Art

New book explores the wonders of inland waters

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By Isabella Figueroa 
Around 97% of all the water on the planet is in the vast oceans that cover more than two-thirds of its surface. “But Seas are not the only body of water that make Earth special,” ecologist David Strayer writes in his new book. “Beyond the Sea: The Hidden Life in Lakes, Streams, and Wetlands,” presents the lesser-known facts of freshwater ecosystems and how they affect our everyday lives. 
Before retiring in 2016, Strayer spent nearly 50 years studying freshwater ecology, most recently at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, where he developed an expertise in the nearby Hudson River. The book lays out the good, the bad and the ugly of the world’s inland water bodies, which Strayer reports are home to some 2,600 plant species and 150,000 animal species, about half of which are insects. While celebrating that abundance of life the book doesn’t shy away from the serious threats and challenges that inland waters face, including pollution, invasive species, climate change and the damaging impacts of dams and water diversions.

The Buzz

Wolves could expand across the eastern U.S.—but they might need help

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By Ruth Thornton

Gray wolves could thrive in the eastern United States well beyond their current range in the Great Lakes region, but they might have a hard time reaching other suitable habitats without human intervention, researchers say. Wolves once had the largest known range of any land mammal but they were nearly exterminated in the United States in the early 1900s after persecution by humans. 

Their population only recovered after they were placed under federal protection in the 1970s. They have since recolonized some areas where they once flourished, including in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 

A 2022 study analyzed which areas in the eastern U.S. still have suitable habitat for wolves and are connected enough to each other so wolves might be able to travel between them. 

To do that, the researchers used survey data collected between 2018 and 2020 by biologists working for the natural resource departments in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. 

They then modeled the characteristics of the habitats where wolves were found and predicted where else in the eastern U.S. large tracts of suitable areas occur. They also modeled how connected to each other those areas are. They found that six areas had good habitat and were large enough to sustain wolves, but the animals occur in only one of them, the western Great Lakes.

Transportation

Michigan wants to become a hub for hydrogen 

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By Elinor Epperson
Capital News Service
Michigan is part of an effort to build hydrogen infrastructure in the Midwest. 
The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) has received $22 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to plan several projects, three of which are in Michigan. The alliance, backed by the Michigan Infrastructure Office, wants to expand the Flint Mass Transportation Authority’s fleet of hydrogen fuel buses. 
There are plans to build a hydrogen production facility in Ypsilanti, in partnership with the American Center for Mobility. And the other proposed project would be a hydrogen fuel truck stop in Detroit. Hydrogen is a clean energy alternative to electrifying heavy-duty trucks, according to the alliance. Electrifying big trucks, especially for long-haul travel, is challenging with current technology because of the size, weight, and charge time of electric batteries.

Waste

Human composting draws interest as alternative to traditional burials

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By Anna Rossow

Capital News Service

The popularity of a cheaper and environmentally friendly burial alternative is rising in the U.S., but Michigan has yet to legalize it. Human composting transforms the body into soil, according to Earth Funeral, a human composting company with locations in Washington and Nevada.Human. Human composting, which accelerates the natural decomposition process, is legal in 12 states, according to Recompose, another company in the field, with Washington the first to legalize the practice in 2020. 

Similar legislation has been introduced in other states, but not Michigan. Haley Morris of Earth Funeral said Michigan residents still have access to human composting and the company often gets interest from people in Michigan. “We can coordinate if people want to pre-plan, or even if they have lost a loved one and are in immediate need to transport their loved one to one of our facilities in Washington state or Nevada, and have their loved one undergo the natural organic reduction process there,” she said.

Transportation

State seeks feedback about pilot program for self-driving cars 

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By Elinor Epperson

Capital News Service

Three miles of westbound I-94 in Wayne and Washtenaw counties are already set up for connected and automated vehicles. Now the Department of Transportation wants public feedback on the proposed project, which would include almost 40 miles of I-94 if completed. 

 It’s proposed to eventually span about 39 miles between Ann Arbor and Detroit. The lane would be reserved for connected and automated vehicles, or CAVs for short. Connected vehicles aren’t quite driving themselves yet, but they’re equipped to talk to other vehicles. The department is assessing the project’s impact on the environment and communities around it.

Waste

Targeted grants aim to increase Michigan’s recycling efforts

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By Donté Smith

Capital News Service

For the third year in a row, Michigan’s recycling rate has hit a record-high, according to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Michigan’s recycling rate has risen from about 14% before 2019 to over 23% now. Officials say they expect the state will reach a 30% recycling rate by 2029. 
According to the most recent figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the national recycling rate is currently 32% with a goal to increase that number to 50% by 2030. The state department aims to further expand recycling access with over $5 million in new grants to support projects in Metro Detroit, Genesee County, Lansing, Southwest Oakland County, Isabella County, Van Buren County, Marquette County, Sterling Heights and Madison Heights. Genesee County is set to receive $900,000 to establish its first-ever countywide recycling drop-off center. 
Cody Roblyer, the lead planner for the Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission, said the demolition phase will be completed at the previous site of McDonald Dairy Company, directly off I-475 in Flint by early 2025.

Climate

Great Lakes region hit hard by steel industry pollution, report finds

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By Joshua Kim 
Pollution from coal-based steel production causes hundreds of premature deaths each year, with people in  the Great Lakes region bearing much of the burden, according to a recent report. The nonprofit research group Industrious Labs looked at 17 coal-based steel plants and coke facilities operating in the United States and the health and environmental problems they cause in surrounding communities. 
Emissions from these facilities include pollutants linked to significant health and environmental problems, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, fine particulate matter and lead. 
Together their pollution is responsible for as many as 892 premature deaths per year, according to Industrious Labs. Those emissions also trigger around 250,000 cases of asthma symptoms annually, are linked to cancer rates 12% to 26% higher than the national average and result in up to $13.2 billion in annual health care costs, the report says. 
The group based its results on an Environmental Protection Agency computer model that uses self-reported industry data. “Communities don’t have access to this type of information,” said Hilary Lewis, the steel director at Industrious Labs. “By doing this report, we are giving people who live closest to these facilities, who are most impacted, who are most likely to be experiencing these health harms, a tool in advocating for cleaner alternatives.”
All but one of the country’s coke plants and all of its operating coal-based steel plants are located in Great Lakes states, according to the report.

Land

Tiny homes tackle homelessness around Michigan

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By Donté Smith
Capital News Service
Tiny homes are gaining attention in the state as a potential solution for housing challenges, offering a creative approach to affordability and community-building. 
While often showcased as a minimalist lifestyle choice on platforms like Netflix, where shows such as “Tiny House Nation” highlight their appeal, they’re also being deployed as a tool to address homelessness and housing density. 
These compact dwellings, defined by the International Residential Code, are 400 square feet or less in floor space. Although they can be built on foundations, most are built on trailers. More people are experiencing homelessness as affordable housing has become harder to find. 
Homelessness in the state increased by 8% in 2022 compared to 2021, going from 30,113 people to 32,589, according to the latest report from Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness. In Michigan, where state-specific rules for tiny homes are absent, zoning and utility infrastructure often dictate the feasibility of projects. Matthew Grzybowski, the advancement operations manager for Mel Trotter Ministries, is navigating these complexities through the Hope Village initiative in Grand Rapids.

Land

New quarantines on firewood are helping reduce the spread of invasive insects

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By Gabriel S. Martinez

Capital News Service
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is placing quarantines around the state to contain an outbreak of invasive species, mainly by way of transporting firewood infested with pests. Laurel Downs, the forest health conservation coordinator for the national Don’t Move Firewood campaign, said when insects get introduced into a new ecosystem from global trade, sometimes through packaging material and mostly by firewood transportation, they typically lack any natural predators in the new environment. 
That allows them to infest the wood. 
“Usually it’s years before people discover them, so they tend to be well-established by the time managers start trying to tackle the issue,” Downs said. Quarantines are regulatory measures to prevent the spread of the pests after they have been established into a new ecosystem, according to the agriculture department. Cheryl Nelson, a forest health forester who does outreach for the Department of Natural Resources, said quarantines are effective when they’re used – but the lack of public awareness perpetuates problems.
According to a report by the Don’t Move Firewood campaign, Michigan is one of 26 states with external pest-based quarantines that include firewood as a regulated item and restricts the entry of some out-of-state firewood. State quarantines have been placed in Michigan on the mountain pine beetle (all firewood), the balsam woolly adelgid (fir) and the hemlock wooly adelgid (hemlock with needles and twigs), according to the report. 
Other invasive insects include the emerald ash borer, spongy moth and the spotted lanternfly. 
To be transported legally to a quarantined area, firewood must be treated to a specific standard.

Nearshore

Study warns of climate risks to hazardous waste facilities

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By Anna Rossow 
Capital News Service
A new Government Accountability Office study of hazardous waste facilities found them at risk of damage from climate-related events such as flooding and hurricanes. 
Some are in the six-state Great Lakes region, including ones near southern Lake Michigan. 
According to the study, there are more than 700 treatment, storage and waste facilities in the U.S., 68% of which are at risk of a climate hazard such as wildfires, storm surges and rising sea levels, which can be exacerbated by climate change. 
The study recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency provide assistance and training on managing facility climate risks. Kimberly Tyson, the manager of the hazardous waste section in the materials management division at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, said hazardous waste includes ignitable chemicals that may harm people. 
She said the department tries to inspect Michigan facilities at least four times a year. 
The department’s district staff inspects waste containers to see if they are being stored properly and are of good integrity without any leaks, she said. 
“They’re also looking at the facility and making sure that it’s in compliance with our rules and nothing is out of place,” said Tyson. “They’re not getting sloppy with housekeeping and stuff like that.”
Facilities have backup plans or contingency plans in case a leak occurs, Tyson said. For example, there may be a secondary containment area to catch leaked waste, and facilities may have dust on hand to soak up leaked waste as well. She said part of a facility’s contingency plan in case of a leak includes working with first responders and medical personnel in training scenarios so they know how to address any hazards. 
Secondary containment areas are sloped to catch leaked material in one area, she said, and some facilities have a “blind sump” which pumps out the waste to dispose of it or put it through a treatment process until it is no longer hazardous. 
However, according to the EPA website, flooding and rising water can cause facility infrastructure to fail. 
Alan Steinman, the Allen and Helen Hunting Research professor at the Annis Water Resource Institute at Grand Valley State University, said that a hazardous waste spill can affect water quality in different ways, depending on what chemical leaks.