Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/echo/page/175/)
You know the big names credited with major policy decisions that affect the basin. But who are the people behind the names that shape Great Lakes policy?
This week: Derek Stack, the Canadian who promotes Great Lakes progress on both sides of the border.
Columnist John Hartig says the next generation of environmental problems include sprawl, nonpoint source pollution, toxic substances, habitat loss, exotic species and global warming.
Forty years ago, the Detroit River and western Lake Erie were severely polluted and their ecosystems were failing.
Since then water quality has improved, wildlife has recovered and ecotourism is on the rise.
By John Hartig
1940s
The Detroit River experienced massive winter duck kills due to oil pollution in the 1940s and 1950s when tens of thousands of waterfowl would die at a time. From 1946-1948, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare estimated that 5.9 million gallons of oil and other petroleum products were released untreated into the Detroit and Rouge rivers each year. It is generally accepted that one gallon of oil is enough to pollute one million gallons of water. That means that there was enough oil being discharged into the Detroit and Rouge rivers annually at this time to pollute virtually the entire western basin of Lake Erie, including all Michigan, Ohio and Ontario waters. 1960s
During the 1960s, the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration (the predecessor of EPA) characterized the Detroit River as one of the most polluted rivers in the United States and opened a laboratory (i.e., Large Lakes Research Station) on the island of Grosse Ile to monitor environmental quality.
Feral pigs are an increasing environmental problem in the Great Lakes region. They can dig up ground a foot or more deep, destroy crops and carry diseases that infect domestic livestock.
Michigan officials are crafting an environmental justice policy to give minority and low-income communities a greater voice in environmental decisions.
The Environmental Protection Agency encouraged the state to create the plan in the wake of two unsuccessful lawsuits. The public has until April 9 to comment on the plan.
A month of satellite images of Lake Erie shows a dramatic transformation.
Check out this series of images that starts with an ice-covered lake that quickly cracks apart.
As the days progress you can see the annual spring mixing of fine-grained mud that is stirred from the lake bottom and suspended in the water column.
You know the big names credited with major policy decisions that affect the basin. But who are the people behind the names that shape Great Lakes policy? This week: David Ullrich, the man who holds the megaphone for Great Lakes cities.
Americans spend $152 billion for medical and pain and suffering costs related to foodborne illnesses.
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan rank in the top 10 states for the number of cases and money spent on them.
Nationwide there are 76 million cases a year resulting in 300,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.
In 2009, Michigan produced the most maple syrup in more than 60 years, but this spring farmers are tapping out sooner than they had hoped. An early warm spell made it a poor season, syrupers say.
Ideal conditions require below-freezing temperatures at night and above-freezing temperatures during the day.
Last year the state produced 115,000 gallons of syrup ranking it fifth in the nation. A typical year is 60,000 to 70,000 gallons.