The US Environmental Protection Agency plans to finalize more than $200 million in grant funding in the coming weeks to accelerate the clean energy transition at three Great Lakes shipping ports. Read the full story by Clean Technica.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-shipping-grants
One year after the proposed Icebreaker Wind demonstration project in Lake Erie got shelved, there continues to be talk — but little movement — toward erecting commercial-scale offshore wind turbines in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-offshore-wind
An Enbridge Energy pipeline in Jefferson County, Wisconsin spilled nearly 70,000 gallons of crude oil underground on November 11th according to federal officials. The spill is Enbridge’s worst in Wisconsin, surpassing a 2012 incident that spilled 50,000 gallons in Adams County. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-pipeline-leak
Joel Brammeier, CEO of Alliance for the Great Lakes, has two words for those feeling anxiety about what’s in store for the Great Lakes during the incoming Trump administration: Don’t panic. Despite expected rollbacks on key environmental initiatives, the Great Lakes region has been here before. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-new-administration-advice
A proposed Michigan copper mine on the shores of Lake Superior is sparking fierce debate over environmental and economic priorities, as the state’s House Appropriations Committee approved $50 million in taxpayer subsidies for the controversial project. Read the full story by Newsweek.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-copper-mine
The Brandon Road Interbasin Project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Michigan is designed to keep invasive carps out of the Great Lakes. It’s a half mile long underwater obstacle course containing a bubble curtain, noise emitting speakers, electrified water and a navigation lock designed to flush fish downstream. Read the full story by Bloomberg Businessweek.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-carp-barrier
Michigan Democrats are considering legislation to increase fees for hunting, fishing and boating by 30% or more to raise funding for the state Department of Natural Resources whose fish and wildlife programs have endured budget cuts amid funding shortages. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-fee-increase
Have you ever wondered where the fish you eat comes from? Only a fraction of the fish consumed today in the Badger State is caught locally. Read the full story by the Herald Times Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-commercial-fishing
Getting rid of the legacy coal ash deposits from the NRG Generating State power plant along Lake Michigan in Waukegan got a little more likely with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision keeping the green light illuminated for enforcement of a federal regulation mandating such a cleanup. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-coal-ash-ruling
Lake Michigan surface temperatures peaked at over 6 degrees above normal last month, the warmest they have been in November since 1995 when record keeping began at the National Oceanic and Atmospherec Administration. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-lake-warming
By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public and The Narwhal 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/2024/12/safe-drinking-water-act-turns-50/
I firmly believe in the power of the long view. Great Lakes problems often result from years of accumulated neglect and bad decisions. Righting the ship requires years of patience and steady work until — one day — the breakthrough happens.
Thanks to your support, 2024 has been a year of breakthroughs for the Great Lakes and the people who rely on them. Some of the year’s most important achievements include:
Blocking Invasive Species. As a result of more than a decade of advocacy, construction will begin in 2025 on barriers to stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes as they advance from the Mississippi River watershed. This project at the Brandon Road Lock & Dam in Illinois will be the most effective deterrent to keep the invasive carp from wreaking havoc on the ecosystem and economic health of the Great Lakes.
Keeping Plastic Out of Our Waters. Adopt-a-Beach volunteers collected a milestone 10 millionth piece of litter this year. This amazing accomplishment spanned more than 200,000 volunteers who cleaned up their shorelines over 20+ years. In April, we released a groundbreaking report based on the data these volunteers collected. The report, which found that the vast majority of litter we collect is plastic, gained national media attention and has strengthened national and state-level efforts to reduce the scourge of Great Lakes plastic pollution.
Getting Lead Out of Drinking Water. In October, the EPA finalized new standards that require most water utilities in the Great Lakes to replace harmful lead pipes within 10 years. The agency significantly tightened longer timelines for Cleveland and Chicago, two Great Lakes cities with hundreds of thousands of lead lines to replace. EPA also reduced the allowable levels of lead in drinking water, above which water systems need to take additional protective steps.
Fighting Toxic Algae Blooms. In October, we finished deploying the most significant agriculture pollution monitoring network in the region in southeast Michigan’s Lake Erie watershed. Measuring and studying the agricultural runoff that causes toxic Lake Erie algal blooms will improve targeting of conservation practices in Michigan to address the issue.
Expanding the Clean Water Circle. We’re working to ensure state and federal infrastructure funding doesn’t bypass communities that bear an unfair burden of failing water systems. 200+ members have joined our forum, which provides information and training to bring funds to communities in critical need of safe drinking water and protection from flooding and sewage overflows.
None of these breakthroughs would have been possible without our supporters. Whether you were one of the volunteers who removed more than 573,000 pieces of litter from Great Lakes shorelines; one of the advocates who sent more than 16,000 messages to federal, state, and local decision-makers; or one of the donors who gave generously to protect our waters, your contribution made a real difference for the lakes this year.
Thank you for making 2024 a year of breakthroughs for the Great Lakes and clean water. Your support is invaluable in ensuring that our Great Lakes remain a thriving, vital resource for all. We’re ready to keep up the momentum in 2025.
The post Breakthroughs for the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2024/12/breakthroughs-for-the-great-lakes/
USGS Upper Midwest Water Science center researchers presented their science at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2024 meeting, the world’s largest annual Earth science meeting.
Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Upper Midwest Water Science Center
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/upper-midwest-water-science-center/news/upper-midwest-water-science-center-agu-2024?utm_source=comms&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.1cde2a5b965de860bff9741ca58266a72d85cfec.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.a2ec85506bd0918c6194c3a3e5eeacfc8dac3b97.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.a2ac6b4b97325d11ece70d0b2983ac2a308c6d3f.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.5d58249df154b9ceedf0a27913120f1e7215d833.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.9b144b77928705d06dc10af9d1aa544a7fb57503.002.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.ed4bbecc6d8439d433df5c7f1ff1163d04eff543.002.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.b44ffd37f43c1859e56558f27ef8970d744b6e53.002.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.d4ff0a868470c0ea3593d7cd2bd983f5a027780f.001.1.cap
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/12/michigan-eyes-hunting-fishing-boating-fee-increases-change-to-park-fees/
A northern Wisconsin tribe along with a coalition of groups moved Dec. 12 to block plans to reroute an aging pipeline around the tribe’s reservation, arguing state regulators have underestimated the environmental damage that construction would cause. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-line5-reroute
A bipartisan duo is pushing the House to pass a Great Lakes conservation bill that has already cleared the Senate. The bill would reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a program that spans the lakes and is set to expire in fiscal 2026. Read the full story by Politico.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-glri
Researchers, companies and farmers are developing and deploying systems that can control agricultural runoff, benefiting landowners, water consumers and the environment alike. These controlled drainage structures have resulted in a 20 to 50% reduction in nitrate loads coming out of drainage outlets. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-drainage
Earlier this year the Michigan Strategic Fund approved a $50 million grant for a controversial copper mine in the Upper Peninsula. Now, the state House Appropriations Committee has given its support, too. A major point of concern is the potential for mine waste to escape into Lake Superior, less than two miles away from the mine site. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-up-copper-mine
The St. Clair River is a 40-mile watery conduit that connects Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair. It is a vital part of the Great Lakes and provides not only transportation for commerce, but habitat for wildlife, a recreational shoreline for human use, a supply of drinking water, and a place to boat and fish. One of the people trying to protect the river is the executive director of the Friends of the St. Clair River. Read the full story by Second Wave Media.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-st.clair-river
Cleaner water could have negative impacts on certain types of fish in Lake Erie, a study by researchers at Ohio State and other universities found. This is due to reduced nutrients impacting food creation for species like yellow perch. Read the full story by WOSU – Columbus, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-lake-erie-fish
The landmark Lake Erie case in federal court could be expanded again. The latest parties trying to become part of it are Lake Erie Waterkeeper and two national environmental groups, the New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance, and the Washington-based Food & Water Watch. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-lake-erie-case
The mayor of the Detroit suburb of Troy is the new chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, an agency responsible for fishery management, leading a science program, and controlling invasive sea lamprey. Read the full story by The Sault News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-glfc
Crews have started work on a new attempt to refloat a cargo ship that ran aground in the St. Lawrence River near Morrisburg, Ontario, nearly three weeks ago. The U.S. Coast Guard says the operation to remove cargo from the vessel could take several days. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-stuck-cargo-ship
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has announced plans to no longer stock splake in Lake Superior. The fish is popular among anglers, and the move received considerable attention during their Lake Superior Fisheries Management meeting. Read the full story by Northern News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241213-splake-stocking
On Wednesday, December 5, the Biden administration updated the New Chemicals Regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). According to reporting by Rachel Frazin of The Hill, this aims to prevent a family of chemicals (or chemical cousins) known as PFAS from being approved through Low Volume Exemptions, “abridged reviews given to chemicals that will only be produced in small quantities.”
Meanwhile, according to recent reporting from The Guardian, the incoming chair of the Senate environmental committee said in a hearing last week that she would target portions of new PFAS regulations.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/pfas-roundup-biden-administration-updates-chemical-regulations-for-pfas-while-trump-allies-already-voice-plans-to-roll-them-back/
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
