Michigan Environment Watch

In a letter Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer put Enbridge on notice that if the company keeps operating Line 5 in the Straits beyond Wednesday, the state will pursue legal action to recoup any profits Enbridge amasses from “wrongful use of the State’s property.”

The Canadian petroleum company technically has until Wednesday night to stop piping oil through the Straits of Mackinac, according to the state of Michigan. But what happens if the company refuses to abide by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order?

New research suggests that microplastics act like a chemical sponge, soaking up contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. Those chemicals, in turn, appear to be causing deformities in larval fish.

A warming climate means trouble for northern Michigan’s boreal forests. By importing saplings common to southern Michigan, foresters aim to help trees get a head-start in building the forests of the future.

A judge ruled Thursday that the $19.3 million project, which would allow scientists to test technology that allows some fish to pass through a dam on the Boardman River while others are kept out, can’t proceed without voters’ consent.

The steep downturn in people returning bottles to reclaim deposit money has created a huge one-time revenue boost for the state environmental cleanup fund and beverage retailers, which split the money from unclaimed deposits. But state officials worry the numbers are misleading.

Experts say disasters reveal “two different stories,” as poor communities struggle to rebuild, while richer neighbors can afford to fix damages.

Clean energy advocates lauded the commitment, which leverages the state’s buying power to help utilities expand renewable capacity.

Pipeline opponents hailed the decision by the Michigan Public Service Commission as “historic,” while Enbridge downplayed its significance.

Through NextCycle Michigan, a new program announced Monday, government and businesses have teamed up to devote tens of millions to supporting ideas that divert waste from landfills. Think “upcycled” clothing and toilet paper made from recycled boxes.

The fine may be purely symbolic, since Boyce Hydro has declared bankruptcy. But the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chair called it “a clear message” to other dam owners that the agency is serious about dam safety.

With Great Lakes whitefish in decline, commercial fishers say they’re fighting for survival against state rules that would put them out of business. But recreational fishing advocates say the commercial trade needs more regulation.

President Joe Biden has promised to combat systems that unfairly burden communities of color with pollution and other threats. Kyle Whyte, a University of Michigan professor, environmental justice scholar and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, has been tapped to help shape the White House’s strategy.

A divided Congress has stymied legislation to require the U.S. EPA to set drinking standards for the harmful chemical once used in a host of products. But a new administration brings new hope, sponsors say.

Activists fear a group that may make recommendations on a wolf hunt is stacked with partisans. Tribes and Upper Peninsula hunters have similar complaints about the panel.

Restoring one of the rapids is helping diverse fish species recover in the river that connects lakes Superior and Huron, according to a recent study.

With climate action on the state and national agenda, critics of Enbridge Line 5 warn that investing in new pipeline infrastructure undermines Michigan’s pathway to carbon neutrality. Experts say it’s not so simple.

For two straight summers, residents of Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood watched water pour into basements and pool in streets, a result of coastal flooding that will become increasingly common throughout the Great Lakes as climate change progresses.

A federal study finds that climate change is warming even the deepest waters of big lakes, which could shorten their winters and have a ripple effect on their health.

Weeks before the start of Michigan’s spring smelt run, state officials announced it could be dangerous to eat more than one serving a month of the small, shimmery fish from Lake Superior. Officials call the limit a precautionary measure.