On:
In: Daily News

The waters of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River have been strikingly green in recent weeks. The phenomenon is called a “whiting event,” which occurs when the weather warms up and water loses its ability to hold onto the dissolved calcium carbonate that naturally occurs in hard water. Read the full story by NNY 360.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200828-whiting-event

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

State officials determined that a fish kill on the Escanaba River was caused by illegally discharged pollutants from the paper mill in Delta County, Michigan. Fortunately, there appears to be no long-term harm to the river’s ecosystem. Read the full story by The Detroit News.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200828-fish-kill

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

After years of contaminated stormwater runoff being washed from the streets of Rogers City, Michigan, straight into Lake Huron, community members are now teaming up with graduate students from the University of Michigan to install new stormwater management systems. Read the full story by The Alpena News.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200828-rogers-city

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

The Army Corps of Engineers recently began restoration of more than 1,300 feet of seawall along Lake Erie at Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park in Buffalo, New York, which has deteriorated over time due to ice and wave action. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200828-rcwilson-park

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

A new study has found no traces of COVID-19 in Lake Superior along several of Duluth’s popular beaches, including Park Point. The beach testing is unique to Lake Superior beaches, and supports findings from earlier tests showing the risk of coronavirus transmission through water to be extremely low. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200828-superior-covid

Ned Willig

On:
In: Policy, water infrastructure

Today is part two in our series on Great Lakes Priorities that both major party Presidential candidates must pledge to address in order to truly stand with Great Lakes communities. Last week we looked at the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and the wonderful work it continues to do for the Great Lakes and the 30 million Americans who call the region home. This week we’ll be looking at water infrastructure and the ways that communities are impacted by a lack of funding for basic infrastructure.

Safe, affordable drinking water is a basic human need, but too many Great Lakes communities suffer from a lack of access. Among the many cracks in our infrastructure that COVID-19 has revealed, the humanitarian crisis that afflicts millions of Americans – the lack of access to safe, affordable drinking water – must be addressed by the next President.

Our current water safety and affordability woes stem from decades of under-investment in the nation’s water infrastructure. Over the past forty years, federal investments in local wastewater and drinking water infrastructure have dropped precipitously. And the results are tragic. Upwards of 16 million Americans have experienced a water shutoff, and one study predicts that by 2022, more than one-third of people in the United States will have trouble paying their water bills.

As federal funding dropped off, local authorities have had to pick up the slack, and, too often, they cannot keep up. This has resulted in cracked pipes, lead and heavy metal exposure, along with soaring maintenance costs and skyrocketing water bills for local people. Great Lakes communities, particularly low-income communities and communities of color, feel the brunt of this disinvestment through higher costs and less safe water.

The EPA estimates that fixing, updating and modernizing the region’s crumbling water infrastructure will cost up to $188 billion over the next 20 years, and that backlog grows every year that we fail to invest in our nation’s water infrastructure.

The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition is calling on the next president to create and fund an equitable plan that addresses our region’s $188 billion backlog in drinking water, wastewater and storm water infrastructure to ensure that all people have safe, clean and affordable drinking water.

America is at a crossroads, and together we can choose to bequeath to future generations a thriving water system where access to clean water is something that no one has to go without. That future can be ours with equitable investments that make sure that communities that have borne the brunt of decades of disinvestment are heard first and foremost.

But time is of the essence. Every year that passes without a solution is one more year of risk for thousands of water systems that are in need of maintenance. Sewage overflows, corroded pipes, and lead poisoning are just some of the consequences that communities are dealing with and will continue to deal with, so long as this infrastructure backlog is left unaddressed.

It’s time for both Joe Biden and Donald Trump to pledge to stand with Great Lakes communities and communities across America. It’s time for them to pledge to work with Congress on a realistic, actionable and equitable plan to deal with what America has put off for too long, including a tripling of federal investments, to start. America’s communities can’t wait.

The post A Great Lakes Water Infrastructure Plan for the 2020s appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/a-great-lakes-water-infrastructure-plan-for-the-2020s/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: Uncategorized
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON... The National Weather Service in Green Bay has expanded the * Flash Flood Watch to include portions of central Wisconsin and northeast Wisconsin, including the following areas, in central Wisconsin, Portage and Wood. In northeast Wisconsin, Brown, Kewaunee, Outagamie and Waupaca.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F5F2F59D8.FlashFloodWatch.125F5F301620WI.GRBFFAGRB.3e48530399edd3ee5a2f2e60adee93d9

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

On:
In: Daily News

Ohio far and away leads all states when it comes to spending money on the fight against harmful algae, with $815 million in documented expenses over the past decade, 70 percent of what all 50 states have spent, according to a report issued Wednesday by a national environmental group. Read and view the full story by Toledo Blade.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-ohio-algae

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, was recently awarded a $137.1 million dollar loan from the federal government for its construction project to switch the city’s municipal water source to Lake Michigan, due to high radium levels. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-wisconsin-water-supply

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The deepwater Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan is unloading the primary shipments for a $1 billion power plant at the Indeck Niles Energy Center in Niles, Michigan. Stevedores at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor are handling more than 600 individual pieces of cargo, some of which are 100-feet long and weigh more than 600,000 pounds. Read the full story by The Northwest Indiana Times.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-indiana-harbor-power-plant

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

After approving hundreds of wind turbines and solar arrays, the state of Michigan is looking to bolster its renewable energy offerings by seeking proposals for up to $200,000 in matching funding for the creation of an energy storage roadmap for the state. Read the full story by dbusiness.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-michigan-renewable-energy

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The Detroit Zoological Society’s Piping Plover Captive Rearing Program began nearly 20 years ago, but never has it had the impact it did in 2020, when 39 of Detroit Zoo-reared shoreline birds were released in Northern Michigan. Read the full story by the Mlive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-piping-plover

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

Under the Great Lakes revitalization program and after four decades and $460M of expenditures, the Rochester embayment area once deemed ‘severely polluted’ is improving; the revitalization of the Rochester embayment is one out of 43 locations on the Great Lakes that were first identified nearly four decades ago as severely polluted by the governments of the United States and Canada. Read the full story by Democrat and Chronicle.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-lake-ontario-pollution

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The Dearborn (Michigan) City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday aimed at reducing air pollution from industrial debris after a nearly two-year push by members of the community; the ordinance seeks to limit the amount of airborne dust from industrial sites and trucks hauling industrial materials. Read the full story by The Detroit News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-michigan-air-pollution

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Surface Water Assessment Section (EGLE) developed a work plan to sample algae blooms and shoreline deposits in an effort to help better understand water quality issues and factors affecting the beaches’ quality. Read to the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-water-quality-michigan

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

Stantec is undertaking the next stage of a multi-year planning, preliminary design and environmental assessment process to determine how to best overhaul or replace the declining century-old swing bridge that connects Manitoulin Island to the mainland of Ontario. Read the full story by Northern Ontario Business.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-manitoulin-bridge-ontario

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan has been allotted $205,000 for the goal of delisting the Ontario harbour that spans between Burlington and Hamilton as an area of concern due to environmental degradation. Read the full story by Simcoe Reformer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200827-ontario-waterfront-restoration

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Uncategorized
...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... At 924 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near New London, or 15 miles east of Waupaca, moving east at 35 mph. Winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Appleton, Menasha, Kaukauna, Little Chute, New London, Kimberly,

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F5F204100.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F5F20648CWI.GRBSPSGRB.37d3280660d800ccc87a1b7b0d248350

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

On:
In: Uncategorized

Trash picked up anywhere can help us have cleaner beaches and lakes everywhere.

While the journey of a piece of trash can be as short as a few feet – from a hand to the beach – some trash can travel miles via storm sewers before it hits the shore. Storm sewers throughout the region that drain toward the Great Lakes can become highways for the bottle caps, cigar tips, cigarette butts, and straws that are among the top 10 items found at Adopt-a-Beach cleanups.

How trash travels from street to shore

While the majority of beach litter is left by beach goers, research has found that rivers and streams flowing into the Great Lakes also transport trash.

During storm events, litter left on streets is washed into storm drains. Those drains don’t always go to wastewater treatment plants. Sometimes they empty directly into nearby streams and rivers or even into the lakes. Especially likely to become traveling trash are the small broken bits of plastic and styrofoam that are the number one item Adopt-a-Beach volunteers find.

Neighborhood cleanups help keep beaches clean

This year Adopt-a-Beach volunteers have the option to join cleanups on the beaches of the Great Lakes and in their own neighborhoods, whether that’s a city block, suburban cul-de-sac, country road, or anywhere in between.

For some, the COVID-19 pandemic is one reason to organize a neighborhood cleanup. Many people have a desire to volunteer, but this year they have to balance that desire with keeping themselves and their families safe.

“But organizing  community cleanups is about more than the pandemic,” says Tyrone Dobson, the Alliance’s Senior Volunteer Engagement Manager. “It’s also the result of broader thinking about stopping litter at its source.”

Others around the country are also thinking about litter more broadly. For example, this year the California Coastal Commission declared “beach cleanups start at your door,” encouraging participants to clean their neighborhoods to help protect the Pacific coast.

“Very few good things have come out of the past year,” says Volunteer Engagement Associate Olivia Reda. “But one positive is that the pandemic has made us think about how we can share the good with the most people. If neighborhood cleanups are a way we do that, then that’s a victory.”

The post Trash picked up anywhere can help clean beaches everywhere appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2020/08/trash-picked-up-anywhere-can-help-clean-beaches-everywhere/

Judy Freed

On:
In: fox locks, Fox Locks in the News, fox locks visitor center, fox river locks, Important information, Press Releases, Visitor Center

This is an update on action taken at the board of directors’ recent meeting.

The board of directors of the Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA) voted to stop the development of a visitor center slated for construction at lock three located near Appleton’s Lawe Street. Plans had called for developing an interpretive center chronicling the history of the lock system in a multi-use building adjacent to the lock. The unanimous vote was taken at the board’s monthly meeting August 25, 2020.

Leaders of FRNSA cited the economic uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic as the catalyst for suspending development plans.

“Interpretive centers and museums across the country are either shut down or operating on reduced hours due to the pandemic,” said Jeremy Cords, CEO of FRNSA. “It is not responsible to invest substantial sums of money into this development when we are facing economic uncertainty and prolonged social distancing.” The visitor center had been proposed as a major destination for school and tour groups. 

Cords and other board members also reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to completing research necessary to re-open the closed Menasha lock. The authority is currently conducting research on the effects of water velocity and an electronic barrier on the life cycle of the invasive round goby. The research is expected to affirm that an electronic barrier installed at the Menasha lock will be effective in preventing the round goby from entering the Lake Winnebago watershed through the Menasha lock. The total cost of this research project is estimated at $120,000. 

“Our first responsibility is to maintain access to the lock system,” Cords said. “We are passionate about sharing the living history of the lock system with state residents and with maintaining the environmental beauty of the Fox River by keeping the locks open and functioning.”             

Of the 17 locks on the lower Fox River, all have been restored and are in working order. Currently, nine of the locks are open for approximately 25 miles of navigation on the river.  The five Kaukauna locks are expected to open in 2021 when repairs to the Veterans Memorial lift Bridge in downtown Kaukauna are complete. The Menasha lock was closed in 2015 by request of the Wisconsin DNR to prevent the round goby from reaching Lake Winnebago through the lock.

Original Article

Blog – Fox Locks

Blog – Fox Locks

http://foxlocks.org/2020/08/27/visitor-center-plans-cancelled-round-goby-research-continues/

Fox Locks

On:
In: Uncategorized
...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... At 740 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking thunderstorms between Clintonville and Rose Lawn, moving east at 35 mph. Winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Green Bay, Clintonville, Black Creek, Embarrass, Bellevue Town,

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F5F1FF984.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F5F201C48WI.GRBSPSGRB.7520cb428c3c67ad07be789df893eb3c

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

On:
In: Drinking Water, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Water Withdrawals, Wisconsin
Lake Michigan Water Pipeline: Waukesha receives federal loan for water supply project

The city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, was recently awarded a $137.1 million dollar loan from the federal government for its construction project to switch the city’s municipal water source to Lake Michigan. Andrew Wheeler, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced the loan on August 12 in Waukesha alongside Mayor Shawn Reilly.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/lake-michigan-pipeline-waukesha-water-supply-project/

Emily Simroth

On:
In: Daily News

Michigan’s new permit requirements for using animal waste as cropland fertilizer go too far, according to a new lawsuit filed by livestock producers and the Michigan Farm Bureau. The new permitting is meant to “reduce the impact that animal waste has on the health of the Great Lakes, inland lakes and rivers.” Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-manure

Beth Wanamaker

On:
In: flint, Freshwater Weekly, Grant Opportunities, New York, waterislife, wearelakeerie

August 20, 2020

This week: Flint Children Beneficiaries of Legal Settlement + New York’s Environmental Justice Communities Eligible for New Water Infrastructure Project Financial Incentives + The 2020 Water Is Life Festival Goes Virtual Sept 5 and 6th + The Great Waterspout Outbreak of 2020 + Show Your Lake Erie Love on Social Media, August 26th with #WeAreLakeErie + Fall Project Grants Due September 30!

Flint Children Beneficiaries of Legal Settlement

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office announced the Flint Water Crisis victims will receive an anticipated $600 million settlement from the State of Michigan. The funds will be primarily directed to Flint children harmed from the exposure of lead contaminated water. While Freshwater Future is happy to see that some responsibility is being taken by the state, we know that this will not make Flint residents whole, and we will support their efforts to ensure the needed resources become available.

New York’s Environmental Justice Communities Eligible for New Water Infrastructure Project Financial Incentives

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced changes to New Yorks’ financing tools giving priority to water infrastructure projects that provide critical financial assistance to disproportionately affected low-income and disadvantaged communities that have historically faced some of the worst environmental impacts from years of neglect and disinvestment. New York’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund will provide zero- and low- interest loan incentives to support critical water infrastructure that protect the environment and public health.

The 2020 Water Is Life Festival Goes Virtual Sept 5 and 6th

The Annual Water is Life Festival celebrates our connection to the water and builds power through community to protect water resources. This year’s live-stream event encompasses music, art, youth activities, as well as poignant discussions on water equity. The Water is Life Festival is free-of-charge and open to the public. For event information and to register, visit their info page.

The Great Waterspout Outbreak of 2020

Great Lakes water temperatures have climbed high under the scorching sun this summer. Recent cold fronts that have passed over these warm waters in conjunction with changing wind direction resulted in a massive waterspout outbreak.  During the week of August 10, 84 waterspouts were spotted around the Great Lakes, crushing the previous record in 2013 at 67.

Show Your Lake Erie Love on Social Media, August 26th with #WeAreLakeErie 

As western Lake Erie continues to be plagued by annual—and sometimes toxic—algal blooms, Ontarians and Americans are being asked to join in a social media rallying cry for urgent action to protect the lake and, along with it, drinking water for millions of people. People can participate in this 4th annual social media event by sharing Lake Erie stories and photos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook with the hashtag #WeAreLakeErie to help create a virtual wave of support for the lake to demonstrate to decision-makers the important role the lake plays in the lives of so many people. The event was created in 2017 by three Canadian environmental organizations: Environmental Defence Canada, Canadian Freshwater Alliance, and Freshwater Future Canada. Anyone who participates will be entered into a draw to win a custom “I Love My Lake” tee.

Fall Project Grants Due September 30! 

For 25 years, Freshwater Future has provided grants to community and grassroots groups supporting advocacy efforts to protect or improve drinking water, rivers, lakes, wetlands, shorelines, and groundwater in the Great Lakes region.  Check-out Freshwater Future’s 2020 grant opportunities guidelines to see if your organization is eligible.  Visit our website for additional information: https://freshwaterfuture.org/grants/freshwater-future-grants/

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-august-26-2020-2/

Alexis Smith

On:
In: Daily News

On August 12, six swimmers emerged from Lake Michigan in Ludington in wetsuits, goggles, and swim caps. They completed a 54-mile swim relay-style across Lake Michigan and in record time with the entire journey clocked in at 20 hours and 50 minutes. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-epic-swim

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Daily News

A $75 million effort to remove contaminated sediment from waters near a former U.S. Steel mill was approved Monday night, the latest step in a decades long endeavor to clean up the St. Louis River estuary in the western part of the city. Read the full story by the Duluth Star Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-Duluth-clean

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Daily News

The research has been going on for almost 2 months as members from Sea Grant and the Medical School at University Minnesota Duluth try to find out if COVID-19 is present in the waters of popular swimming areas like the beaches around Duluth. Read the full story by KXRM-TV-Duluth, MN.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-COVID

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Daily News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, has awarded a $7 million contract to replace World War II-era valves at the Soo Locks. J.F Ryba Marine Construction Co. of Cheboygan will replace the tainter valves for the MacArthur Lock. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-Soo-Locks

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Daily News

An airboat tour in Saginaw County Tuesday drew attention to a federal program that helps with wetlands restoration projects in Michigan. During the tour on Tuesday U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, and others saw how the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Ducks Unlimited used funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore 1,200 acres of wetlands in the game area. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-airboat-tour

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Daily News

When elected Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer made it clear that Michigan would take a leadership role on Great Lakes issues. Fast forward to the release of her first State of the Great Lakes report last week and in it she positions Michigan as a regional and national leader on drinking water issues. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-SOGL

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Call to Action, contamination, COVID-19, epa, Freshwater Weekly, Grant Opportunities, New York, takeaction

August 06, 2020

This week: U.S. EPA Weakens Rules for Toxic Waste Ponds for Coal-fired Power Plants + New York Adds Water Safeguards To Remove Emerging Contaminants + Action Request–Ask Legislators to Include Water Service in COVID Relief Package + Apply for a Freshwater Future Grant Today

U.S. EPA Weakens Rules for Toxic Waste Ponds for Coal-fired Power Plants

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted rules that  favor electric utilities extending the use  of toxic coal ash ponds for decades. A recent assessment found 91 percent of the ponds are leaching contaminants into drinking water and groundwater. The new regulations are filled with loopholes; some coal ash ponds will remain until 2038 though the initial cleanup deadline was set for 2021. With majority coal ash ponds surrounding Environmental Justice communities, who regardless of race, color, national origin or income are entitled to equal protection from environmental harms and risks, will face health consequences.

New York Adds Water Safeguards For Some Emerging Contaminants

Testing standards are raised in New York to address three emerging contaminants found in drinking water – PFOA, PFOS (“forever chemicals”), and 1,4-dioxane. All water systems are required to test for these harmful chemicals and remove them from the drinking water if above the new standards (10 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS and 1 part per billion for 1,4-dioxane). Although we understand there is more to be done around the many other emerging contaminants, Freshwater Future applauds all the organizations and community members that worked to improve regulations on water quality.

Comparison Chart of State and Canadian Protections

Take Action:  Ask Legislators to Include Water Service in COVID Relief Package

Handwashing is our first line of defense against the spread of COVID-19, and access to clean and safe tap water is a basic human need to protect individuals, families and communities. Please urge your Congresspeople to include the following in the COVID relief package:

  • A national moratorium on water shutoffs and the restoration of residential water services;

  • $50 million in grants to address the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 in environmental justice communities;

  • $12.5 billion in grants to restore or keep water access for communities facing shut offs or toxic water; and

  • $35 billion in funding for waste and drinking water utilities for infrastructure improvements that could create up to nearly one million jobs across the country.

No one should have to worry about how they will wash their hands and masks, cook their food, and get their drinking water. Please take action today.

Apply for a Freshwater Future Grant Today

For 25 years, Freshwater Future has provided grants to community and grassroots groups supporting advocacy efforts to protect or improve drinking water, rivers, lakes, wetlands, shorelines, and groundwater in the Great Lakes region. Check-out Freshwater Future’s 2020 grant opportunities guidelines to see if your organization is eligible. The deadline for Fall Project grant applications is September 30, 2020. Want to learn more? Join us for an informal webinar on August 19, 2020 at noon, register here.

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-august-26-2020/

Alexis Smith

On:
In: Island Basketball, Island Basketball - Feature, Latest News, News, Recreation, Tourism and Culture
Travel Teams: How do Great Lakes island schools get their athletes to games?

Just getting to and from away basketball games can be a challenge.

Great Lakes Now followed four teams at the Great Lakes Islands Basketball Tournament  last year. See the multimodal transportation it takes to get them to the hard court:

But will the 2020 tournament happen?

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/travel-great-lakes-island-schools-games/

GLN Editor

On:
In: Island Basketball, Island Basketball - Feature, Latest News, News, Ohio, put-in-bay, Recreation, Tourism and Culture
Announcer: Put-in-Bay School basketball team plays in honor of beloved announcer

When the Put-In-Bay School girls and boys basketball teams played this past season, it was without one of their biggest fans.

A few months earlier, the community’s beloved announcer, Patrick Myers, took his own life.

“He’s the reason that we play so hard,” said Senior Hannah Lentz, who told Great Lakes Now about him during the second annual Great Lakes Islands Basketball Tournament, a competition between four small island schools.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/put-in-bay-school-basketball-team-beloved-announcer/

GLN Editor

On:
In: AP, COVID-19, epa, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, News, regulations, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Thousands allowed to bypass environmental rules in pandemic

By Ellen Knickmeyer, Cathy Bussewitz, John Flesher, Matthew Brown and Michael Casey, Associated Press Writers

Thousands of oil and gas operations, government facilities and other sites won permission to stop monitoring for hazardous emissions or otherwise bypass rules intended to protect health and the environment because of the coronavirus outbreak, The Associated Press has found.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-thousands-allowed-bypass-environmental-rules-pandemic/

The Associated Press

On:
In: Algae Blooms, Asian carp, Drinking Water, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Gary Wilson, Great Lakes, harmful algal blooms, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, invasive species, lake erie, Latest News, line 5, Michigan, News, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Michigan’s State of the Great Lakes: Drinking water quality garners spotlight

In her first regional appearance after taking office in January 2019, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made it clear that Michigan would take a leadership role on Great Lakes issues.

“Michigan has to lead on Great Lakes issues,” Whitmer told Great Lakes Now after speaking to fellow Great Lakes governors and Canadian premiers and the broader Great Lakes community in Milwaukee.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/michigan-state-great-lakes-drinking-water-quality/

Gary Wilson

On:
In: Daily News

Keeping a 64-year-old oil pipeline in operation by running one portion through a proposed Great Lakes tunnel would safeguard the economy and energy supplies, supporters said Monday at a public meeting in Traverse City, Michigan, while opponents described the project as an unnecessary risk that would contribute to global warming.  Read the full story by the Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200825-enbridge-pipeline

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

Water levels in lakes Huron and Michigan — considered one lake for measurement purposes — have been consistently above 177.4 metres throughout August, beating the previous record of 177.39 set in 1986. One expert warns residents may eventually have to “move the heck out” of some hazard zones. Read the full story by the Niagara Falls Review.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200825-huron-shoreline

Jill Estrada

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In: Daily News

There’s not much that stumps researchers involved in the world’s longest-running predator/prey study on Michigan’s remote Isle Royale, but scientists made a first-time find recently when they examined a moose skeleton. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200825-isle-royale

Jill Estrada

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In: Daily News

A condition called hypoxia caused discolored water for some residents living in Cleveland, Ohio’s East Side neighborhoods, according to a news release sent on Sunday by the Cleveland Water Department. Read and view the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200825-cleveland-hypoxia

Jill Estrada