Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/author/keweir/page/15/)
(MI) The Mudpuppy – Two Israeli companies have agreed to start water technology pilot projects in Michigan, says Lt. Gov. John D. Cherry Jr.
Cherry recently returned from a week-long overseas trade mission to the Middle East, making stops in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Dubai, and bringing back news of the deals. More
(MI) MLive.com – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says a Wisconsin man illegally killed a wolf in Iron County earlier this month. DNR conservation officers found the animal dumped at the edge of a field south of Iron River on Nov. 17. Evidence at the scene led the officers to a nearby hunting camp where a possible suspect was identified. More
(WI) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – The threat of a potential lawsuit could set the stage for new regulations of a pair of pollutants responsible for algae blooms and poor drinking water. Lawyers for several environmental groups notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday of its intent to file suit against the agency for failing to protect state water from two forms of nutrient pollution – phosphorus and nitrogen. More
(IL) Chicago Tribune – The fishermen along the Illinois and Indiana shore don’t mind the cold when yellow perch flirt with a line like they did Monday. They don’t mind much of anything if the fish are biting. And that’s why they’re worried about the Asian carp. “We’d sure hate for some of those fish to get in Lake Michigan,” said Eddie Hudson, 60, fishing near where the Cal-Sag Channel meets Lake Michigan. “They would kill off practically everything.”
(IL) Chicago Tribune – The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has released details of five major goals for its water protection programs.
The “Measures of Success” document focuses on ensuring safe drinking water; protecting groundwater; enhancing recreational waters; ensuring safe consumable fish; and protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems. More
(MI) Battle Creek Enquirer – Three grants totaling nearly $700,000 will fund three planning and restoration projects that will reduce flooding, improve water quality and help plan for the future, according to Calhoun Conservation District officials. The district, whose offices are in Marshall, received the following grants:
– Rice Creek Floodplain Reconnection Project, a Clean Michigan Initiative through the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The grant is $247,803, with a $143,426 local match, for a total of $391,229. It’s a three-year project in Marengo and Sheridan townships that began Oct. 1.
(MN) Minneapolis Star-Tribune – Over the next two years, the eight-mile stretch of Nine Mile Creek running through Hopkins will be transformed from a muddy drainage ditch into a pretty, meandering stream. Starting this month and during winters when the water is low, workers for the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District will relieve the creek of overgrown brush, soften the slope of its banks, line its bed with smooth river stones, and reroute it into a curving channel through Hopkins’ Valley Park. More
(IN) The Post-Tribune – More than a dozen stakeholders commented on U.S. Steel’s 2009 draft wastewater permit for Gary Works on Wednesday night at Indiana University Northwest in Gary. Representatives from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management were present to outline the basics of the permit, record testimony, and answer any questions. Those present included representatives from businesses that work with U.S. Steel and environmental groups; state Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes; and about 20 Gary Works employees in dayglo orange work pants. More
(MI) The Mudpuppy – Results from a second round of samples collected from the Midland, Saginaw and Bay City water supplies show “no dioxin or furan contamination,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials say. The agency’s Region 5 office in Chicago rejected a round of unusable samples in early October due to laboratory contamination. “EPA and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have strong programs to ensure that the water people drink is safe,” EPA Acting Regional Administrator Bharat Mathur said in a statement. “We will sample these systems once again when the Corps’ dredging resumes in 2010.” More
(MI) Traverse City Record-Eagle – Temperatures 64 feet beneath Grand Traverse Bay are warmer than those that will greet some locals on their front porch this week. That’s because cold water descends and warm water rises, which resulted in 48-degree bay temperatures Tuesday. “We’re amazed at how mixed it is vertically,” said Guy Meadows, director of the University of Michigan’s Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratories. More