Friday, February 26, 2016

Expert discusses phosphorus at Great Lakes Symposium

<> Expert discusses phosphorus at Great Lakes Symposium - In Ohio, a panel of experts talked at the Toledo Zoo's first Great Lakes Symposium on research related to Lake Erie's growing issue of harmful algal blooms.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Bipartisan Legislation to Boost Great Lakes Funding, Modernize Research Capabilities

<> Bipartisan Legislation to Boost Great Lakes Funding, Modernize Research Capabilities - U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (MI), Gary Peters (MI) and Reps. Dan Benishek, M.D. (MI-1) and Mike Quigley (IL-5) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to spur Great Lakes funding and research efforts and help support effective fishery management decisions -- The Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization (GLFRA) Act gives the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) the clear legislative authority it needs to support the $7 billion Great Lakes sport and commercial fishery industry.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Great Lakes Commission Semiannual Meeting

<> Great Lakes Commission Semiannual Meeting - The 2016 Great Lakes Commission Semiannual Meeting and Great Lakes Day events are underway this week in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

NWF to Sue Pipeline Safety Administration To Protect Great Lakes

<> NWF to Sue Pipeline Safety Administration To Protect Great Lakes - The National Wildlife Federation officially sent a notice of intent to sue the federal agency largely responsible for overseeing oil pipeline safety -- asserting that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) had no authority to authorize the transport of oil through pipelines that run through the Straits of Mackinac and navigable waters in Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Great Lakes: The Next 25 Years- Challenges and Opportunities

<> Great Lakes: The Next 25 Years- Challenges and Opportunities - In late 2015, the Great Lakes Protection Fund commissioned Tracy Mehan to survey basin leaders and other experts about the challenges facing the Great Lakes, what strategies might be used to meet them, and how the Fund can play a role -- the report is now available.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Canadian official delays nuclear waste facility near Lake Huron

<> Canadian official delays nuclear waste facility near Lake Huron - Plans for a controversial nuclear waste storage facility near the Canadian shore of Lake Huron took a serious hit Thursday, when a Canadian environmental official put the project in limbo.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Examining Microbeads in the Great Lakes

<> Examining Microbeads in the Great Lakes - Issue 2, Vol. 4, of the IJC Newsletter kicks off a four-part series on microbeads in the Great Lakes along with other recent items fassessing Great Lakes water quality

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Waukesha's water request gets look from Great Lakes states, provinces

<> Waukesha's water request gets look from Great Lakes states, provinces - Waukesha is the first community in the United States located entirely outside the Great Lakes basin to ask for a diversion of water under a 2008 federal law known as the Great Lakes protection compact. The city is about 1.5 miles west of the subcontinental divide marking the basin boundary.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Amid Obama Budget Cuts, Coalition Urges Congress to Again Stand up for Great Lakes

<> Amid Obama Budget Cuts, Coalition Urges Congress to Again Stand up for Great Lakes - The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is calling on Congress to restore funding to core Great Lakes restoration programs that protect drinking water, keep beaches open, and support the outdoor recreation economy, following the release of President Barack Obama's budget on Tuesday.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Michigan leaders oppose Wisconsin town's Great Lakes diversion request

<> Michigan leaders oppose Wisconsin town's Great Lakes diversion request - Jennifer McKay, policy specialist for the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council said, "We are actually recommending that Gov. Rick Snyder deny approval to the [Waukesha, WI] application. It does not meet the standards put forth in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact."

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Obama Budget Cuts Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

<> Obama Budget Cuts Great Lakes Restoration Initiative - Today President Obama released his proposed budget, which includes cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative from the current $300 million federal investment to $250 million. 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Mackinac Straits, Line 5 focus of Coast Guard bill

<> Mackinac Straits, Line 5 focus of Coast Guard bill - Great Lakes transportation and oil pipeline safety are key factors in legislation expected to be signed by President Barack Obama in the near future -- In addition to calling for the new icebreaker, the bill also includes a provision Peters authored requiring the U.S. Coast Guard and other relevant federal agencies to coordinate an assessment of fresh water oil spill response activities, including during times of heavy ice cover.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

MI Rep. Miller: 'No' to nuclear waste near Lake Huron

<> MI Rep. Miller: 'No' to nuclear waste near Lake Huron - Its backers contend the waste can be more safely stored there (in a limestone formation 2,200 feet below the surface) than it is today, on-site at nuclear power generating stations -- "In my view, that contention defies common sense."

Monday, February 1, 2016

IJC Diversion Report disappointing, says Restore Our Water Intl. rep

<> IJC Diversion Report disappointing, says Restore Our Water Intl. rep - An official with Restore Our Water International (ROWI) expressed her disappointment with comments made by the International Joint Commission (IJC) on a report released on Great Lakes water diversion.