgeon remain in the area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/sturgeon-restoration-starting-anew-in-sturgeon-and-saginaw-bays/
CONTACT:
Jordan Lubetkin, LubetkinJ@nwf.org, (734) 904-1589
Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, (734) 887-7113
Coalition: ‘We hope that today’s vote to bolster our nation’s water infrastructure provides momentum for taking action on climate change.’
Ann Arbor, Mich. (November 6, 2021)—The U.S. House passed a bipartisan infrastructure package last night in a 228 to 206 vote that boosts federal investment in core Great Lakes and clean water programs, including significant investments in water infrastructure and $1 billion in additional funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed the U.S. Senate in August by a 69-30 bipartisan vote. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition encouraged federal lawmakers to use its passage as momentum to act on climate change.
“The bipartisan infrastructure bill is a victory for the Great Lakes and the millions of people who depend on them for their drinking water, health, jobs, and quality of life,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “This bill is a big step forward in addressing the water infrastructure crisis threatening our communities. We’ve seen the positive impact that federal investments in the Great Lakes and clean water have had on the region. These infrastructure investments will allow for this important work to continue and provide much-needed help to the communities that have been most impacted by pollution. We thank members of Congress for supporting this vital bill and urge President Biden to sign it into law.”
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act now heads to President Joe Biden. Once signed into law, the bill will invest $1.2 trillion for infrastructure work, including authorizing $35 billion in water infrastructure investments over five years, supplemented by over $62 billion in additional appropriations to augment critical infrastructure programs and address public health threats.
The investments in the bill will help address the water infrastructure crisis in the region and across the country. The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, according to the EPA, need more than $188 billion over 20 years to update their drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. (This chart contains the water infrastructure needs of each state.)
This Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will address:
The act also advances ecosystem restoration efforts, improving the resilience of our communities and protecting our waters through:
This funding is a significant step forward in protecting communities throughout the Great Lakes region, and the bill contains many priorities of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.
The Coalition is also urging Congress to use the passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as a catalyst to take significant action to address the climate crisis and to boost investments that help communities prepare for, and respond to, impacts due to climate change – so-called climate resilience –as currently being considered under the Build Back Better framework.
The extreme weather, more frequent and severe flooding, and erosion being driven by climate change is straining the region’s and nation’s inadequate water infrastructure, harming communities, hurting the economy, and jeopardizing the health of people.
“Confronting the climate crisis goes hand in hand with protecting and restoring the Great Lakes,” said Rubin. “We hope that today’s vote to bolster our nation’s water infrastructure provides momentum for taking action on climate change. We urge Congress to quickly reach agreement on legislation that confronts the climate crisis and provide the tools and resources communities so desperately need to protect themselves from the devastating economic, environmental and public health impacts of climate change. We have solutions, and it is time to use them before the problems get worse and more costly.”
Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 170 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at HealthyLakes.org or follow us on Twitter @HealthyLakes.
The post Coalition Applauds Passage of House Bill with Billions for Water Infrastructure, $1B for Great Lakes Restoration appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.
Healing Our Waters Coalition
https://healthylakes.org/coalition-applauds-passage-of-house-bill-with-billions-for-water-infrastructure-1b-for-great-lakes-restoration/
Chicago, IL (November 6, 2021) – Late last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill). In response, Alliance for the Great Lakes Director of Federal Relations Don Jodrey released the following statement:
“We are encouraged to see the House pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which will become law upon President Biden’s signature. The bill includes major funding commitments that will benefit the Great Lakes states and its citizens – including $62 billion for water infrastructure improvements nationwide over the next five years and $1 billion for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
More specifically, we are happy to see increased funding for clean water and drinking water state revolving funds ($37.2 billion); lead service line replacement ($15 billion); and PFAS mitigation ($10 billion). We appreciate the bipartisan negotiations in the Senate that produced this important piece of legislation.
Everyone in the United States deserves access to safe, clean and affordable drinking water. While this bill will certainly help that goal become reality, there is more to be done: The U.S. EPA has estimated that $188 billion over the next 20 years will be needed for improvements, upgrades and repairs to water infrastructure in the Great Lakes states alone. The cost to fully replace every lead service line in the country is estimated at $45 billion, which exceeds the funds made available by both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and Build Back Better legislation.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes remains committed to working with the Biden administration and members of Congress to ensure that funding for this important work is fully secured and that our precious natural resources are restored and protected for future generations.”
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Media contact: Please connect with our media team at TeamGreatLakes@mrss.com.
The post Statement on House Passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2021/11/statement-on-house-passage-of-the-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill/
THIS WEEK: All About Water’s Convening Returns Beginning of Next Year + Michigan Governor Using State’s Purchasing Power to Reduce PFAS + It’s at the Tap that Drinking Water Must Be Safe!
Freshwater Future’s All About Water convening in October was incredibly impactful. The focus was how communities can access federal water funds that are coming due to COVID-19, what the processes require, how residents can participate in the process and more. We are especially grateful for a community-oriented State Revolving Fund 101 session that helped provide the basics of how these federal funds pass to states and are then utilized by municipalities. Keep your eyes peeled for information in the coming months about additional convenings in 2022. Remember to check out our Events page for a variety of future opportunities!
Governor Whitmer recently issued an executive order requiring state purchasing to prioritize products not containing PFAS. Although just a step in the right direction, it is a step we can all take. Ensuring we use our personal spending power to move companies to prioritize elimination of PFAS in their products is a great way to create personal impact while we also push for the needed regulations to control, ban and clean up these toxic chemicals.
Chicago is estimated to have one of the largest inventory of lead lines within its drinking water infrastructure in the country. Yet Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was quoted as saying “the water that we push out is pure and good.” And while that may be a true statement for what comes out of the plant, the problem with lead lines is that the water from the plant picks up contaminants like lead on the trip to the faucet. At the end of the day, what every resident wants and deserves is clean, safe and affordable water at their tap, regardless of what may be at the plant.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/freshwater-weekly/freshwater-future-weekly-november-5-2021/
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Shortly after sunrise on a recent Saturday in Benton Harbor, Michigan, residents began lining up for free bottled water so they could drink and cook without fear of the high levels of lead in the city’s tap water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/ap-michigan-benton-harbor-lead-water-crisis-persists/
Great Lakes fish and wildlife populations would get a boost under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate. Supporters say the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act will provide critical resources to conserve and restore fish and wildlife populations across the region. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-legislation
DETROIT (AP) — The state of Michigan said Friday it agreed pay $300,000 to settle wrongful discharge claims by the only employee who was fired as a result of lead-contaminated water in Flint.
The deal with Liane Shekter Smith, who was head of the state’s drinking water division, came weeks after an arbitrator said she was wrongly fired in 2016 by officials who were likely looking for a “public scapegoat” in one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/ap-michigan-pay-300k-staffer-fired-flint/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/michigan-environmental-leader-flaws-benton-harbor-lead-crisis/
Maritime archaeologists with the Wisconsin Historical Society recovered a dugout wood canoe from the bottom of Lake Mendota that is believed to be approximately 1,200 years old. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-canoe
The decades-overdue overhaul of the Soo Locks is moving swiftly as the nearly $1.5 billion infrastructure project is on schedule to be completed by 2030 and will bolster commerce in Michigan and the Midwest, according to maritime industry leaders. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-soo-locks
A piping plover chick named Erie who was born in Michigan’s Maumee State Park this summer, will be spending the winter at the Detroit Zoo with the hopes of release next spring. Read the full story by WTVG-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-piping-plover
High waters have sped erosion along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline, swallowing beaches, damaging public lands, and draining homeowners’ savings. Many residents are installing shoreline barriers, but such structures are temporary and may harm downstream beaches. Read the full story by Wisconsin Watch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-shoreline
A grant worth $5.1 million was awarded for shoreline restoration at the Point Betsie Lighthouse along the Lake Michigan coast in northern Michigan. Read the full story by Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-lighthouse
Since October, the water temperatures on all five of the Great Lakes have hovered at record-high autumn levels, about five to six degrees above average. The record-warm water temperatures over the Great Lakes fit into a pattern of warming lakes all over the planet. Read the full story by the Washington Post.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-warmer-waters
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive meant to strengthen Michigan’s water laws and policies amid the state’s latest drinking water crisis in Benton Harbor. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-water-laws
Line 5 pipelines are an environmental ticking time bomb pumping oil nearly 20 years past their intended lifespan in raging currents at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac that join Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-line-5
Even though the changing leaves were late this year, towns along Lake Huron still feature trees vibrant with yellows, reds and oranges. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-fall-colors
Lake Erie’s harmful algal bloom season dragged on this year. The 2021 cyanobacterial bloom surpassed scientists’ predictions and ended up measuring moderately severe on a HAB severity index. Read the full story by Fermont News-Messenger.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20211105-algal-blooms
The finish line is finally in view for the new Soo Lock, which was first authorized in 1986 and will help prevent the disruption of the supply chains in event of error or repairs.
“Having a new Soo Lock that has the same dimensions of the Poe and able to accommodate those largest freighters on the lakes will give us a great deal of resiliency and the ability to increase the time periods in which we do necessary repairs or maintenance or rehabilitation throughout the year,” said Lt.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/in-progress-new-soo-lock-2030-completion/
By Laura Gersony, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/climate-change-trout-streams-nation-anglers/
By Marina Villeneuve, Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New Yorkers approved a ballot measure adding the right to a clean environment to the state constitution but rejected other proposed amendments that could have made it easier to vote.
The environmental measure was one of five statewide ballot questions before New York voters Tuesday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/ap-ny-voting-reforms-environmental-right/
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan city that is urging residents not to drink tap water failed to timely warn people about high levels of lead and must make improvements at the water plant, federal regulators said Tuesday after an inspection revealed a variety of problems.
The Environmental Protection Agency said the situation was dire enough to order Benton Harbor to consider turning the water system over to someone else.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/ap-michigan-city-lead-water-fix-plant/
Fish and Wildlife Service News
Fish and Wildlife Service News
http://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ref=%0Afunding-available-for-natural-resource-restoration-in-the-saginaw-bay-&_ID=37045
More than 49,000 hunters applied to hunt Michigan elk in 2021, a record that is part of a steady decade-long rise, state wildlife officials say.
The post Record elk hunting applications fuel conservation efforts first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/11/04/record-elk-hunting-applications-fuel-conservation-efforts/
