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Chicago named most walkable city in the Great Lakes region
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Chicago is the most walkable of Great Lakes cities with a population of at least 75,000. This is according to a ranking system by the website Walk Score. The top 10 Great Lakes contenders among cities of that size, with their national rank in parentheses, are:
Chicago, Ill. (11)
Minneapolis, Minn. (24)
Cicero, Ill.
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The Kalamazoo oil spill: One year later
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Today, a year after the oil spill on the Kalamazoo River in southern Michigan, it still poses a major cleanup challenge, the Associated Press reports. Enbridge Inc., the owner of the pipeline that caused the 800,000-gallon oil spill, has an Aug. 31 deadline given by the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the oil. But the oil footprint is larger than anticipated and many pockets of oil may not have been identified. Regulators told the Associated Press that this could mean the cleanup may continue for a couple of years.
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Limits to ballast rules fail in court; lawmakers debate similar action
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Attempts to limit state authority over ballast water rules fell flat last Friday, but the legal tug-of-war continues this week as lawmakers consider the nation’s environmental spending. Last week’s decision by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit supported states in regulating water used in balancing shipping vessels more strongly than federal rules. This week the U.S. House of Representatives votes on a spending bill that includes an amendment penalizing states with stronger protections by withholding Environmental Protection Agency funding of any kind. That means states like New York, which have strong ballast water rules, would lose Great Lakes restoration funding, according the Natural Resources Defense Council. Ballast water containing invasive species has had devastating impacts on the Great Lakes and inland waterway systems, said Thom Cmar, an attorney with the council’s Chicago office.
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Photo Friday: Rocky Lake Ontario
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You can find new images weekly on Scott Thomas’ photography blog.
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Experts answer questions about the Great Lakes
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Inquisitive about the Great Lakes? Submit or tweet your questions and they could be answered by scientists or other experts. Specialists on board the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s research vessel Lake Guardian are exploring Lake Superior this week. They are answering questions about the Great Lakes submitted by the public through a form starting today. Individuals can alternatively tweet questions to @EPAresearch using the #LakeSci11 hashtag. The Great Lakes are hugely important for individuals in the Great Lakes basin but they are also a national treasure, said Melissa Anley-Mills, member of the science communication staff for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Bike Fixtation installs bike repair vending machine in Minneapolis
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Ever gotten a flat tire on your bike, but have no idea where to get free air or a patch kit? Well, hopefully you’re near Minneapolis. Bike Fixtation has installed its first self-service bike kiosk at Uptown Transit Station. The kiosk is basically a vending machine that sells inner tubes, lights and patch kits, as well as snacks, drinks and sunscreen. There is also a repair stand, free air, and a wide variety of tools that you might need.
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Ohio’s governor vetoes Lake Erie water withdrawal bill
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Ohio Gov. John Kasich vetoed Friday a bill that would have let businesses take millions of gallons of Lake Erie water without a permit.
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Congress considers limiting states’ ability to regulate ballast water
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The U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved a budget bill amendment that would discourage states from regulating ballast water more strongly than the federal rule.
States that did would lose funding from the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Check out midterm report card on Great Lakes Compact
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Two and half years after Great Lakes states agreed to cut down on water diversion and excessive withdrawals from the lakes, the National Wildlife Foundation has reported on how they’re doing. The highlights:
Michigan and Wisconsin have the most notable success, passing legislation to cover all aspects of the compact and administering the program. New York and Ohio only recently enacted legislation to comply with the requirements of the Great Lakes Compact. They deferred to advisory boards for their recommendations. Illinois and Minnesota contend that their statutes and programs are sufficient to control water diversion and withdrawal. They adopted the compact without creating further requirements. Indiana and Pennsylvania created skeletal programs and allowed environmental agencies to fill in the flesh. They have no detailed programs or rules.