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In: coal ash, Collaboration, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Illinoisans demand stricter coal ash rules, denounce state proposal

By Kari Lydersen, Energy News Network, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network

Illinoisans voiced their fears about coal ash silently contaminating their drinking water, or coal ash impoundments failing and deluging rivers with toxic sludge, during public hearings this week.

It was the latest step in a years-long debate in Illinois, which has the nation’s second-highest number of contaminated coal ash sites, according to a 2011 study.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/illinois-coal-ash-rules-state-proposal/

Energy News Network

On:
In: Policy, Take Action

As the 2020 election fast approaches, the importance of civic participation in the election process is more important than ever. Great Lakes individuals must vote in order to make our voices heard and ensure that our elected officials are held accountable.

Below, please find state-by-state resources that will help your members vote this election cycle. Please note that the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition is a non-partisan group that does not endorse or support parties or candidates for office. All resources below are curated from publicly-facing state websites.

Illinois:

Indiana:

Minnesota:


Michigan:

New York:

Ohio:

Pennsylvania:

Wisconsin:

The post 2020 Civic Engagement Guide appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/2020-civic-engagement-guide/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, Asian carp, bighead carp, carp, silver carp, Tim Campbell

A series of online videos for fisheries managers who need to sample for invasive carp species like bighead and silver carp is now available. This unique resource—a collection of 17 videos that can be watched on YouTube—grew out of a workshop that took place in spring 2019 at Lake Barkley State Resort Park in Kentucky.

The partners behind the workshop and the resulting video series are the Mississippi River Basin Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species (MRBP), Wisconsin Sea Grant, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The videos can be found on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s YouTube channel.

Duane Chapman of the U.S. Geological Survey discusses an ichthyoplankton net and its use for silver, bighead, grass and black carp sampling. (Photo: Bonnie Willison)

The April 17-18, 2019 workshop on invasive carp species featured experts from around the country, who presented to about 65 attendees.

The MRBP funded the event, and Wisconsin Sea Grant Video Producer Bonnie Willison filmed on location in Kentucky to create the training videos, working in cooperation with Sea Grant Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Tim Campbell. Campbell also serves as the Wisconsin representative on the MRBP.

Said Campbell, “This workshop was a one-of-a-kind interagency effort to train people in the methods needed to sample for bighead and silver carp.” Those methods can be different from standard ones familiar to most U.S. fisheries professionals. For example, different gear may be needed, and the video series covers different types of gear and how to use it, among other topics.

“I’m so glad that workshop organizers had the forethought to capture this event so this knowledge could be preserved and shared with more people,” added Campbell.

The effort as a whole is aimed at more effective management of these invasive species in the waters of the Mississippi River basin, a vast watershed covering about 40% of the continental U.S. The methods demonstrated at the workshop can be used for a combination of monitoring (to know where the fish are) and control (to remove the unwanted species).

Emily Pherigo of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discusses the paupier boat and gives an overview of the equipment. (Photo: Bonnie Willison)

Bighead and silver carp are problematic because they eat a lot, grow rapidly and become quite large, with silver carp exceeding 60 lbs. and bighead carp exceeding 100 lbs. If left unchecked, they become abundant and make recreational uses of lakes and rivers difficult due to their sheer numbers. They also pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes, where they are not yet established.

The training videos may be viewed on YouTube.

Questions may be directed to Campbell at 608-263-3259 or tim.campbell@wisc.edu.

Original Article

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/training-videos-for-fisheries-managers-cover-techniques-for-sampling-invasive-carp-species/

Jennifer Smith

On:
In: Daily News

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences scored both the Western Lake Erie basin and the Western Lake Erie watershed in a report card for the year 2018. The basin scored 58%, a C+, based on indicators in water quality, fish and algal blooms. Read the full story by Farm and Dairy.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200818-erie-report

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

A draft report suggests Norfolk County, ON should adopt a piecemeal response to a changing climate. Through hundreds of specific modifications, the report says Norfolk can fortify itself against a future which climate models suggest will be warmer, wetter and punctuated with more frequent events that include drought and extremes of heat and cold. Read the full story by Simcoe Reformer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200818-norfolk-ontario-climate

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

A free app and website, Swim Guide, was developed as a part of the Swim Drink Fish initiative by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper to help people find healthy beaches, and includes E. coli and water quality results for Kingston swimming locations. Read to the full story by Kingstonist News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200818-swim-guide-water-quality

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

More than 140 businesses in shoreline communities have received a portion of $17 million from New York State’s Lake Ontario Resiliency Program; the grants were awarded to businesses affected in the eight-county area that surrounds Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Read and view the full story by Niagara Gazette.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200818-ontario-business-grants

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

Michigan regulators have rejected a plan to convert a drainage canal in suburban Detroit to a sewage overflow treatment basin on Lake St. Clair, citing residual chlorine in the treated sewage that would have made a wetland unworkable. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200818-michigan-sewer-plan

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

Bay Mills Indian Community has developed a draft watershed management plan for Michigan’s Waishkey River which is now in a review period; over five years, partners created a watershed management plan to reduce pollutants including pathogens, nutrients, pesticides, sediment and heavy metals. Read the full story by The Sault News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200818-waishkey-river-plan

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

From the Porcupine Mountains to Lime Island and Harrisville to Tawas and Van Buren state parks, the record or near-record Great Lakes water levels have impacted Michigan forcing the closure of numerous facilities including more than 20 boating access sites.  Read the full story by Daily Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200818-high-water-michigan

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

Engineers and biologists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Lake County Forest Preserve District are building an artificial reef in Lake Michigan near the Illinois shoreline. The reef is designed to restore biodiversity to Lake Michigan by providing habitat for fish, salamanders, and waterfowl. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200814-eagle-v-egle

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

Michigan’s beaches, campgrounds, and parks are seeing record numbers of visitors this summer as COVID-19 concerns draw more people outdoors to socially distanced activities. Record crowds have strained park officials and resources as they face more littering and habitat disturbance from parkgoers. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200817-park-litter

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

A decade since scientists first discovered PFAS contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan, Air Force officials say they will not commit to meeting the state’s tougher cleanup standards, frustrating local residents whose water is contaminated. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200817-oscoda

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

Fisheries biologists are searching for answers as to why the remains of dead adult lake sturgeon – a threatened species in Michigan – have washed up on shores near Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore. Scientists suspect botulism as the cause but are having difficulty proving it. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200817-sturgeon

Ned Willig

On:
In: Elise Ertl, Marie Zhuikov, Moira Harrington, Tim Campbell, Wisconsin Sea Grant summer internship 2020

By Elise Ertl, University of Wisconsin-Superior

An internship can be a gateway to someone’s future, to a better career, and the beginning of a lifelong learning opportunity. This summer, I was fortunate enough to have had one of those opportunities through the Coastal Science Communications Internship at Wisconsin Sea Grant with my mentors Marie Zhuikov, Moira Harrington and Tim Campbell.

This year, however, the internships through Sea Grant presented themselves a little differently as they were virtual due to COVID-19. Not only was this a new experience for me, but for everyone at Sea Grant. Despite not being able to meet in person, the internship remained equally educational and exciting.

Elise Ertl. Submitted photo

Throughout the internship, I was given a calendar of tasks I was expected to complete day by day. However, I did not know at the time that those tasks would lead me to learning more about science communication than I could’ve imagined. This included what seemed to be a recurring theme for me, getting my foot in the door, exploring different forms of work, and learning the processes of being a part of a communications team. There are so many parts to communication. All of those parts are intersections that connect not only the work of many people within an organization, but at the very base, connect the people themselves. After realizing just how important communication really is, it is hard to imagine where we would all be without it. This was just the beginning of my ten-week long learning process.

My first project was to write an intern news release. I had never written a news release before, but now I was going to do it for eight interns, including myself. This new and challenging endeavor gave me the opportunity to meet and learn more about all of the interns as I contacted each to hear about what they would be working on during their own internships. The intern news release got posted on the Wisconsin Sea Grant website as well as sent to their individual hometown newspapers.

As each intern’s internship continued, so did our communication. Each week, we would attend a “brown bag” meeting where all of us would share their current progress throughout their week. Afterward, just the interns would talk together to share common experiences and bounce ideas off each other. Communicating with the interns made me more aware of my own communication style and led me to become more confident reaching out to people.

As the internship went on, I became constantly reminded of the essence of time. Even when I may feel something is time-sensitive, it probably is not that way for everyone. It is just as important to be patient with people as it is to not be a pushover when it comes to contacting them, especially about interviews.

I interviewed two people over the course of the internship, which was yet another completely new skill for me. I was surprised by the amount of time it took to get an interview, do the interview and write a story. However, in this, I was able to discover what methods work best for me such as using a recorder to recall and sort through information.

Outside of writing and interviews, I was also able to learn how to create podcasts. This work was very exciting especially because of how podcasts are increasing in popularity. I learned the online software, Audacity, and how to use several pieces of recording equipment such as the Sonus iTwo audio box, microphones and headsets. As I worked on the podcasts, I was able to gradually increase in the amount I was able to do. I started initially with editing quotes and narration and, by the last Wisconsin Water News podcast, was able to make a whole podcast almost completely on my own.

Beyond my tasks, I also attended meetings and helped set up meetings as well, giving me a taste of the interworkings of an organization, while increasing my communication skills. The more you practice communication, the less scary the idea becomes.

The skills I learned in this internship are invaluable and are something I can not only apply directly to future careers, but can apply anywhere in my life. I plan to bring the knowledge and skills I have gained from working for Wisconsin Sea Grant with me wherever I go, and I will always remember the people and place who put faith, time and energy into me and guided me through the beginning of the rest of my career. For what I know now and for what I have experienced, I am forever grateful.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/one-interns-reflection/

Wisconsin Sea Grant

On:
In: Uncategorized

The Handbook seeks to empower Michigan residents to be effective watchdogs of their own water systems regarding the control of lead in public water systems. It provides over 20 sample Freedom of Information Act Requests and over 30 watchdog actions.

Read the full report here.

Original Article

News - Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

News - Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

https://www.glelc.org/our-blog/2021/9/14/glelc-releases-the-michigan-lead-and-copper-rule-handbook

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

On:
In: AP, birds, Fish, Birds and Animals, Lake Michigan, Michigan, News, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research, technology
Bald eagle shows air superiority, sends drone into lake

ESCANABA, Mich. (AP) — A bald eagle launched an aerial assault on a drone operated by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy — known as EGLE — ripping off a propeller and sending the aircraft into Lake Michigan.

The attack happened July 21, when the drone was mapping shoreline erosion near Escanaba in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to document and help communities cope with high water levels, the department said in a statement.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-bald-eagle-drone-lake-michigan/

The Associated Press

On:
In: Daily News

In a victory for nature and setback for machines, a bald eagle attacked an unsuspecting drone that was flying to survey shoreline erosion along Lake Michigan. The drone’s operators, Michigan EGLE, were unable to recover the drone and are considering ways to avoid further drone casualties. Read the full story by The Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200814-eagle-v-egle

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

Four Michigan tribes have been granted permission to participate in a regulatory case involving plans to tunnel the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. The ruling gives the tribes a new opportunity to formally assert their treaty rights. Read the full story by MiBiz.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200814-tribal-rights-line-5

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

Michigan officials are investigating a fish kill on the middle branch of the Escanaba River in the Upper Peninsula. The fish kill occurred downstream of a paper mill that recently reported a pipeline rupture at its wastewater treatment plant. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200814-fish-kill

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

Land-use change and rising lake-levels have accelerated erosion of beaches along North Shore communities in Illinois, forcing communities to seek new solutions to restore eroding coastline. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202008134-northshore-erosion

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

The Environmental Protection Agency announced it has awarded a $137 million low-interest loan to the city of Waukesha’s Lake Michigan water pipeline construction project. The loan will help offset the financial burden of pipeline construction to ratepayers. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200814-waukesha

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

Six swimmers completed a 60-mile relay swim across Lake Michigan in under 21 hours this week. The swimmers collaborated with the non-profit FLOW (For Love Of Water) to raise money and awareness for Great Lakes preservation. Read the full story by WPBN/WGTU-TV – Traverse City, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200813-epa-waukesha

Ned Willig

On:
In: Daily News

Renovations on a road damaged by shoreline erosion on the Old Mission Peninsula in Michigan are delayed due to lack of funding. The Grand Traverse County Road Commission is hoping that water levels will soon recede, making the damages easier to fix. Read the full story by WPBN/WGTU-TV – Traverse City, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200814-bluff-road

Ned Willig

On:
In: forever chemicals, Forever Chemicals Featured, Latest News, Michigan, News, PFAS, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
PFAS News Roundup: PFAS in fast food packaging, every Madison well

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/2020/08/pfas-news-roundup-pfas-in-fast-food-packaging-every-madison-well/

Samantha Cantie

On:
In: AP, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, Michigan, News, pollution, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Michigan officials investigate fish kill on Escanaba River

ESCANABA, Mich. (AP) — Michigan officials are investigating a fish kill that affected a dozen species on the middle branch of the Escanaba River in the Upper Peninsula.

The die-off was reported Aug. 9 on the 52-mile-long river, which is popular with anglers, officials said Wednesday.

It happened near Gladstone, downstream of Verso Corp.’s Escanaba Paper Mill, which the previous week had reported the rupture of a pipe at its wastewater treatment plant.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-michigan-fish-kill-escanaba-river/

The Associated Press

On:
In: Daily News

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has agreed to examine allegations that it violated the civil rights of people living near a hazardous waste processing plant on Detroit’s east side. Read the full story by the Detroit Metro Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200813-environmental-investigation

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

Michigan’s 10-cent deposit law on beer, pop and other bottles and cans, enacted in 1976, has been wildly successful in getting those receptacles recycled, though the state still lags in overall recycling. But those involved in making, distributing and collecting those bottles and cans say the law needs revamping. Read and view the full story by the Detroit Free Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200813-bottle-deposits

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

The Nature Conservancy estimates, under the Trump administration’s new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, 55 percent of remaining wetlands in Wisconsin will lose federal protection. Read and listen to the full story by WXPR- Rhinelander, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200813-wisconsin-wetlands

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

An administrative law judge granted Bay Mills Indian Community the right to intervene in the ongoing pipeline fight uniting Tribes, environmental groups and community members against oil giant Enbridge. The decision will allow Bay Mills to be a party in the contested case process evaluating Enbridge’s Michigan Public Service Commission’s permit application. Read the full story by Earth Justice.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200813-enbridge-pipeline

Jill Estrada