Much of the country’s water infrastructure was built 40 to 50 years ago and is showing its age. Michigan is no exception.
Michigan Environment Watch
Michigan Environment Watch examines how public policy, industry, and other factors interact with the state’s trove of natural resources.
Great Lakes News Collaborative
Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television, The Narwhal and Michigan Public work together to report on the most pressing threats to the Great Lakes region’s water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
You can find all of the collaborative’s stories here.
Refresh
Fifty years after the Clean Water Act put an end to flagrant pollution of America’s waterways, the Great Lakes News Collaborative explores the act’s successes and shortcomings. Read the series here.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan allocates $77 million to clean thousands of contaminated sites
The state is pouring $77 million into clean-up of contaminated abandoned real estate such as former factories. The director of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says the goal is to make the cleaned-up sites safe for housing, commercial developments and other uses.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan lost billions in climate-related investments in Trump’s first year
As the Trump administration deemphasizes green energy and embraces fossil fuels, Michigan has seen more than $500 million in canceled federal climate grants while investment in EV battery plants and other green manufacturing has tanked.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
5 Michigan environment stories to watch in 2026
From data centers to nuclear plants, Michigan will see some big energy-related decisions next year that could shape the state’s environment for decades to come.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Regulators approve DTE contracts for Michigan’s first hyperscale data center
Regulators tacked on a host of conditions that, they say, protect DTE ratepayers from subsidizing the hefty cost of delivering energy to the facility. Data center opponents expressed outrage, while business leaders cheered the decision.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Federal judge: Michigan has no authority to shut down Line 5
US District Court Judge Robert Jonker said Michigan has ‘no power to interfere’ in the pipeline’s operations because safety issues fall under the US government’s purview.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan lawmakers unveil plan to repeal data center tax breaks
As a wave of new data center proposals prompts growing controversy in Michigan, two lawmakers are pushing legislation to repeal the tax breaks that have lured the industry to the state.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Worries over Michigan’s dams resurface as repair funds run dry, reforms lag
After the Midland dam failures, lawmakers set aside millions to fix or remove other problem dams but never updated Michigan’s weak dam safety laws. Now the money has run dry, leading some to fear a dam safety ‘déjà vu.’
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Gretchen Whitmer urges speed, critics want slowdown on Michigan data center
State utility regulators are deciding whether to grant swift approval or conduct a deeper review of a proposed energy contract for the state’s first hyperscale data center. A decision could come within days.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Line 5 tunnel option ‘rushed’ and unsafe, opponents say
Years into its review of a proposal to move Line 5 from the open water of the Great Lakes into a concrete-lined underground tunnel, the US Army Corps of Engineers has added a new option to the mix.