Nominations Wanted For Great Lakes Advisory Board

Jun 29: U.S. EPA issued a request for nomination from a diverse range of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment as members of its Great Lakes Advisory Board (GLAB) [77 FR 38803]. The GLAB will provide advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator, in her capacity as Chair of the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, on matters pertaining to Great Lakes restoration and protection. Vacancies are expected to be filled by September 2012. Nominations must be postmarked by July 30, 2012.

 

    The GLAB will be composed of approximately 15 members appointed by the EPA Administrator. In selecting members, EPA will consider candidates representing or serving as liaison to a broad range of interests across the Great Lakes, that may include, but are not limited to, environmental groups, business, agricultural groups, youth groups, foundations, environmental justice groups, academia and state, local and tribal governments. Members will be appointed for two year terms and are eligible for reappointment.

 

   The GLAB will meet approximately two times a year. Additionally, members may be asked to participate in teleconference meetings. The average workload for members will be approximately 4 to 6 hours per month. We are unable to provide honoraria or compensation for service on the GLAB. However, you may receive travel and per diem allowances where appropriate and according to applicable federal travel regulations.

 

    Access the complete announcement which includes additional details on making nominations (click here).

 

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Great Lakes Mayors Declaration On Water Sustainability

Jun 28: Mayors from Québec, Ontario and the U.S., representing over fifteen million people, made a 'Declaration on Water Sustainability' and committed to common sustainable water management practices to protect  the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, the largest source of surface fresh water on earth. Also at the bi-national conference of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, five cities were recognized for their outstanding efforts in water conservation, water pollution prevention and sustainability.

    Mayor Tom Barrett, of Milwaukee and Chair of the Cities Initiative said, "Today, my fellow mayors and I made an important declaration on water sustainability to protect the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence through our cities' daily operations and long term investments. Together, the mayors of the Cities Initiative are making a difference in the future health and prosperity of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region and are showing leadership globally in sustainable water management."

    In support of the 'Declaration on Water Sustainability', the Cities Initiative released a report on Sustainable Municipal Water Management, with best practices from members, along with a method for evaluating and publicly reporting on progress on common actions by cities across the basin. Members will be asked to present their public reports on sustainable water management at our next annual general meeting in June 2013. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a binational coalition of 90 mayors and other local officials that works actively with Federal, state, tribal, first nation and provincial governments and other stakeholders to advance the protection, restoration and promotion of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin.

    Access a release from the Cities Initiative and link to more information on the annual general meeting, the award winners (click here). Access the complete 41-page report (click here). [#GLakes]

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NOAA Great Lakes Lab Releases New Strategic Plan

Jun 25: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) announced the release of its new Strategic Plan, "Innovative Research for the Freshwater Seas." GLERL's 2012 Strategic Plan outlines how GLERL research will advance ecological forecasting capabilities to provide Great Lakes decision-makers and resource managers with information to help anticipate and respond to ecosystem changes. This goal will be accomplished through the coordinated efforts of GLERL's three research branches, which observe the environment, study ecosystem processes and dynamics, and develop integrated physical and ecological models.

 

   GLERL's base budget of about $9.5 million is distributed across the three science themes using an annual, integrated planning process. The 2012 Strategic Plan guides internal research plans and day-to-day operations by outlining the vision, goals, and objectives of GLERL's integrated science program. The plan contains an Implementation Strategy describing the critical success factors for the execution of our Science Strategy. Critical success factors include strategic leveraging of partnerships, integrated internal project planning, and high-performing facilities, equipment, and information systems, among others. GLERL indicates it will revisit and update the science and operations milestones in this Strategic Plan every six months to track progress toward the goals.

    Access more information and to read GLERL's 2012 Strategic Plan (click here).

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Report Reviews Legal Controls For Fracking In MI & OH

Jun 21: A new legal analysis by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) finds that laws in Michigan and Ohio need to be improved to protect the region's streams, rivers, lakes, and wildlife from the risks of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." NWF said, "Energy companies use this controversial technique to extract natural gas from fine-grained shale, injecting a mix of water, chemicals, and sand into a well at high pressures to crack open the rock. The natural gas then flows out into the well and is captured aboveground. Fracking has raised significant environmental concerns, including the potential for impacts on water quality and water-dependent natural resources."

    Sara Gosman, water resources attorney for NWF's Great Lakes office and lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School said, "Our analysis shows that Michigan and Ohio are doing some things right, but the states remain vulnerable to risks associated with fracking. We urge Michigan and Ohio to strengthen their laws to protect public health, wildlife and water resources now and for generations to come."

    NWF reports that while fracking of shallow wells has occurred in Michigan for over 30 years, energy companies are just beginning to use fracking within the Great Lakes basin to extract natural gas from deep shale formations. These deep shale wells can extend more than a mile below the surface and up to two miles horizontally. Fracking of deep wells requires more water, more chemicals, and greater pressure on the well itself than fracking of shallow wells. Thus, deep wells pose more risks for water resources in the basin.

     The report -- Hydraulic Fracturing in the Great Lakes Basin: The State of Play in Michigan and Ohio -- reviews the legal framework governing the entire life cycle of fracking in both states. The report begins by examining three potential ways in which the water resources in the Great Lakes basin could be harmed by fracking: depletion of freshwater resources due to the large volumes of water needed to inject into deep wells; contamination from well production activities, including surface spills and underground leaks; and contamination from disposal of the well wastewater. For each of these three areas, the report then examines the laws that are intended to address the risks in Michigan and Ohio. The report, written by Gosman and University of Michigan Law School students, concludes that the laws address some of the risks of fracking, but that more needs to be done to fully protect the Great Lakes basin.

 

    Access a release from NWF (click here). Access the complete 39-page report which includes references and links to referenced information (click here).

 

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Alliance Report On Great Lakes CSOs & CWSRF Funding

Jun 19: A new report by the Alliance for the Great Lakes (Alliance), Reducing Combined Sewer Overflows in the Great Lakes: Why Investing in Infrastructure is Critical to Improving Water Quality, looks at the success of the Federal Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) in helping finance the projects, and reminds that the fund's future is critical to keeping Great Lakes water clean. A subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to consider funding for the vital program as soon as Wednesday. The House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies meets June 20, at 1 PM, to consider the FY2013 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill. The Subcommittee mark up will not be webcast.

 

    The Alliance indicates that drenching spring and summer downpours often overwhelm municipal wastewater treatment plants and spill billions of gallons of raw sewage and stormwater into the Great Lakes. In response, communities are upgrading aging sewage infrastructure and pipes, separating combined sewer systems that allow stormwater to mix with household wastewater, and adding rooftop greenery, rain gardens and other green infrastructure. Such solutions are costly, however, and can be tough to finance even in strong economic times. The CWSRF provides low-interest loans and flexible financing to help local governments carry out much-needed wastewater management projects and innovative green infrastructure development. Since its inception in 1987, the fund benefitted from a $33.5 billion investment from the Federal government and provided $89.5 billion in loans to states for municipal wastewater facilities, nonpoint-source pollution control and estuary management projects. For every Federal dollar appropriated, states contribute 20 cents. The fund grows as a result of principal repayment, interest earnings and proceeds from leveraging the loans.

 

    The Alliance indicates that recently, "the CWSRF was funded at a higher level than much of the 2000s, but the annual allocation of Federal funds to the program have decreased since 2011 and another cut is proposed for 2013. These decreases come at a time when public support for Federal funding of Great Lakes restoration is high." A poll released earlier this month by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition found 72 percent of Ohio voters support continued federal funding of Great Lakes restoration, and 54 percent reject the idea that the Great Lakes should take a budget cut. Lyman Welch, Alliance Water Quality Program director and co-author of the study said, "Investments in wastewater infrastructure create jobs, save money and are a solid use of taxpayer dollars at a time when the nation needs to make smart choices. If we don't make these investments today, it will cost us more tomorrow."

 

    The Alliance points out that in 2011 alone, some 18.7 billion gallons of combined sewage and stormwater was dumped into the Great Lakes by seven of the basin's largest dischargers. The bacteria, viruses and other pathogens in untreated sewage pose a significant health risk and often contribute to Great Lakes beach closings. These closings come at a cost to local economies, with some studies showing the value of a beach trip to range from $20-$36 per person, per day. At the same time, investment in the Great Lakes' overall health is more than a safe bet: a 2007 Brookings Institution study reported a $2 return on every $1 invested.

 

    They indicate that the largest sources of combined sewer overflow pollution into the Great Lakes by volume come from the wastewater treatment facilities of the region's biggest municipalities: Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee. Chicago also contributes a significant amount, and several smaller municipalities -- Buffalo, NY, Hammond, IN and Toledo, OH, also experience significant overflows. The Alliance report highlights two communities -- Rochester, NY and Grand Rapids, MI -- which, thanks to the CWSRF, have achieved substantial reductions in their CSO volumes.

 

    Access a release and link to the complete report (click here). Access more information on the Subcommittee meeting (click here).

 

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Hearings & Comments On Upper Great Lakes Water Levels

Jun 18: The International Joint Commission (IJC) announced that it is inviting public comment on the final report of its International Upper Great Lakes Study Board, Lake Superior Regulation: Addressing Uncertainty in Upper Great Lakes Water Levels. Comments will be accepted at public hearings and by mail, email and on-line until August 31, 2012. In Michigan, hearings are planned for Gross Pointe Farms (July 10) and Holland (July 12).

 

    The Study examines whether the regulation of outflows from Lake Superior through the compensating works and power dams on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie might be improved to take into consideration the evolving needs of users on Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie. The report also examines the potential future impacts of climate change, a management strategy to better anticipate and respond to future extreme water levels, the feasibility and implications of restoring water levels in lakes Michigan-Huron and multi-lake regulation and its impacts throughout the Great Lakes St-Lawrence system. The report and related supporting documents and peer review are available at the Upper Great Lakes Public Hearings website.

    Access a release from IJC with meeting details throughout the Great Lakes region and commenting details (click here). Access the report, summary and background (click here).

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Temporary Break This Week; We're Back On June 18

WIMS is on break this week due to a family emergency.

 

We'll be back on June 18, 2012.

 

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Great Lakes Week 2012 - Taking Action, Delivering Results

Jun 8: Great Lakes Week 2012, will be held in Cleveland, OH, September 10-13, 2012, at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel. Great Lakes Week, an effort to host the meetings and conferences of a diverse group of Great Lakes stakeholders in one place, and is expected to attract close to 700 activists, government representatives, industry leaders, tribal members, environmental consultants, sportsmen, and academic institutions under one roof to network and collaborate on issues of critical urgency facing the Great Lakes and to re-affirm a shared commitment to restoring the health of the Lakes.

 

   Great Lakes Week is a collaborative effort between the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (HOW), the Great Lakes Commission, the International Joint Commission, the Great Lakes Areas of Concern Annual Conference, the U.S. EPA, and the U.S. and Canadian federal environmental agencies participating in Great Lakes restoration work. The Healing Our Water's Great Lakes Restoration Conference (HOW) has announced its early bird registration is now open for a fee for of $170.
 
    Access more details and a day by day schedule of Great Lakes Week for all organizations (click here). Access complete details and registration information for the HOW Coalition (click here).

 

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Michigan AG Charges Arkansas Man With Selling Live Asian Carp

Jun 5: Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and MDNR Director Rodney Stokes announced that the Attorney General's Criminal Division has charged an Arkansas man with twelve felony counts of possessing and selling live Asian carp in violation of State law protecting against the spread of invasive species. The charges follow a joint investigation by MDNR's Special Investigation Unit and Commercial Fish Enforcement Unit.

 

    Schuette said, "Once destructive Asian carp enter our waterways, the damage cannot be undone. We must remain vigilant and use every tool available to protect Michigan's tourism and sport-fishing industries from this dangerous threat." Stokes said, "Invasive species in general and the Asian carp in particular pose one of the most serious current threats to the economy and the ecology of the Great Lakes. The excellent work in this case by the MDNR's Law Enforcement Division is one more indication that we will continue to vigilantly protect the lakes from this menace."

 

    It is alleged David Shane Costner, 42, of Harrisburg, Arkansas, possessed 110 grass carp fish, a type of invasive Asian carp.  The fish were allegedly transported and sold from tanks housed in a semi-truck furnished by parent company Farley's Arkansas Pondstockers. Costner allegedly travelled around the state, conducting sales of the illegal carp from store parking lots. The trucks also contained live fish species permitted under State law, including channel catfish, largemouth bass and fathead minnows. On May 16, 2012, Costner allegedly sold two of the live grass carp to undercover MDNR investigators in Midland. 

 

   Grass carp, which are herbivorous and could potentially remove all vegetation from a body of water at the expense of native species, have been illegal to possess in Michigan for decades. Stokes said MDNR has been aggressively monitoring traffic in restricted species since the threat of Asian carp entering the Great Lakes became apparent.

 

   Schuette filed the following charges against Costner today (June 5) in Midland's 75th District Court: ten counts of possession of an illegal species, a felony punishable by two years in prison and a fine of $2,000-$20,000 for each violation; and, two counts of selling an illegal species, a felony punishable by two years in prison and a fine of $2,000-$20,000 for each violation. Arrangements are being made for Costner to surrender himself to the proper authorities. Arraignment will be scheduled in Midland's 75th District Court at a later date.

 

    Access a release from the AG (click here).

 

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Canadian Enviros Want Stronger Action To Stop Asian Carp

Jun 4: In a release, environmental groups announced they will be submitting a petition to the Ontario government, requesting the province take stronger steps to stop an invasive species of fish, Asian carp, from entering the Great Lakes. The petition asks the government to immediately begin working with the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLCI) to ensure the Great Lakes and Mississippi basins are physically separated to prevent Asian carp from getting into Lake Michigan. The petition was signed by more than 900 Ontario residents and organized by the Great Lakes Section of the Sierra Club and Great Lakes United. 

 

    Mary Muter of the Sierra Club Ontario said, "Great Lakes residents, both U.S. and Canadian, are alarmed by the threat of Asian carp. We are calling for a permanent solution in the Chicago area waterways, which artificially connect the Mississippi to the Great Lakes. We need to protect what wetlands we have left and the already threatened fish community from these rapidly reproducing food-chain disrupters." According to a release, the groups indicate that the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative have released a report, Restoring the Natural Divide, outlining viable solutions to the threat from Asian carp and other invasive species [See WIMS 2/7/12]. They said the report suggests a long-term, permanent solution instead of stopgap measures that, on their own, will ultimately fail to stop the Asian carp's march to Lake Michigan.

    Access a release from the environmental groups (click here). Access the GLC-GLCI report and all supporting materials (click here).

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