Michigan Environment Watch

Great Lakes Now’s Gary Wilson recently spoke with Debra Shore who shared thoughts on the Benton Harbor water crisis, her views on next steps to deal with Lake Erie’s long-standing algae bloom problems and the billion-dollar windfall the region will receive from the infrastructure bill.

Wolf advocates want Natural Resources Commissioner James “JR” Richardson to apologize and resign after he blamed wolves for a U.P. dog that vanished. It’s not the first time pro-hunt Yoopers spread unverified wolf tales.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered Line 5 closed a year ago, citing safety concerns. The Biden administration is now involved. But chances of an imminent shutdown appear slim. We lay out some of the hurdles.

The federal lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, alleges that a weak government response to the crisis left residents unaware for years that their water could be tainted.

By using sensors to identify choke points in sewer systems, cities are managing water more efficiently to make basement backups less likely.

Population declines in the prized game fish are forcing the Natural Resources Commission to confront a stark policy choice: lowering bag limits or pursuing other options, such as changes in stocking strategies.

The settlement is a landmark in the tragedy, but a judge has yet to decide how much of the payout lawyers will keep. That's a big sticking point.

More than 49,000 hunters applied to hunt Michigan elk in 2021, a record that is part of a steady decade-long rise, state wildlife officials say.

An uptick in deer hunting during COVID last year prompted whispers of a renaissance for a sport that has been losing participants for decades. Early numbers suggest many of the new hunters aren’t coming back.

With deer hunting in decline and land development pushing humans and deer ever-closer together, Michigan’s deer population may be headed toward an uncontrollable boom.

Documents released this week paint a picture of how Benton Harbor’s lead-tainted water crisis was allowed to fester for years amid funding shortfalls, communication breakdowns and delays.

The state’s top environmental regulator told legislators that the state did not “fully reach” everyone in Benton Harbor about lead risks with the municipal water system, leading some to drink lead-tainted water unaware for years.

Federal regulators Tuesday flagged Benton Harbor’s water system for a host of problems, from failing to adequately alert residents to lead in their water to broken equipment inside the water treatment plant, as the city struggles to raise revenue for fixes.

Across the country, anglers have watched as droughts, floods and high temperatures batter the rivers they depend on, including Michigan’s Au Sable. Now, they’re calling for swift action.

The bill by state Rep. Beau LaFave, R-Iron Mountain, would require conservation officers to wear body cameras while working in the field.

The pandemic has produced an outdoors renaissance with huge traffic at state and local parks. It now appears the Democratic governor and GOP legislature largely agree on spending hundreds of millions of dollars to address long-deferred maintenance.

Canada’s plan to store spent nuclear fuel 1,600 feet below ground in the Great Lakes basin, some 30 miles from Lake Huron, is continuing to ruffle feathers throughout the Great Lake states.

The percentage of Michigan children with elevated blood lead levels has been falling for decades, but the toxic metal continues to inflict an uneven toll in Michigan cities, from Detroit to Grand Rapids.

New rules, imposed after Flint, forced public water providers to look harder for lead leaching into drinking water. Violations of state lead standards are up nearly 50 percent, with new urgency to remove lead from water lines.

Republican lawmakers decried the Whitmer administration’s response to Benton Harbor’s lead-in-water crisis as a failure while state officials defended their actions Thursday. National Republicans are also entering the fray.