groundwater
Groundwater reform needs to happen now, experts say
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A “silent crisis” is brewing beneath Michigan, that threatens what experts say could be considered Michigan’s Sixth Great Lake.
Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/groundwater/)
A “silent crisis” is brewing beneath Michigan, that threatens what experts say could be considered Michigan’s Sixth Great Lake.
The state changed its mind whether a permit is needed to store water treatment residuals there.
The results showed that ammonium was discharged to rivers at well above the Environmental Protection Agency’s aquatic life criteria.
Two Michigan men pleaded guilty to falsely certifying that aging, defective petroleum tanks did not threaten groundwater.
New research indicates that road salt applied on icy roads and that runs into rivers remains toxic not just in winter, but throughout two-thirds of the year.
Great Lakes advocates should focus less on federal funding and more on state issues, such as mining threats, groundwater conservation and risky oil shipments.
The Great Lakes’ record-low water levels are rightly receiving all of the attention now, but evidence is growing that Michigan’s fragile groundwater resources are quietly becoming a concern for the future. Robert Glennon, professor of law and public policy at the University of Arizona and author of “Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to do About It,” knows Michigan well and shares his insights. Echo has reported on the consequences of drought on Great Lakes groundwater – which can also be seen on this map – and the challenge of measuring its effects. The need for better groundwater conservation continues to be a widely overlooked issue facing the Basin.
Budget constraints and a belief that existing legal solutions to the disputes are sufficient nixed an aquifer protection program, but critics of the decision say the program worked well and is needed.
Lake Zurich is now supplied by an aquifer pumped faster than it can recharge.
And the water requires expensive treatment.
At the same time, the village’s sewer capacity is strained.
U.S. Army officials propose building a public water supply as an alternative to using private wells threatened by contamination from an old weapons complex near Madison.