Anglers as a group are generally nice people – polite, kind, generous and peaceful. But throw out a couple high-end, super-sweet fishing machines and stacks of cash, and they’ll brawl hard. For six weeks.
The 10th Annual B’Laster Fall Brawl began at 12:01 a.m Oct. 16 and runs through 8:00 a.m.
Anglers as a group are generally nice people – polite, kind, generous and peaceful. But throw out a couple high-end, super-sweet fishing machines and stacks of cash, and they’ll brawl hard. For six weeks.
The 10th Annual B’Laster Fall Brawl began at 12:01 a.m Oct. 16 and runs through 8:00 a.m.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/fall-brawl-sheffield-lake-fishing-derby/
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news//news/ncei-data-tools-explained
As the high-profile legal case over the Lake Erie Bill of Rights continues, Toledo residents are stuck paying over $200,000 in legal fees for the entity suing Toledo over the bill. Communities involved in protracted environmental litigation often find themselves responsible for huge legal bills, which can discourage such municipalities from taking such action. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-costly-lebor
A new long-term study of Ontario loons revealed fewer chicks are currently being born than in previous years. Scientists say declines in loon chick hatches are possibly connected to declines in Great Lakes water quality. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-loons
This shipping season has witnessed an influx of international freighters on the Great Lakes, many transporting wind turbine parts to drop off in Duluth bound for wind farms in the northern plains. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-shipping-windmills
Lake Ontario is slightly above its long-term average water level, and forecasts predict that levels will decrease over the next month. However, some are concerned about flooding over the winter and spring and are calling for more water to be released from the Moses-Saunders dam to avoid this scenario. Read the full story by WRVO – Oswego, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-ontario-levels
Nearly two months after a new law went into effect restricting the use of hazardous PFAS foams, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is still trying to write rules for enforcing it amid disputes over what is considered foam and how to define effective treatment. Read the full story by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-wi-pfas
The Port of Thunder Bay in Ontario is on track to have shipped its highest per-tonne volume of goods in well over two decades this year, bucking the downward trend seen by most ports during the pandemic. The port has been buoyed by a strong global market for Canadian grain. Read the full story by TVO News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-shipping-grain
A new survey of the towns of Somerset and Yates in New York found that 83% of residents oppose a wind power project on Lake Ontario. Read the full story by Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-wind-opposition
Michigan announced it will retain an international civil engineering firm to provide a technical review of Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project after environmental groups raised concerns about the Michigan’s ability to adequately evaluate the project. Read the full story by WKAR – Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-line5
The Superior Watershed Partnership won the 2020 Lake Superior Magazine Achievement Award for their habitat restoration projects along the shores of Lake Superior. Read the full story by the Daily Mining Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-superior-watershed-partnership
The Erieau Marina in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, along Lake Erie is getting help from the Ontario government to tackle plastic pollution using new plastic capture technology. Read the full story by CTV – News Windsor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201028-ontario-plastic-marinas
Dave Spangler, a ceaseless advocate for Lake Erie, died Oct. 21, at 74. He spent the last few decades working to make Lake Erie the best body of water he could.
Spangler appeared in Great Lakes Now’s “Unlocking the Lakes” episode to share about how COVID-19 has been affecting tourism and the recreational fishing industry.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/dave-spangler-lake-erie-advocate/
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/10/28/concerns-about-the-great-lakes-increase-while-ontario-loons-decrease/
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A western Michigan city has been selected to receive a $5.1 million federal water infrastructure improvement grant to help pay for lead service line replacement.
The funding also will support public engagement in Grand Rapids on the risks of lead in drinking water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/ap-grand-rapids-lead-pipe-replacement-grant/
While the roller coaster case garnered national attention with its on-again, off-again Rights of Nature legal battle, Toledo residents are stuck paying legal fees for Drewes Farms Partnerships in its fight against the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, popularly referred to as LEBOR.
Owners of the Wood County crop farm filed a challenge to LEBOR the morning after its landslide February 2019 passage by Toledo voters.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/legal-fees-toledo-residents-lebor-drewes-farms/
Canadian grain shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway topped 6.2 million tonnes at the end of September, maintaining its 20 per cent increase over the 2019 season, according to the latest results. While the ‘grain rush’ has helped lift cargo totals, Great Lakes-Seaway shipping also reported decreases in commodities related to steel production, and the energy and construction sectors. Read the full story by Manitoba Co-operator.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-shipping-seaway
A western Michigan city has been selected to receive a $5.1 million federal water infrastructure improvement grant to help pay for lead service line replacement. The grant will help fund 1,700 lead service line replacements in the coming years. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-water-lead-infrastructure-grant
Approximately 20 households in East Bay Township near Traverse City, Michigan could have drinking wells contaminated with PFAS chemicals linked to cancer and other health risks with state and local health officials seeking to test the properties, provide bottled water as a short-term safety precaution, and potentially switch the homes to municipal hookups going forward. Read the full story by The Ticker.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-pfas-pollution-michigan
The oil pipeline company Enbridge pushed to limit what a state regulator could consider regarding relocating the Line 5 twin pipelines across the Straits of Mackinac. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-line-5-review
Rainstorms dumped 4.4 inches in 36 hours on Traverse City, and its sewage system didn’t overflow has it had in previous large rain events. City officials continue to investigate infiltration to prevent a repeat of the past three spills; the worst sent more than 50,000 gallons of sewage into the Boardman River. Read the full story by The Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-sewer-traverse-city-infrastructure
The Great Lakes Sports Commission has awarded $150,000 in grant funding for infrastructure development at the Tech Trails. The Tech Trail system is part of a larger trail system, providing both extensive mountain biking and ski trails. Read the full story by The Mining Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-recreation-trails-grant
A graduate student’s road trip around Lake Michigan revealed the effects of small streams and their nutrient loads on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Science Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-tributaries-nutrients-pollution
State studies show an encouraging drop in PFAS levels along the Huron River. Though it’s still not safe to eat the fish, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) said last week that ongoing monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance levels in the Huron River are on the decline. Read the full story by WHMI-FM, Howell MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-pfas-huron-river
The current approach to nonpoint source pollution and polluted urban runoff is insufficient to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. To achieve the goals of the Clean Water Act, Congress must provide grant funding and financing to state and local authorities, as well as private landowners, commensurate with the scope of the pollution challenge. Read the full story by Center for American Progress.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-pollution-non-point-nutrient
Perhaps no other Great Lakes shipwreck has as much notoriety as the ill-fated SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729-foot iron ore carrier that sunk to the bottom of Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975, during a fierce November gale. Read the full story by WiscNews.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-edmund-fitzgerald
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news//news/long-term-view-gulf-mexico
The Wisconsin DNR has proposed new permanent administrative rules that would increase fees for nonferrous mining exploration and operation permits, licenses and fees by about $502,000 per project. Applicants also would be required to provide substantially greater detail in feasibility reports, operational plans and construction documentation as conditions for permits. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201027-mining-dnr
(Chicago, IL) October 27, 2020 – Today a group of 15 environmental advocacy groups from around the country, led by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, is releasing a statement regarding the importance of protecting American democracy in advance of the November 3, 2020 presidential election.
While this election amid a global pandemic may be unlike any other the country has faced, this group of nonprofits stands firm to say that every eligible person should be able to vote safely and have their voice heard.
Their statement is as follows:
“Engaging in the democratic process by voting is one of the most powerful ways Americans can have a voice on issues they care about, including protecting our nation’s land, water and air. Democratic engagement, especially voting, is imperative to the success of equitable environmental policies.
Recent efforts to reduce voting access by purging voter rolls and enacting new identity verification rules have predominantly impacted voters of color. Important public health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have led to fewer polling locations and long lines in some areas. This makes it more challenging for the elderly and for people who cannot afford to take hours, or even a full day, off work to vote. For those who want to vote via absentee or mail-in ballots, confusing and archaic rules may end up invalidating legitimate votes. And news reports from around the country show that threats of violence and intimidation of voters and poll workers are on the rise.
Our position this election season is clear: Everyone who is eligible to vote deserves the right to do so safely, free of barriers and intimidation. Anything less is unacceptable. We urge election officials and political leaders to ensure a fair and equitable elections process.”
Statement signatories:
Alliance for the Great Lakes
We the People of Detroit (Detroit)
River Network (Boulder, CO)
Junction Coalition (Toledo, OH)
Freshwater Future (Petoskey, MI)
Environmental Health Watch (Cleveland, OH)
Drink Local Drink Tap (Cleveland, OH)
Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Peninsula, OH)
Ohio Environmental Council (Columbus, OH)
Environmental Law & Policy Center (Chicago)
Genesee Valley Audubon Society (Rochester, NY)
Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership (Cleveland, WI)
Milwaukee Water Commons (Milwaukee, WI)
League of Women Voters of Wisconsin(Madison, WI)
Religious Coalition for the Great Lakes
###
For media inquiries, contact Jennifer Caddick, Alliance for the Great Lakes, at jcaddick@greatlakes.org.
The post Statement: “Everyone who is eligible to vote deserves the right to do so safely, free of barriers and intimidation. Anything less is unacceptable.” appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2020/10/statement-everyone-who-is-eligible-to-vote-deserves-the-right-to-do-so-safely-free-of-barriers-and-intimidation-anything-less-is-unacceptable/
In the first two episodes of “The Age of Nature,” the successes and fragility of environmental restoration took viewers around the world.
The final episode continues that thematic exploration as it takes viewers to some of the furthest and oldest reaches of the planet.
HERE is a map of all the locations with descriptions of the segments.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/age-of-nature-great-lakes-now-hope/
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Theresa Landrum lives in southwest Detroit, where residents complain frequently about dirty air. Tree-shaded neighborhoods with schools, churches and parks lie on either side of an interstate highway and in the shadow of a sprawling oil refinery that belches soot and fumes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/ap-minority-communities-question-election-year-push-epa/
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Public Service Commission has some authority over Enbridge’s plans to build an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the channel that connects two of the Great Lakes, a state administrative law judge ruled Friday.
The agency can evaluate the need for the project and whether it would be designed, constructed and operated safely, Judge Dennis W.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/ap-judge-michigan-line-5-tunnel-plan/
Research shows chemicals banned years and even decades ago are showing up in some Great Lakes shorebirds, such as the common tern. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-shorebirds
Pointe Mouillee State Game Area in southeast Michigan is considered the largest fresh water marsh restoration project in North America, with about 5,200 acres dedicated to wildlife and water quality. Read the full story by The Daily Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-pointe-mouillee
The City of Benton Harbor in southwest Michigan was awarded a $5 million grant to replace lead pipes and make sure everyone has access to clean drinking water. Read the full story by WSBT-TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-water-pipe-grant
After more than two decades of cleanup and community efforts, Lake Erie’s Presque Isle Bay became the second heavily contaminated place in the United States to be removed from the Great Lakes toxic waters list. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-pennsylvania-bay
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler visited two Michigan cities to announce the distribution of utility grant funds that will help replace lead water pipes of the type that contributed to tap water poisoning in Flint. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-utility-grants
A Michigan state commission considering a permit for a controversial tunnel project to house a new section of the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac will not look at the potential impacts the proposed project could have on climate change. Read the full story by the MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-climate-impacts-line-5
The Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed a lawsuit against a Washtenaw County landfill over environmental violations related to air quality issues. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-landfill
Michigan is lacking statewide septic system rules that would help protect our precious water resources from aging and failing home sewage systems that are prevalent in communities across Michigan. Read the full story by Iron Mountain Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-septic-rules
Wisconsin’s air quality has improved over the last 15 years, according to a report by state environmental officials. Read the full story by Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-air-quality
The Michigan Public Service Commission has some authority over Enbridge’s plans to build an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the channel that connects two of the Great Lakes and can evaluate the need for the project and whether it would be designed, constructed and operated safely, a state administrative law judge ruled last week. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201026-pipeline-tunnel
Great Lakes parks have always been popular among outdoor enthusiasts. This summer, however, pandemic-weary residents on both sides of the border flocked to them – many for the first time – just as services such as campsites, visitors’ centers, washrooms and interpretive programs were closed to help contain COVID-19.
The spike in summertime numbers was doubly challenging this year as the lakes’ record-high water levels have washed away some beaches and trails.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/summertime-spike-great-lakes-parks-covid-19/
Each year, the Great Lakes Protection Fund chooses a theme and looks for innovation and excellence in work around that theme related to the Great Lakes. Then the best individuals and organizations receive the Fund’s Great Lakes Leadership Award.
This year’s theme is communication, and Great Lakes Now is one of the 2020 award winners!
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/great-lakes-now-communication-excellence-great-lakes-protection-fund/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F6AFC5234.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F6AFCB760WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F6AFBF604.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F6AFCB760WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/10/26/is-lake-michigan-the-most-dangerous-great-lake/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F6AFB42B8.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F6AFBCD00WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F6AFB0A78.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F6AFB7EE0WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F6AFA96D8.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F6AFB09B0WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
