The auto industry is getting billions to build battery plants on rural land, while taxpayers pay for contaminated plants left behind. Will history repeat itself? Or will Michigan forge a new path?
In a 2-1 ruling, a Michigan Court of Appeals panel said the state failed to analyze the cost to businesses of complying with the stricter PFAS rules, as was required. The limits will remain in place, however, until the litigation is over.
Military officials announced they will install groundwater treatment systems around the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base to clean up chemical compounds linked to serious health issues.
Industrial pollution taints the fish in a host of Michigan rivers, but anglers often don’t know the risks. River walkers like Jim Bridgforth aim to change that — but not everyone has the luxury of skipping a fresh-caught meal.
Some Michigan water suppliers may be eligible for payouts from the settlement over the chemical that was used in thousands of everyday products and has been linked to cancer and other health woes.
Democrats say a 2018 law barring state rules that are stricter than federal regulations undercuts state regulators’ ability to address pollution issues. Business groups fear repealing the measure could have unintended consequences.
As evidence mounts about the health risks from the so-called ‘forever chemicals’, state regulators are considering whether PFAS 'do not fish' advisories are strong enough to protect Michiganders. If the answer is no, more rivers may be flagged for contaminated fish.
The new standards, which could take effect this year, would be stricter than Michigan’s existing standards. EPA officials acknowledged it’s unsafe to drink virtually any of two PFAS compounds, but set proposed limits at the lowest amount technology can detect.
The legal settlement with Asahi Kasei Plastics North America over PFAS at its Brighton plant comes as Attorney General Dana Nessel pursues lawsuits against a host of companies tied to Michigan’s PFAS crisis.
One of the first bills introduced by the Democratic majority would undo a Snyder-era law that prevents Michigan from adopting stronger pollution regulations than Washington. Dems also aim to lessen industry influence on regulatory decisions.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer must lay out a bold vision to protect our waters, clean up toxic groundwater, keep water services from being privatized and put the onus on chemical companies to show they can operate safely.
State regulators this week warned anglers to limit their meals of rainbow smelt taken from the two lakes, along with three inland lakes. High PFAS levels had already prompted a smelt consumption advisory in Lake Superior.
In a harshly-worded letter, a supervisor in the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy wrote that DNR should reject the Camp Grayling expansion unless the National Guard gets serious about cleaning up PFAS at the base.
From polluter pay laws to plastic bag bans, Democratic lawmakers and environmental advocates hope to reverse Republican-passed laws and revisit Democratic issues that faltered in the Republican-led Legislature.
The chemicals have been used in hundreds of household products for decades, even as more studies became public showing their danger to human health and ubiquitous presence in water. Michigan has hundreds of identified sites of PFAS contamination.
The suit blames FKI Hardware Inc. for contaminating nine west Michigan properties with PFAS, volatile organic compounds and metals before exiting Michigan in 2016. It’s the latest in a slew of actions by Nessel’s office against alleged groundwater polluters.
No-contact order lifted after investigators conclude that most of the chromium released from a tank at Tribar Manufacturing in Wixom never made it into the Huron River.
A series of violation notices raise new questions about the events at the plant. State regulators indicate that on-site alarms at the company were overridden hundreds of times during a weekend evening when “no one should be at the facility.”
After a Wixom chrome plater released hexavalent chromium into sewers that lead to the Huron River, locals and activists are calling for tighter regulation to prevent future spills, if not an outright ban on nonessential uses of the toxic metal.
A don’t touch advisory remains in effect for the section of the river in Oakland and Livingston counties, after a Wixom automotive supplier released thousands of gallons of liquid containing the toxic metal.
