Wildlife

Photo Friday: Bois Blanc Island bullfrog

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This close-up photo is of a bullfrog in a marsh on the southwest end of Bois Blanc Island (known as Bo-Lo to locals), located in Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. It was taken by  Terry Heatlie, a habitat restoration specialist working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. We’re always open to viewer submissions for our Photo Friday series, so feel free to message us on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.  

Land

Authors “Canvas Detroit” for art’s impact on the urban environment

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In “Canvas Detroit,” Nichole Christian and Julie Pincus profile the Motor City’s brightest and most diverse of up and coming street artists. From murals on boulevards to grass sculptures, their work can actively improve the urban environment and shine a light on previously ignored and abandoned cityscapes. Detroit is a city that needs “problem solving,” Christian says, and art won’t solve it all. But the city is fostering a wickedly creative atmosphere that is ripe for revitalization. ­Christian recently explained to Great Lakes Echo the importance of street art and how it can revitalize a city.

Energy

New York court leaves turbine project dangling in the wind

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An appeals court has refused to order a local government to extend a special use permit for a proposed multimillion-dollar 29-turbine wind farm in Western New York. Allegany Wind LLC unsuccessfully sought a one-year extension of its permit for the controversial project in the town of Allegany, in Cattaraugus County just north of the Pennsylvania border. When the original permit was issued in July 2011, the town notified the company that the approval would expire if construction has not commenced within a year. The town extended the deadline because of a lawsuit by project opponents, Concerned Citizens of Cattaraugus. The citizens group lost that challenge in November 2011.

Energy

Fracking sand mines credited for fluctuating property values

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By Alison Dirr
Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

Perry Schmitt describes himself as pro-mining but blames the frac sand mine across the highway from his home for driving down the asking price by more than $25,000, to $189,000. His neighbors made out better. Kari Curran and her husband sold 130 acres for $1.5 million to a company affiliated with Unimin Mining Corp., operator of the mine. The property was previously valued at about $225,000. “It was kind of bittersweet,” Curran said.

Water

Photo Friday: Wisconsin sunrise

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This picture of a clear early morning on the western side of Lake Michigan was snapped by Wisconsin resident Catherine Egger last summer. The photo was taken from the shores of Manitowoc, home to the Wisconsin end of the SS Badger car ferry, which transports cargo to and from Ludington, Mich. You’ll notice a small gathering of geese near the bottom of the picture that joined in watching the sun come up. Have a photo to submit for our Photo Friday series? Send it to us on Facebook or Twitter, or in an email to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.

Water

Photo Friday: Moonrise over Lake Michigan

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The moon is bright enough in this picture to perhaps make one think it’s the sun for a brief moment. This photo of a rising full moon was snapped by Jodie Opie in Kenosha, Wisc. looking east over Lake Michigan. We’re always open to viewer submissions for our Photo Friday series, so feel free to message us on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.  

Land

Landowner off the hook for Superfund clean up in New York

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The 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals  ruled that the landowner had fulfilled all its responsibilities under the Superfund law — officially called the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA. The decision apparently leaves the subcontractor that hauled away the contaminated soil out of luck. Here’s what happened, according to legal documents:

Norampac Industries Inc. discovered that property it owned in Cheektowaga, near Buffalo, was polluted with lead and other contaminants. It negotiated a brownfield cleanup agreement with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation in 2006. Company lawyer John Horn of Buffalo said the property known as the N.L. Industries site had been used for brass foundry and smelting operations and for processing an alloy of tin, copper and antimony from 1892 until 1972.