Tribe may aid in cleanup

(MI) Traverse City Record-Eagle – A local tribe could become involved in plans to treat large-scale pollution at Bay Harbor Resort on Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay. CMS Energy is responsible for treating contaminated groundwater at Bay Harbor Resort and may turn to the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians for help. CMS currently trucks wastewater to Grand Traverse County’s septage treatment plant in Traverse City, but wants to treat the pollution closer to the contamination site in Emmet County. More

Small town takes lead in protecting groundwater spanning three states

By Sarah Coefield
Oct. 20, 2009

A small group in Bryan, Ohio spent six years securing federal protection for an aquifer that provides water to 385,000 people in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is poised to designate the Michindoh aquifer as the sole source of drinking water for 1,600 square miles.  The designation will include all or part of nine counties in the three states that supply its name. The protection is important for communities with few drinking water options. And for Bryan, the Michindoh aquifer is the only option.

Wastewater spray contaminated west Michigan groundwater

The Detroit Free Press has an extensive, two-part series on contaminated ground water in west Michigan. Food processing plants spray wastewater onto local crops, kicking off a process that primes groundwater to pick up extra iron and other heavy metals. The food processing industry and a state environmental agency have known about the problem for years, but residents say they have been slow to clean up the problem or notify them. Part one: “Companies denied responsibility, failed to meet cleanup deadlines and violated state law with leaks, spills and illegal dumping of fruit waste, records show.” Part two: “What unfolded next was a saga of illegal blueberry waste dumping, which contaminated the groundwater that fed the stream, killing fish and other aquatic life in it.”

Erin Brockovich will return to Fennville to discuss investigation into Birds Eye plant

(MI) The Grand Rapids Press – Environmental crusader Erin Brockovich is scheduled to return to Fennville next week to discuss water contamination allegedly coming from the Birds Eye food processing plant. Brockovich, who inspired the 2000 namesake movie starring Julia Roberts, will hold a community meeting regarding Birds Eye, the town’s major employer, which is accused of spraying wastewater from its fruit-processing operation that has led to high levels of arsenic, iron and manganese in the wells of about 50 nearby homeowners. More

Pall Life Sciences water cleanup proposals criticized

(MI) Ann Arbor News – Critics charge that modifications to Pall Life Sciences’ long-running groundwater cleanup plan could endanger Ann Arbor’s drinking water. About 35 people turned out for a meeting Wednesday night of the Coalition for Action on Remediation of Dioxane, when proposed modifications to the Scio Township company’s plan were discussed. Critics say changes to the plan will dramatically increase the amount of a possible carcinogen allowed to remain in area aquifers. More