The Environment Report - Delta College Public Radio

Fall colors peak in the Saginaw Bay region next week. Learn how composting yard waste can fight climate change while enriching your garden. And find out what it means to be climate literate. For more, visit: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

In this episode, we celebrate 15 years of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and explore how utility-scale solar energy projects are boosting property values in the Midwest. Plus, we break down the U.S. EPA’s new lead and copper rule improvements, which mandate the replacement of lead service lines within the next decade. For more information: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Be on the lookout for Michigan Department of Natural Resources personnel conducting nighttime walleye surveys. Federal agencies are expanding the number of moored heat sensors in lakes Huron, Superior, and Michigan. For more visit: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

A crowdfunding campaign is on to gather the last bit of money for a waterfront park on Saginaw Bay in Linwood. A conceptual vision is out for the site of the old Consumers Energy Karn power plant. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

More baby sturgeon will soon be swimming in the Saginaw Bay watershed. Michigan’s 19 million acres of forests are transitioning to fall colors. Great Lakes advocates will gather in Chicago next week (Sept. 26-27) for the annual conference by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

If you visit a national park beach, there’s a good chance that the sand beneath your toes contains tiny plastic particles. The State of the Bay Conference is coming back, followed by a One Water Gathering. For more, visit: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge's Wildlife Drive has reopened, Michigan is in the top ten states with the most clean energy jobs, and wipes sold in Michigan can no longer be marketed as "flushable." For more, visit: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Homeowners associations will be prohibited from banning certain energy improvements and solar energy systems under a state House bill approved by the Senate. The Tittabawassee River Trail provides unique views and opportunities for wildlife observation.

Be prepared for wildfire smoke this summer, an Aquatic Invasive Species Landing Blitz is on at boat launches in Michigan, and the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor is posting weekly field sampling data for Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron.

Excessive heat can be a drag, including on air quality. A paper in the Journal of Great Lakes Research identifies Michigan’s Top Ten most unwanted. For more, visit: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

A way to check beach monitoring information online, June 29 is Tawas Lake Day, and Michigan officials are seeking proposals for a green maritime strategy. For more, visit: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

A statewide walleye fishing challenge runs through June 30. The Environmental Law & Policy Center has a project that aims to reimagine retired coal plant sites as green spaces. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

A failing septic system can bring wastewater into your home and discharge untreated wastewater into the environment. Twenty eight school districts across Michigan will benefit from a federal Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

A public meeting is planned for May 22 for a three-year Tobico Marsh restoration project. The state has a Pure Michigan program to recognize land and water locations that represent some of the best trail experiences. And in Oscoda County, didymo cells have been found in the Au Sable River. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Michigan Sea Grant has an update on walleye populations in Saginaw Bay. The Sierra Club of Michigan is pushing for environmental justice legislation. For more information: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

A majority of Americans support large scale solar farms, Michigan is receiving $156 million to lower solar costs, and lake sturgeon are no longer endangered. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

The state has a draft plan for recreational fishing in Saginaw Bay and is asking for the public’s help in finalizing it. The vast majority of Great Lakes litter is plastic. For more: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Where to see the partial eclipse in Michigan and an upcoming Earth Day Action Expo. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Through April 24, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is hosting listening sessions to prepare for federal home energy rebate funding. Michigan is receiving $2 million to help local governments and communities plan for large-scale renewable energy and energy storage projects. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Environmental groups are pushing for efforts to protect the Great Lakes and drinking water from microplastics. A nonprofit is looking for Coast Watchers and Piping Plover Monitors. Great Lakes water levels are expected to be lower than last year for the upcoming boating and beach season. For more: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Invasive carp would be turned into food for people and farmed animals under a new partnership between the World Wildlife Fund and Freshwater Select. Federal funding aims to improve water level forecasts for the Great Lakes, with the ability to predict levels up to a year in advance. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Saginaw Valley State University is moving ahead with plans for a Lake Huron Environmental Research Station. A conservation group is looking for input on plans for a park in Rose City. Where is most new electricity coming from? Solar and battery storage. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

What’s in store for Michigan under the clean energy package signed into law late last year? Almost $66 million in Clean Water grants will go to Michigan communities to upgrade water infrastructure. Have you heard about Great Lakes ReNEW? For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

February 2 is World Wetlands Day, Midland County’s newest nature preserve just got a boost. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

The U.S. Department of Defense will install two more groundwater treatment systems in Oscoda to address PFAS contamination. The federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently summarized data about low ice coverage on the Great Lakes. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

More solar is on the way; in Michigan, increases in solar power generation will be driven in part by new state laws as recommended in a MI Healthy Climate Plan; and a recently released Michigan State of the Great Lakes 2023 Report says the latest management plan for Lake Huron identifies more than 50 actions to help protect and restore the lake. For more information, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Saginaw Valley State University will construct an environmental research station near Lake Huron, more than $20 million will be granted for renewable energy and electrification projects in Michigan, and it’s not too soon for college students to make summer plans. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Local municipalities and private landowners are being sought as part of a $4 million initiative to restore wetlands. The nonprofit Alliance for Water Efficiency in Chicago will research conservation best management practices for the state of Michigan. For the 124th year, the National Audubon Society is organizing the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

An environmental group called the Alliance for the Great Lakes is urging people to comment on a federal proposal for “new lakers.” Artificial intelligence will be checking out curbside recycling containers in Bay City. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Michigan will require utility providers to be carbon-free by 2040, landscape enhancement and restoration efforts are underway at area nature reserves, and learn about building bat houses. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

The official start of winter is less than a month away, a climate change report details harmful impacts on regions across the United States, and wild turkeys are thriving again in Michigan thanks to conservation efforts. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

There’s a lot of hubbub about a Clean Energy Future Plan passed last week by the Michigan Legislature. If you want to learn more about chemical contaminants in Lake Huron, check out an upcoming event. There’s a notice out about the upcoming construction of a new Lafayette Street Bridge over the Saginaw River in Bay City. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Energy Waste Reduction programs in Michigan saved electricity and natural gas in 2022. Starting this month, you won’t be able to reserve camping and cabins as early in Michigan state parks. The invasive emerald ash borer is jeopardizing the entire native range of black ash trees in the United States and Canada. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Michigan leads the Midwest in clean energy workers, well water testing kits sold out, and Consumers Energy is getting federal money to strengthen Michigan's electric grid. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Terrifying facts about climate change, how to make your events green, and how pollution cleanup increases property values. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Consumers Energy says it’s building an 85-megawatt solar array at two former coal-fired power units that closed earlier this year along Saginaw Bay. The Resilient Coastal Projects Initiative is expanding to the Lake Huron shoreline. Middle and high school educators also are encouraged to apply for grants for Teaching Great Lakes Literacy. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

One of the world’s most invasive aquatic plants was found in Michigan waters for the first time. The state is seeking recommendations for 2024 water monitoring locations. And a report by the National Wildlife Federation says to "leave the leaves." For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

The state has an updated plan for dealing with climate change and its impacts on stormwater and wastewater infrastructure. Fall is here and the state’s Pure Michigan program is issuing weekly fall color reports. And speaking of leaves, fall is a perfect time for planting trees. Find more at: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

What’s the risk of highly dangerous heat in your city? Consumers Energy is holding a series of public meetings to discuss the future of its hydroelectric dams on the Au Sable River. And the state announced a new program to test the safety of well water. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Artificial intelligence can improve monitoring for PFAS chemicals in Michigan drinking water. The state recently announced $41.5 million in clean water grants to help communities upgrade water infrastructure to ensure healthy drinking water. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

The U.S. Air Force says it will take immediate action to clean up PFAS chemical contamination at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda. There are two more invasive species to watch out for in Michigan. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

A new report says the Great Lakes region has significant untapped potential for offshore wind projects, the Alliance for the Great Lakes is pushing for federal legislation to keep industrial plastic pellets out of the Great Lakes.

Harmful algal blooms cause about $82 million annually in economic losses in fishing and tourism in the Great Lakes region. Survey work is being done in Bay County’s Hampton Township to control for non-native phragmites, an invasive reed. What does the Farmer’s Almanac say this winter will be like? For more information, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

More baby sturgeon will be released into the Saginaw Bay watershed during public events August 19. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed bills to expand clean energy in the state. Michigan leads the country in clean energy jobs. For more, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Saginaw Township is one of more than 20 communities to receive state grant funding for projects that address flooding, coastline erosion, urban heat and storm water management. Harmful algal blooms in Michigan are the subject of the latest story map produced by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The Little Forks Conservancy in Midland needs volunteer leaders and collectors for a stream sampling event this fall in Gladwin and Clare counties.

Public land in a dozen Michigan counties is being offered for sale in online auctions in August and September. Pairing community solar with weatherization can have a large impact on bills and usage. Offshore wind energy in the Great Lakes offers a significant opportunity for clean energy.

The Michigan Legislature approved a new 2023-24 fiscal year budget in late June, the new Michigan budget also includes $4 million to replace the Steelhead survey vessel, and eastern equine encephalitis has been detected in mosquitoes from Bay County. For more, visit: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Don’t forget about your pets when it comes to recent air quality alerts triggered by Canadian wildfires. States will have to dramatically step up their efforts to enable a full transition to electric vehicles. For more, visit: https://mrgreatlakes.com/

Following smoke from Canadian wildfires last week, a Michigan agency is encouraging folks to sign for EnviroFlash alerts. A foundation is awarding $100,000 for community tree planting grants in Michigan. Eighty-six percent of U.S. adults surveyed say they would welcome the installation of rooftop solar panels in their communities. For more information, visit https://mrgreatlakes.com/