The Great Lakes Report

Standing Up for the Public Interest

2010-05-01T13:05:00.002-04:00

Things are getting heated up north at Kennecott's Eagle Rock mine. Last week activist Cynthia Pryor was arrested near the site even though she was on public land. Now, Native American groups are camped on land that was leased to Kennecott by the state. They plan to stay there as long as it takes.

Everybody should give Cynthia Pryor a tip of the cap, there is clearly something sinister going on when people are getting arrested on public lands. People standing up for themselves for what they know is right is what has made this country great.

Being from the Detroit area this is all very similar to the public park that Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun put a fence around and had armed goons patrolling. In a court hearing about a month ago, the Metro Times reported that if the fence that was erected around the city park was torn down by city officials they would probably be shot. What is going on with our public lands?

Here is Cynthia's story on youtube:

This is the blog for the indian group camped at the Eagle Rock site

Michigan Messenger: Native Americans camp on land leased to mining company

Save The Wild UP

Clean Water Action Blasts Oakland County Resolution

2010-04-12T15:41:00.006-04:00

***CWA Press Release***
Oakland Commissioners Sharply Criticized for Anti-Water Vote Resolution Opposes Bill That Would Prevent Outsourcing Waters

PONTIAC, MI—Clean Water Action sharply criticized a resolution approved today, by a panel of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, that opposes proposed state legislation that would strengthen water protections in the wake of government and corporate actions that threaten drinking water sources.

In a vote along party lines, the county board’s General Government Committee approved the resolution under pressure from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, an advocacy group financially supported by corporate and right-wing national funders.

“The message these Oakland County commissioners send with this resolution is exactly the message that China and CEOs want to hear, “said Cyndi Roper, Special Projects Director for Clean Water Action. “What the vote today says is that the groundwater that feeds Oakland County’s streams, keeps Oakland County lakes alive and is the circulatory system for our entire Great Lakes ecosystem doesn’t deserve to be safeguarded from a state government that is sometimes all too willing to allow our waters to be sold for profit and exported to thirsty countries like China.

“That’s not the message Oakland County should be sending to Lansing because the corporate lobbyists there are only too eager to kill any bill that keeps them from making more money for their CEOs.”

The county board panel’s resolution opposed House Bill 5319, which amends the Michigan Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to classify groundwater as a public trust. Although lakes, rivers and streams have public trust protection, Michigan courts in recent years have eroded protections for groundwater as a result of suits filed by international water exporters like the Nestle Corporation. A nearly identical bill to HB 5319 passed the House with bipartisan support in 2008, but fell one vote shy of passing in the state Senate.

“We strongly urge the Board of Commissioner to reject those who want to turn Michigan’s waters over to corporate interests so, like our jobs, water can be outsourced in unlimited amounts to China and other places,” said Roper. “This is wrong, the people of Oakland County and Michigan know it’s wrong, and we hope their elected officials get the message and keep this resolution from being passed by the full board.”

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy claims the House bill is a threat to property rights, would require permits to use trout streams and would impose additional taxes and fines. None of that is true, said Roper.

“Some claim HB 5319 or public trust would require permits, taxes, and fees for withdrawal of groundwater,” said Roper. “There is nothing in HB 5319 that states or implies any such thing. Neither HB 5319 nor the public trust in water requires or authorizes permits, taxes, or fees. The public trust has nothing to do with groundwater regulation. It simply affirms and declares the overriding public trust interest in water so that government cannot interfere with or sell off or subordinate our rights of private reasonable use or public use and enjoyment of our water.“

Free Press Commentary about House Bill 5319 by lawyer/activist James Olson

Take Action: Flow For Water

Michigan House Bill 5319

Birds Eye Plant Poisons Fennville Wells

2010-04-12T15:17:00.000-04:00

New Website Helps People Get Involved in Local Coastline Cleanups

2010-03-26T14:26:00.004-04:00

The environmental organization Great Lakes United launched a new website called Find My Cleanup, which aims to connect community members to local cleanups going on their area.

The site already has several postings of spring cleanups going on around the Great Lakes. There is a listing for a Detroit area cleanup for Lake St. Clair on Sunday May 23, 2010. The event which is billed as the Nautical Coast Cleanup is presented by the St. Clair Shores Waterfront Environmental Committee. The event is in its 15th year and has gathered over 474 tons of debris over the years from the Lake St. Clair shoreline.

15th Annual Nautical Coast Cleanup

Find Local Cleanups in your community:
Find My Cleanup

Closing the Great Lakes Compact Loophole

2010-03-23T14:31:00.005-04:00

Yesterday to observe World Water Day, Michigan activists held a press conference in Traverse City to bring Michigan House Bill 5319 back into the public spotlight. The bill would close the door on the Great Lakes Compact loophole. In a press release Traverse City attorney and water activist James Olsen said “the Compact left the door wide open for out-of-Basin exports of our water intended for consumers. If Michigan does not close it, global special interests will exploit global water scarcity at the expense of Michigan’s livelihood and quality of life.”

Take Action: Flow For Water

Press Release:
Michigan Water Protectors Push for Public Trust Protection

Michigan House Bill 5319

Report Shows Energy Industry Lacking in Mercury Emission Controls

2010-03-20T17:22:00.004-04:00

A recent report released by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) ranked the nation's top fifty power plants based on mercury emissions. 16 of the 50 power plants were in the Great Lakes region. According to the report by the EIP, mercury removal is possible:

"Years of inaction and delay have prevented Americans from enjoying the power plant mercury cleanup that is required by the Clean Air Act. In 1990, Congress passed the Clean Air Act amendments that set in motion EPA’s requirement to regulate toxic emissions from power plants. But, in 2005, EPA backed away from a protective power plant mercury regulation and instead adopted a weak cap-and-trade scheme, a move that a federal Court of Appeals later overturned.

...Today’s power plant mercury emissions levels are no cause for celebration. When EPA adopted its weak cap-and-trade power plant mercury rule, during the Bush administration, the agency predicted that power plant mercury emissions would drop to between 31 and 34 tons per year by 2010. EPA also concluded that the use of available pollution controls aimed at reducing soot and smog pollution could reduce mercury by 70 percent, to 15 tons per year, and that even stricter cleanup requirements could reduce mercury by 90 percent, to 5 tons per year. The bottom line: Power plant mercury emissions remain unnecessarily high; emissions are significantly higher than the levels that would be achieved if power plants were required to install currently available pollution control technology like bag-houses, scrubbers, and sorbent controls."

This report comes at a time when there is much debate over whether to build new power plants. Here in Michigan there has been a lot of opposition to new coal plants in Bay City and Rogers City. While Michigan only has one power plant listed in the report, it ranked 8th in the nation for mercury emissions. The DTE Energy owned Monroe power plant emitted 1,147 lbs of mercury in 2008. That was an over 23 percent increase from 2007 and a third of Michigan's total mercury emissions for all of 2008.

EIP Report:
AMERICA’S TOP FIFTY POWER PLANT MERCURY POLLUTERS

St. Clair Shores Site Gets $864,000 for Cleanup

2010-03-13T15:15:00.004-05:00

The Detroit Free Press reported yesterday that the EPA has awarded $864,000 for PCB cleanup in St. Clair Shores to clean up the 10 mile drain as well as contaminated parts of the Lange and Revere Street canals.

The EPA is installing 25 weirs which are small metal plates in the sewer line which will block sediment but allow water to still flow. They are hoping to follow a sediment trail to the source since they still do not know where the PCB's are coming from. In 2002 PCB's were removed but have since returned. On March 3 of this year upon finding more PCB's the site was recommended to be put on the National Priorities List but is still waiting approval.

Here is the EPA document describing the site as well as the EPA's findings

A Few Highlights From MSU's Great Lakes Conference

2010-03-13T14:09:00.011-05:00

This past Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending Michigan State University's 2010 Great Lakes Conference "Learning from the Past, Looking Towards the Future." The presentations had a broad range of interesting topics and challenges that are facing the Great Lakes as we move forward into the new millennium.

“Quagga Mussel Impact on the Nearshore Zone: Why Do Our Beaches Stink?” By Harvey Bootsma Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Water Institute

Harvey Bootsma of Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Water Institute presented findings concerning the possibility that quagga mussels may be excreting phosphorous and thereby contributing to higher concentrations of near shore phosphorous. This coupled with more water clarity from the quagga mussels are perfect conditions for cladophora. Cladophora is algae that are known for contributing to unsightly muck on beaches. When cladophora die they can harbor botulism that get into fish and can lead to massive bird kills when the birds eat the fish.

While Bootsma concedes that there “is no smoking gun yet,” they suspect that quagga mussels are altering Lake Michigan’s phosphorous cycle. So far tests that they have conducted have indicated that quagga mussels are concentrating large amounts of phosphorus near the shore. The increased phosphorous acts as a nutrient source for the cladophora, while the increased water clarity of the quagga mussels also contributes to the growth of cladophora.

These findings are troubling, Bootsma says that while the knee-jerk reaction may be to limit phosphorous going into the lake, the problem is more complicated now. Further offshore, plankton need phosphorous so further limiting it could contribute to the decline of plankton that would lead to a decline of fish like alewives which feed off of plankton and in turn get eaten by bigger game fish like salmon and trout.

There is still much that needs to be known such as how the phosphorus mixes at the bottom of the lake and mussel bed, and how fast the phosphorus is at leaving the water table.

“Impacts of Climate Change on Great Lakes Ecosystems”

This talk by Dr. Kimberly Hall of the Nature Conservancy focused on how to anticipate and adjust conservation strategies based off of climate change.

According to Hall temperatures will be 6.5-7.5 degrees warmer by 2080 with increases in the winter minimum and summer maximum. There will also be more extreme heat events, and a longer growing season along with changes in wind and currents.

Hall’s talk focused on a climate adaptation clinic she took part in where they took the following approach in evaluating current conservation strategies in light of climate change:

-Estimate exposure to climate change
-Evaluate sensitivities/impacts
-Create system diagrams
-Create and revise hypotheses of change
-Evaluate conservation strategies

Other concerns related to temperature are that the warmer temperatures will broaden the range of other species in a northward push that will bring more invasive species to the region.

The other big problem will be phenological mismatches. Plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates all respond to temperatures at different rates. As they rely on each other for food, it will disrupt the food web as they respond to climate change differently.

The Nature Conservancy is currently working on making computer models to best figure out what ways are suitable to manage current ecosystems while accounting for climate change.

“Coastal Beaches: Status and Concerns” By Shannon Briggs Toxicologist MDNRE

Congress enacted the BEACH Act which appropriates $10 million per year to 35 different coastal states per year. According to Briggs Michigan does not get its fair share of funding despite having over 3,000 miles of coastline and 1183 public beaches.

When the EPA grants money, they focus more on the length of the beach season than the overall quantity of coastline. This is the reason that the American province of Samoa with its 126 miles of coastline gets the same amount of funding as Michigan. The Michigan’s coastline monitoring program has applied for some of the funds from the recent Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Otherwise the BEACH reauthorization act is threatened to be in a spending freeze until 2012.

Overall, Michigan’s beaches are doing really good despite the lack of funding for monitoring. Actions were reported only 2 percent of the time. Briggs still had concerns noting that you can’t report what wasn’t tested. They only have resources to test most beaches once a week during the swimming season. This will tell them if the water is safe to swim in or not, but it won’t tell them why the water has been fouled. One thing that they have done is to get volunteers to do routine beach sanitary surveys that ask questions like water color, if there are any smells, recent rainfall, or geese, etc. These surveys help provide a bigger picture of what is going on, giving a story behind the numbers and explaining the causes behind any pollution.

Here are some websites:

Has testing results of every Michigan public beach: Beachguard

Track CSO's and SSO's in your community

“Asian Carp: An Imminent Invasion?” By Dan O’ Keefe, Ph.D. Michigan Sea Grant

What more can anyone really say about the asian carp? O’Keefe compared the recent media hype to the Cuyahoga fire in Ohio that brought the Clean Water Act.

He highlighted some interesting facts including some of the ideal reproductive requirements of carp, which do need pretty specific conditions to reproduce:

-Temperatures above 64 degrees F
-A rise in water level
-Over 60 miles of free-flowing river that is upstream from a lake.
-Hard water

He did note that further study is needed and exceptions can apply.

O’ Keefe went on to show the areas of Michgan that are particularly vulnerable to asian carp. The lower western half of Michigan along the Lake Michigan coast is vulnerable as well as Saginaw Bay, and the southeastern part of Michigan from the St. Clair River down through Lake St. Clair and eastern Lake Erie.

O’ Keefe also pointed out that at the Lockport Lock and Dam there are three canals there. One of those canals is the old Illinois and Michigan Canal and there is the potential that the asian carp could bypass the electric barrier altogether and get through a culvert that empties into the Des Plaines River.

O’ Keefe advocated permanent ecological separation not only to stop the asian carp but a myriad of other invasive species that are found in the Chicago waterways but not the Great Lakes such as longspine daphnia, mottled fingernail clam, orangespotted sunfish, skipjack herring, and gizzard shad, just to name a few.

“Wind Farms and Coastal Communities” By Charles McKeown MSU Land Policy Institute

McKeown highlighted the current conflict that is currently going on with wind turbines and local communities and government. Michigan public act 295 required that 10 percent of Michigan’s energy should come from renewable resources. Michigan has a lot of untapped potential for wind resources, McKeown says that there is a 99 percent gap between Michigan wind power utilization and estimated capacity. Texas has already developed a third of its wind power capacity.

Mckeown compared wind power and public attitudes to puppies. Virtually everybody loves puppies and in Land Policy Institute surveys that asked the broad question of whether people were for wind power over 90 percent said they were.

There are no state guidelines for wind farms. It is an issue that is left to local planning committees. McKeown finds that the absence of local planning models, as well as the absence of knowledge for such a new technology in local governments leads to local fear and ultimately public opposition towards the issue. McKeown is looking to injecting science and rational thought to the debate.

The Land Policy Institute has been working on finding out what people like and don’t like about wind farms. In the slideshow the concerns were broke down into 5 different categories of environmental, visual, quality of life, economic, and fairness. Each issue has pros, cons, as well as the challenges of information gaps and remaining questions. The biggest issue seems to be the aesthetics and sheer enormity of the structures, as well as the feeling by some small towns that they are being exploited.

While these are all valid concerns McKeown said that renewable energy gets paid so much lip service on how it is going to help solve climate change, revitalize manufacturing, create energy security, and renew American innovation, while the reality is that we have a “wicked public policy program.”

McKeown had this following synopsis of the wicked problem in his presentation:

“A problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. Moreover, because of complex interdependencies, the effort to solve one aspect of a wicked problem may reveal or create other problems.”

MSU Land Policy Institute will be having a 2010 conference on April 23 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.

Mining Update: Kennecott Exploring New Sites in the U.P, PolyMet Hearings in Minnesota

2010-03-12T14:19:00.005-05:00

According to the website Save The Wild U.P. the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNRE) has announced that a public comment period has begun over the leasing of over 4000 acres of mineral rights to Kennecott in southern Marquette County, northern Dickinson County, and southern Houghton County.

In other mining news Minnesota's proposed PolyMet mine that would be in close proximity to the boundary waters had hearings this week in the Minnesota state Senate. According to the activist group Friends of the Boundary Waters, the meetings were productive and focused on earlier EPA criticisms over PolyMet's Environmental Impact statement. This was in the shadow of the damage deposit bill being withdrawn by the bill's author Sen. Jim Carlson. The damage deposit bill would have increased mining industry regulations.

Here our some recent press on the PolyMet mine from the past week:
If PolyMet meets its commitments, the DEIS suggests that its proposed mine poses no serious environmental impact

Mining industry's view: Benefits are enormous, risks addressed

This is the PolyMet Mine's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
PolyMet Mining Inc./NorthMet Project EIS

Pharmaceuticals are an Emerging Pollutant for the Great Lakes

2010-03-05T13:12:00.005-05:00

A new report by the Alliance for the Great Lakes explores the emerging threat of pharmaceuticals in our drinking water. While many officials say that the levels of pharmaceuticals are low enough that they are not a public risk, it is still not known how these drugs will interact with existing chemicals in the Great Lakes.

There is also no way to really stop them at the moment. Wastewater treatment systems are not equipped to remove pharmaceuticals from the drinking water. There have been recent public campaigns to educate the public to not flush prescriptions down the toilet, as well as places you can bring unwanted prescriptions to be properly disposed of. Much of the waste products still come from secreted urine from patients on medications. Other pathways that pharmaceuticals get into the waterways are from landfills, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and health care facilities.

The report makes the following recommendations: creating drugs that degrade in the environment, introducing new measures for health care workers that can reduce pollution, more research in virtually every area, drug take back programs, and manufacturers being required to list their products' toxicity information.

See the report for yourself: Protecting the Great Lakes from Pharmaceutical Pollution

Alliance for the Great Lakes Press Release:
Drugs in Drinking Water: New Report Explores Emerging Great Lakes Threat, Solutions

Editorial: Will Michigan Put Funding for Toxic Cleanups on the November Ballot?

2010-03-04T14:23:00.009-05:00

Today Detroit News reporter Jim Lynch highlighted the issue that Michigan's toxic cleanup program is completely out of cash. Don't act surprised. This is a story that has seemed to surface about once a year for the past few years and yet nothing has been done about it by lawmakers.

Funding to cleanup toxic sites have been through two voter approved bond issues, one in 1988 and the other in 1998. The program brought $1.3 billion to fund the program. That money will be gone this year. We have our lawmakers to thank for that. In 2008 the MDEQ tried and ultimately failed to persuade lawmakers to put a new bond on the 2008 ballot. This came amidst stories in the press about the MDEQ not having enough money to inspect all of Michigan's toxic sites and them basically warning that this crises was coming. Now, the question is whether lawmakers will have the guts to put the bond proposal on the November 2010 ballot.

Before we dive into a debate about how fiscally irresponsible it is to protect our natural resources, consider that a 2007 expose in the Kalamazoo Gazette in 2007 found that Michigan was dead last in natural resource spending compared to any other state, only spending 0.4 percent of the state's $8 billion budget to protect the environment.

While we're at it let's remember that when companies come in that put the environment at risk such as sulfide mining, or new coal plants, we have to remember that while it does produce economic benefit in the short-term, in the long-term the financial burden of cleanup ends up being the taxpayers problem. Environmental issues are often seen as a very progressive idealistic issue, but they are also a conservative issue. When dirty companies go out of business the tax burden always goes to the taxpayers. Now we are dealing with a full fledged expensive crises that compromises the health of thousands of Michiganders.

Here is another story from the 2007 Kalamazoo expose by Alex Nixon:
Toxic sites threaten valuable Great Lakes resource

Michigan Messenger story: There’s still no funding plan for cleanup at thousands of toxic sites

EPA Proposes St. Clair Shores site to National Priorities List

2010-03-03T18:41:00.004-05:00

The EPA is considering putting the St. Clair Shores area at Bon Brae and Harper Avenue on the National Priorities List (NPL). The area has been plagued by PCB contamination since they were discovered in 2001 when officials were attempting to get a dredging permit. The good news is that the sites that get put on Superfund's NPL are eligible to get federal funds.

The St. Clair Shores Drain (SCSD) eventually drains into Lake St. Clair by way of the Lange Street Canal and Revere Street Canal. While drinking water is safe, according to the EPA the main pathways of exposure are through eating fish in the canals, surface water, soil, or the sediments in the canals especially in the areas where the drain discharges.

In 2002 sediment was removed from the two canals though they have been re-contaminated since then. In 2006 the EPA installed a liner in the portion of the storm sewer where the contamination is the heaviest. The storm sewer has also been re-contaminated as well.

Here is the EPA document describing the site as well as the EPA's findings

The Gratiot County Golf Course in St. Louis Michigan has been designated as a superfund NPL site. From 1956 to 1970 the Velsicol Chemical plant disposed of liquid hazardous waste by burning it at the site. In 1982 the site was put on the NPL and 68,000 cubic yards of soil was removed from the site and it was taken off of the NPL. In 2006 more contamonation of soil and groundwater was found so now the site is back onto the NPL.

Kennecott seeks to amend permit; Minnesota to Hold Hearings on PolyMet Project

2010-03-03T17:50:00.004-05:00

The Kennecott Eagle Project has amended their wastewater treatment permit which may exempt them from having to get a federal permit which is the final regulatory hurdle that the company faces. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment will host a public meeting on Thursday March 11 at 7 PM at Westwood High School.

The proposal can be viewed here.

Associated Press reporter John Flesher broke the story:
Kennecott seeks to amend permit

In other mining news there are going to be mining hearings by the Minnesota Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee next week that will discuss the proposed Boundary Waters PolyMet mine as well as a bill that would strengthen Minnesota mining laws.

This comes after the EPA slammed the PolyMet mine proposal last week as "environmentally unsatisfactory."

The hearings are scheduled for Monday, March 8 and Wednesday, March 10. Details of the meetings are here.

The proposed "damage deposit" bill that will be discussed can be found here.

Asian Carp Roundup

2010-02-28T22:34:00.002-05:00

The past week was a big week for the Great Lakes in terms of lobbying in Washington and for news on the asian carp. For the first time environmentalists and shipping industry representatives agreed that permanently separating the Chicago River would be feasible. The idea was that if the river was separated upstream from the locks, then shippers would still have access to the Chicago ports. The statement was said at an asian carp hearing before the Senate's Subcommittee on Water and Power.

Next week the Army Corps of Engineers will release their modified lock operation plan for the asian carp.

Water and Power Subcommittee Hearing

EPA Rates Boundary Waters Mine Proposal as "Environmentally Unsatisfactory"

2010-02-27T15:03:00.003-05:00

The EPA has rated the proposed Boundary Waters mine as "environmentally unsatisfactory" and also said that the impact statement was "inadequate."

Star Tribune Story:
PolyMet Mine Can't Proceed as Proposed

New Report Puts Pressure on Obama to Regulate Coal Ash Waste Sites

2010-02-27T13:24:00.006-05:00

The Environmental Integrity Project released a report this week finding that many coal ash waste sites across the country are emitting harmful toxins into groundwater that is exceeding federal limits on drinking water standards. There are no current federal laws against coal ash or combustion wastes. The report found that many of these unregulated waste sites contained levels of arsenic as high as 145 times the legal limit as well as other dangerous toxins such as sulfates, boron, and selenium.

The report found that the Consumers Energy Karn/Weadock coal ash waste site in Saginaw Michigan had concentrations of boron and arsenic in the groundwater near the site 99 times over the legal limit. They also found that the landfills are a major contributor to arsenic in the Saginaw Bay area.

The report comes at a critical time for Michigan as there are all kinds of plans for new coal plants including the contested proposed coal plants in Bay City and Rogers City. This comes after a recent study by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) found that Consumers Energy will not need any additional energy capacity until 2020. Environmentalists have been advocating for increased efficiency, renewable energy, and gas generated energy plants.

The Rogers City plant has been particularly controversial as the coals ash would be several thousand feet from Lake Huron. The other concern is that the geography in the area is full of sinkholes and karst formations which are cracked limestones formations that get filled with underground voids or underground streams. Critics of the plant fear that the toxic chemicals would leach into the groundwater and pollute Lake Huron. Officials with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE) have drilled at the site and determined that the site is solid and safe for coal ash disposal.

At a recent public meeting most of the local residents were in favor of the local plant since it would bring desperately needed jobs. On the other side if something was to go wrong than it could be an expensive mess for taxpayers and export pollution to other communities. The state has yet to grant the final permits for the plant.

Critics of the recently approved Bay City power plant say the fight is far from over. They are also attacking the plan of toxic coal ash disposal. One group that owns stock in Consumers Energy is asking the company to better explain the plan to dispose of the millions of tons of toxic coal ash, while other groups are trying to persuade the MPSC to not grant consumers Energy their final certificate of need which is the final permit required before construction can begin.

Environmental Integrity Report:
Out of Control: Mounting Damages From Coal Ash Waste Sites

Asian Carp Supreme Court Case Delayed

2010-02-24T22:44:00.003-05:00

An extension has been granted in the U.S. Supreme court case for Illinois' legal response to the case. While this is a normal legal filing it drags out the deadline until March 22. There is a sense of urgency in the asian carp case, according to Wayne State Law professor Noah Hall's blog "this increases the risk that asian carp will get into the Great Lakes before the court can even decide to take the case."

Michigan Senate holds hearing on Asian carp; briefing in Supreme Court case delayed

More Spring Flooding and Summer Drought for Great Lakes Region

2010-02-20T13:35:00.007-05:00

A new climate model run by Purdue researchers shows that Great Lakes states could see up to 28 percent more precipitation by 2070. Much of that increase would be seen in the winter and spring and would likely lead to increased flooding. The model shows that though it may rain more overall, the summer and fall seasons will be drier This is troubling in that it could really have an adverse effect on agriculture by disrupting the planting season, while summer and fall droughts would also negatively impact crops and intensify water concerns.

Another serious issue is water quality. The increased heavy wet weather events could wreak havoc on local waterways from combined sewer overflows (CSOs). CSO's happen when rainwater overwhelms local sewer capacity and rainwater and sanitary waste overflows onto the waterways. Last year was the worst year in awhile with 37.2 billion gallons of CSOs in the Metro Detroit area. While those numbers are bad, there is an increased focus by municipalities on green infrastructure which looks at ways to redirect and filter rainwater naturally rather than having it go into the sewer systems.

The model was based off of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that gave predictions from 1950-2099. The model assumes warmer winters ranging between 2.7 and 5.4 degrees, and warmer summers ranging from 3.6 and 10.8 degrees. The projections were put into the Variable Infiltration Capacity Model which simulates rain patterns in land environments.

One of the recommendations is that though there won't be a shortage of water, ways to store excess water may need to be found. Some municipalities such as Rochester Hills, MI are already considering measures such as this. Though it is less of a response to global warming than it is towards using the reservoir for lawn irrigation so they can avoid peak water rates from the City of Detroit. Still though, it is the same principle, and the infrastructure will be useful for the future.

The report is published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research:

Hydrologic impacts of projected future climate change in the Lake Michigan region

Science Daily
Projection Shows Water Woes Likely Based on Warmer Temperatures

Kennecott Fiasco is Playing Out in Minnesota's Boundary Waters

2010-02-18T12:53:00.014-05:00

Will the same Kennecott fiasco be allowed to play out in Minnesota's boundary waters?

The Detroit News ran a good story today summarizing the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) 11th hour giveaway to Kennecott, effectively selling out native americans rights and the idea that we are public stewards. The controversy arose out of the fact that that the proposed sulfide mine was located at Eagle Rock which is sacred to the Anishnabe people. What was weird was how sudden the permit was granted. A week before the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) was merged into the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE), they ruled that the Anishnabe people's contention that Eagle Rock was a sacred place of worship could not be recognized by the state of Michigan. The MDEQ's reasoning was that the sacred Eagle Rock is not a place of worship, only buildings can be recognized as places of worship.

The Kennecott Eagle Project is scheduled to begin as early as this spring. Critics say that new mining laws known as Part 632 were not enforced and that a bad precedent has been set.

Now it seems that the floodgates have been opened for risky sulfide mining throughout the Lake Superior region. Sulfide mining is risky because when sulfide ore or the tailings are exposed to air and water it produces sulfuric acid and create havoc in an environment. It can lead to long-term consequences especially if the company goes bankrupt, then taxpayers get stuck with the bill.

Now new sulfide mines are being proposed in Minnesota's Boundary Waters. The proposed mine would be located in the geographic area known as the Duluth complex just south of the boundary waters. The Canadian company Polymet mining have proposed an adjacent open pit sulfide mine that would be located between Hoyt Lakes and Babbitt Minnesota on land in the Superior National Forest. Any contamination from the mine would go the St. Louis River that flows into Lake Superior.

Another mining company Franconia minerals is proposing another mine about 30 miles to the northeast right next to Birch Lake which is part of the boundary waters watershed.

On a personal note, I have enjoyed the epic splendor that is the boundary waters. We traveled 60 miles in a week. Canoeing and portaging from lake to lake. It is a place where you can go days without seeing anybody and the forest gets so thick in some places that you are literally walking on forest debris that is about 10 feet off of the ground. We had water purifiers but after awhile we just drank water straight from the lake with no ill consequences. Minnesota needs to be public stewards of their land for their own sake and for Canada's sake since the Boundary Waters go up into Canada.

Boundary Waters Mining Video

Precious Waters website against Minnesota Sulfide Mining

Links to the Kennecott ordeal:

Controversial Kennecott mine permits OK’d at 11th hour

Save The Wild UP

"Carpageddon" in Ypsilanti

2010-02-17T21:28:00.005-05:00

It was yet another contentious asian carp meeting in Ypsilanti on Wednesday. There were busloads of shipping advocates from the Chicago passenger ferry industry and shipping industry. Their message was clear: any temporary or permanent closure of the locks would be in the words of a spokesperson for Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL), "Absolutely devastating." The other messages that were hammered home was that the eDNA method by Notre Dame researchers was unproven and unreliable and that the locks are not water tight. Many also voiced concern that they did not have any industry representation involved n the process of developing a solution.

Almost the entire question session was dominated by shipping advocates. At one point an audience member yelled from the crowd "These are not technical questions, this is lobbying." Shortly after that outburst tensions remained high as a shipping advocate accused The Nature Conservancy's Lindsay Chadderton (who was representing the eDNA science) of laughing at him. "Your laughing, I'm just a common man," he then went on to ask how accurate the eDNA was percentage wise, when that answer couldn't be given the man retorted "so I'm supposed to take your word for it that it actually works?" Earlier on in Chadderton's presentation he explained how there was peer review of the science but that nothing has been published yet since everything is happening so fast. In last weeks Chicago carp meeting officials said peer reviews should be published by June.

Shipping industry advocates continued to dominate the first half of the public comment period giving the feeling that there was only one dominate viewpoint to the large group of assembled people. That changed in the second half of the public comment period as more environmentalists that advocated ecological separation began to get out their message. All in all I counted 23 comments for the shipping industry and 21 viewpoints for ecological separation of the locks and for more aggressive measures to be taken.

There was also a presence of charter boat captains that depend on the fishery that were concerned about their jobs but they were far less organized than shipping advocates.

Much of the environmentalist perspective focused on ecological separation, and the failures of the federal government in dealing with invasive species in the past. It was pointed out that the electric barrier was originally installed to stop the round goby from getting into the Mississippi watershed and ultimately failed to do so. One man with the Ohio Great Lakes Fishery Commission criticized the feds saying that they "Don't do anything until you can prove it's a problem." Other concerns pleaded that this is the chance to finally get it right and separate the invasive species pathway for good. It was pointed out that several other invasive species are in danger of using the pathway to get in the Great Lakes and vice versa.

The only two politicians that actually showed up to the meeting were Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). Dingell said the "Very best thing we can do, is close the locks." Stabenow echoed that sentiment and urged a quicker emergency response to the situation.

The award of best new word of the day has to go to Port Huron's Judy Ogden for "carpageddon."

One man had a copy of former Muskegon Chronicle reporter Jeff Alexander's book Pandora's Locks that he said everyone should read to learn more. I agree. It is an excellent book that explains in a measured non biased way of how we are where we are with invasive species. It is a long complicated story that Alexander has referred to in interviews as a "slow motion wildfire."

Jeff Alexander's Website

Great Lakes Echo Interview with Jeff Alexander about Pandora's Locks

What actions have been taken recently?

According to Charlie Wooley who is Midwest Deputy Regional Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, they have 2 weeks access to a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter to get biologists out to where they need to be to look for asian carp. They have 3 more additional boats out gill netting and electrofishing. They are focusing on warm water areas since the asian carp prefer warmer water. Commercial fishing boats are even helping out looking for asian carp.

Free Class Shows How To Help Prevent CSOs By Starting a Rain Garden

2010-02-16T12:16:00.008-05:00

The Southeastern Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) is holding the second of two free classes this Thursday on "Greenscaping Your Home Landscape: Sustainable Landscapes with Native Plants, Mulch, and Rainwater Recycling."

The program shows the best ways to start a rain garden. A rain garden is a depression in the landscape that absorbs rainwater that would otherwise go into the sewers. Too much rainwater in the sewers can lead to combined sewer overflows (CSOs) where the sewer capacity gets overwhelmed and releases sewage into the local waterways.

Rain gardens are one way that anyone can use green infrastructure in preventing CSOs from happening while simultaneously beautifying their yard.

The class goes from 6:30-8:30 pm on Thursday, February 18 at:
Bloomfield Township Library
1099 Lone Pine road, Bloomfield Hills
Registration is required

The SOCWA website has plenty of guides and tips for getting a rain garden started

As Canada Seeks Asian Tar Sands Investors, Marathon Moves Ahead With Detroit Refinery Expansion

2010-02-15T23:24:00.007-05:00

As more American and Canadian firms turn away from Alberta's tar sands, Canada is courting Asian investors. The Canadian government recently approved a deal with the Chinese oil company PetroChina for a $1.9 billion majority share in two tar sands projects in the Mackay River and Dover areas. Canadian Prime minister Stephen Harper said to expect more energy investment from China.

The shift to Asian investment in the tar sands comes at a time of strong opposition to the energy intensive project. Major oil companies such as Shell have backed off their plans for expansion in the tar sands amidst a recent revolt by shareholders. The tar sands are controversial because producing one barrel of oil produces three times the amount of greenhouse gases than by conventional means.

The tar sands were booming when gas prices were high, but as gas prices fell so did tar sands production and plans to expand refineries. In October of 2008, environmentalists sounded the alarm that these refinery expansions would effectively export tar sands pollution to the Great Lakes region. These refinery expansions included the heavily industrial area of southwest Detroit. Marathon Oil announced that they were going to implement a $2.2 billion Heavy Oil Upgrade Project (HOUP). This expansion was abandoned in February 2009, due to poor market conditions. On February 3rd of this year Marathon Petroleum Company has announced that they will be going forward with the project.

Ironically enough, the project announcement came on the same day that The Detroit News did extensive coverage of a grassroots effort by residents of southwest Detroit to put a moratorium on industrial expansion which would stop the asphalt company Great Lakes Petroleum from opening up shop. Southwest Detroit residents of the 48217 ZIP code have the highest levels of fine particle pollution in the state.

In September of 2009, southwest Detroit residents used the EPA approved bucket brigade tool to test the air for dangerous pollutants. The bucket brigade tool is an easy to operate air sampler that is housed in a five gallon bucket. With the help of the grassroots organization Global Community Monitor, they found high levels of the hazardous substances Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and toluene.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment are doing air samplings and monitoring residents' results. The report should be finished in a few weeks.

Here are some related articles:

Canada looks to China to exploit oil sands rejected by US

Report: How the Oil Sands Got To The Great Lakes Basin

Marathon Petroleum's Detroit Refinery to Build Heavy Oil Upgrade Project

The Detroit News article: Southwest Detroit residents want industrial development halted in neighborhood

Bucket Brigade collects air sample, discovers high level of toxic chemicals

HOUP: Detroit Heavy Oil Upgrade Project

Raucous Chicago Asian Carp Meeting Shows Little Promise for the Lakes

2010-02-13T15:49:00.001-05:00

The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee held their Chicago public meeting before a packed house on Friday afternoon. This was the first of two public meetings discussing the $78.5 million federal plan of action.

The plan called for using the locks less, aggressive treatments of the fish killer rotenone in places where the asian carp is detected, more electric barriers, flood barriers, and lots of studies and research in locating and biologically and chemically controlling the asian carp.

Most of the people at the emotionally charged meeting worked in the shipping or tourism industry along the Chicago locks. Their message was clear: they didn’t want any permanent or temporary closing of the locks of any kind, saying that it would drive them out of business.

There were a few patterns of attack by opponents of lock closure. The method of eDNA was attacked repeatedly throughout the meeting. One employee for Chicago Water Taxi said that he threw out a hairbrush recently so his DNA is in a landfill that he never visited. It is true that independent peer review of eDNA has not been completed yet. It should be finished around June, but in the meantime officials are taking any eDNA results seriously.

Another commonly echoed sentiment was that there was not yet sufficient proof that the asian carp could even live in the Great Lakes. People pointed out that random asian carp have been found in Lake Erie over the years and there has never been evidence of a sustainable population. The truth is it is not known for sure what will happen if the asian carp get into Lake Michigan. The common consensus among experts seems to be that it is not a chance worth taking.

Environmentalists hammered away at the same message that the only way to truly stop the asian carp was ecological separation. The people in favor of closing the locks were definitely in the minority at the meeting. Anytime ecological separation was mentioned there was only isolated clapping.

Meanwhile the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is still standing behind their electric barriers. The second barrier should be up and running by October of this year, and they have plans for a 3rd electric barrier. One commenter that was in favor of closing the locks raised the point that the reason the first electric barrier was originally built, was to keep the round goby out of the Mississippi watershed and that it ultimately failed to do so.

Despite the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ preference for electric barriers, the time period does not seem reasonable. Even though in the recent plan they have $13 million to expedite the second barrier, it still won’t be fully operational until October. While they may plan to build another electric barrier, Rebecca Humphries Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment pointed out that it has taken six years to build the second barrier and it is still not fully operational.

While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has ruled out closing the locks as a short-term solution, they are basically relying on using the locks less based on these four scenarios:

“Alternative 1 – No action; Chicago and O’Brian Locks operate as normal

Alternative 2 – Modified Structural Operations – Close each week; Chicago and O’Brian Locks open 3-4 days every week, a significant reduction from current ‘show and go’ operations. Checking potential to place screens on the sluice gates and the lock gates during periods of closure.

Alternative 3 – Modified Structural Operations – Close one week / month; Chicago and O’Brian Locks closed to navigation one week per month starting in April 2010.

Alternative 4 – Modified Structural Operations – Close every other week; Chicago and O’Brian Locks closed to navigation two weeks per month starting in April 2010.”

Along with the USGS they plan to tag asian carp to see if they can get past the electric barrier. Other measures are very focused on studies and reports about eDNA and monitoring as well as the assumption that some new technological innovation or biological control will be discovered quickly enough to somehow stop the asian carp from getting into the Great Lakes while simultaneously keeping the locks open indefinitely.

The federal asian carp plan doesn’t seem to have any reasonable timeline. It seems that the plan is geared towards dealing with the asian carp after they have invaded Lake Michigan. There are no quick snappy actions other than the willingness to throw a lot of money at the problem.

Here are some good stories on the event:

Dan Egan Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Asian carp proposal isn't pleasing many

John Flesher
Environmentalists want stronger carp control plan

This is the federal asian carp plan
Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework

Large Companies are not Adequately Reporting Water Risks to Investors

2010-02-12T12:16:00.011-05:00

A recent report by Ceres (Pronounced series) finds that many large companies fail to report vulnerabilities of water scarcity to investors. The report ranked 100 publicly traded companies on their disclosure of water risks to investors. As local water issues in the U.S. and abroad intensify, there is a serious threat to companies that their supply-chain could be adversely effected in water-stressed areas. These realities are not being addressed in reports to investors. Many companies are operating as if water is an infinite resource.

The report took companies from eight sectors: beverage, chemicals, electric power, food, homebuilding, mining, oil, and gas. These are all industries that are heavy water users. The selection of the 100 companies from these eight sectors were selected based on their 2008 revenues. The companies were systematically ranked based on voluntary and mandatory reporting.

The findings were based on a 100 point scale and the results are surprisingly low. The highest score of 43 was for the UK based beverage company Diageo. The highest average score by industry was the mining industry, while the lowest average scores went to companies in the homebuilding sectors.

This report shows how undervalued our natural resources are. It shows the old way of valuing our natural resources as a limitless bounty for the taking. This report shows a growing trend of viewing natural resources in a finite and more realistic sense. This was mainly an issue for environmentalists for years, but as water issues become more transparent and in the mainstream, investors have been the one sounding the alarm. Recently, shareholders for Shell oil showed their dismay against the energy intensive tar sands in Alberta Canada. Despite denials by Shell that this investor unrest led to them scaling back tar sands operations, the company curiously announced a week later that it was indeed scaling back expansion of the tar sands.

While it is easy for large corporations to dismiss environmentalists, investor revolts and demands over eco-accountability cannot be ignored.

Ceres Report summary

Ceres Water Report:
Murky Waters? Corporate Reporting on Water Risk

Excerpts and Ideas from Tuesday's Congressional Carp Hearing

2010-02-11T11:23:00.016-05:00

On Tuesday the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a Congressional hearing on the asian carp. This came the day after federal officials released their Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework that details plans and funding details of how the asian carp will be dealt with.

While there were not any huge revelations in the Congressional hearing on Tuesday, there were requests to expand the debate beyond just the asian carp. There were calls to close the shipping locks not just for the asian carp but to protect other invasive species from going to the Great Lakes to the Mississippi watershed.

There were also other calls to finish federal ballast water regulations that were passed in the House of Representatives in April of 2008. The bill has not been taken up in the Senate since. James Oberstar (D-MN) joked that the bill had fallen into a Senate black hole.

The following are brief excerpts and highlights of things that were said by the presenters at the meeting.

Major General John Peabody US Army Corp of Engineers

"Actively exploring all options"

"Any assertions that the barrier system is or has been ineffective in restricting upstream movement of bighead and silver carp are speculative. The facts are that the fish barrier system has been in continuous operation since 2002 and has performed as designed as far as we can tell."

Peabody asserted in his testimony that though environmental DNA of asian carp is an important emerging technology, since it has not been independently peer reviewed the results should be considered preliminary. An external peer review is being done and should be completed by June.

Rebecca Humphries Director of Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment

Humphries pointed out that the annual costs each year for the zebra mussel is $100 million and $30 million for sea lamprey.

"I cannot stress the following in simpler terms: once an invasive species gets established in the lakes, we cannot eradicate it."

"The threat of asian carp must be treated as a crises, and steps must be implemented immediately to address it. As early as 2003, scientists, government officials, and stakeholders were calling for ecological separation of the Great Lakes from the Mississippi watershed. But we did not act quickly enough, short-term fixes have become long-term projects, for example the installation of the second electric barrier took over six years and is still not fully operational."

Humphries Recommendations:

"Closing and ceasing operation of the O'Brien lock and the Chicago lock until a permanent ecological barrier is constructed between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi watershed. The Army Corps of Engineers must have the authority to close the locks on the emergency basis, and also a permanent basis if necessary."

We must initiate studies to seek out alternative ways to move cargo past the locks

"We must install interim barriers at other locations this year. Including barriers between the Des Plaines River and the canal and the Indiana harbor and Burns Ditch from the Grand Calumet and Little Calumet rivers to eliminate the potential for flooding between these two watersheds."

Additional studies of the biology and ecology of carp and predictive models of the areas most at risk for carp infestation.

We also will need additional dollars for monitoring based on risk analysis.

Reserve funding for rapid chemical response as needed.

We will need to operate the barriers at full voltage.

Being proactive with the citizens, so they do not unknowingly transport the species.

Matt Frank Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

"We may not have much time."

"We need to get the second barrier up." It should be up and running this year (Later on in the Q & A, Gen. Peabody said the second barrier would be fully operational by October).

We need to look at ecological separation.

"We need to move faster"

Frank also brought up the issue of ballast water and how it was passed in the House overwhelmingly but not the Senate. Frank urged the committee's oversight to move on the issue. We need to get strong federal standards on this issue that goes beyond the International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards.

"We need to move from talk to action"

David Lodge Director for the Center for Aquatic Conservation and professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame:

On how close the carp are:

"Silver carp are not only at the doorstep of the lake up at Wilmette and northern Chicago but in fact appear to be in Lake Michigan or at least in Calumet harbor opening to Lake Michigan."

Bighead carp are not yet detected in the lake.

"It's a numbers game, and if the goal is to prevent invasions in Lake Michigan, then the proximate management goal has to be to prevent additional individual fish of either species from entering Lake Michigan. It is not inevitable that an invasion by either one of these fishes will occur and our most recent results, finding Silver Carp in the lake make it even more urgent that steps are taken to prevent additional fishes from entering the lake."

This canal has already been a dangerous pathway for other species such as zebra and quagga mussels for spreading across the country. Other species such as the spiny water flea and water chestnut have also spread via the Chicago canal. New Zealand mud snail and bloody red shrimp may spread from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi system. Other species in the Mississippi system may spread to the Great Lakes via the canal such as the Brazilian waterweed and the northern snakehead.

Dr. Mike Hansen Chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission

"The goal must be ecological separation."

Del Wilkins Vice President of Terminal Operations and Business Development of the Canal Barge Company, Inc.

Testifying on behalf of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) National trade association for the tugboat and barge industry

"Inland waterways navigation is essential to our economy, and it is the safest most economical mode of domestic fright transportation with the smallest carbon footprint of any mode."

9 proposed actions by AWO:

1. Expedite the construction of the second electric barrier.

2. Design and implement bubble and acoustic fish barriers.

3. Immediately complete structures to stop carp during flooding.

4. Conduct research to determine the effectiveness of the electric barriers as well as the bubble and acoustic barriers.

5. Employ consistent measures to locate the fish species such as electro-fishing, netting and commercial fishing that do not interfere with the flow of commerce.

6. Fund research on biologic control agents of asian carp.

7. Sampling barges for juvenile carp and their eggs.

8. Impose further restrictions on the importation of asian carp.

9. Conduct more scientific studies on the ability of asian carp to survive in the Great Lakes ecosystem.

The AWO strongly opposes permanently closing the locks or even periodically closing the locks.

Q & A

Major General Peabody stated that the second barrier would be ready in October of this year.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering acoustic and bubble barriers.

Discrepancies between Joel Brammeier (President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes) and Wilkins

Wilkins said that the locks won't be a permanent barrier since they leak. They wouldn't be an ecological barrier.

Brammeier clarified that he was talking about the long-term need to separate the lakes. He cited that the volume of commerce moving through the locks is less than one percent of the total for the Chicago metro area.

What are different pathways that the asian carp could be distributed into the Great Lakes?

What are the potential impacts of asian carp on the Great Lakes?

Lodge responded by saying that the silver and bighead carp are abundant south of the electric barrier so the biggest way that they could get in the lakes is through the electric barrier, especially if it is less than 100 percent effective and flooding occurs where the carp could breach the canal. Lodge said that it makes the most since to focus on the canals for now.

Other ways that the carp could invade the lakes are fishermen using young carp for bait, or the intentional release of the bighead or silver carp. There are some cultural practices that encourage releasing live carp into the lakes.

Nobody knows for certain what the impact would be on the Great Lakes, though it would probably not be a positive impact.

Will it satisfy Michigan that all of the agencies are cooperating together?

Humphries responded by saying: "Is it our goal to biologically, ecologically, and physically separate these watersheds or is it not?"

What are the long-term goals? This will direct how we deal with it short-term.

Here is a link to the asian carp Congressional hearing courtesy of The Great Lakes Town Hall:

Video of Tuesday's Asian Carp hearing

Details of the New Detroit Sewage Plan

2010-02-09T12:32:00.005-05:00

Coming off of one of the worst years for combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in awhile, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) recently released its: "Alternative Rouge River CSO Control Program Executive Summary." This new plan explains the DWSD's alternative to the former Upper Rouge Tunnel project. The new plan is cheaper and takes place over a longer time period of 25-years and also includes green infrastructure measures as well as grey infrastructure measures.

Green infrastructure aims at limiting rainwater from getting into the sewers in the first place. The report recommends the following points that would be implemented by "multiple City agencies and departments, as well as private and non-profit stakeholders. A $50 million budget has been established to fund Green Infrastructure projects from sewer revenues..."

1. Disconnect residential and municipal downspouts.

2. Demolish and remove vacant structures and replace with pervious land cover.

3. Use bioswales and tree trenches along roadways and parking lots to intercept runoff and reduce stormwater inputs.

4. Plant trees for uptake and evapotranspiration along roadways and open spaces.

5. Implement activities on municipally-owned properties, focusing on managing stormwater runoff in underutilized parks.

Grey infrastructure is far more expensive and instead of being preventive like green infrastructure, it focuses on how the rainwater and sanitary waste will be treated before being released into the environment. The grey infrastructure also focuses on eliminating the CSO outfalls altogether. The DWSD plan has the following CSO control projects for grey infrastructure:

1. Complete the Oakwood District Sewer Improvement Program (three construction contracts totaling $59 million).

2. Install remedial improvements at the Baby Creek Screening and Disinfection (S&D) Facility including disinfection feed system renovations, new mechanical mixers, and emergency bypass channel ($3 million).

3. Complete the Total Residual Chlorine Minimization and In-Stream Assessment program for three Rouge River CSO Control Facilities ($1 million).

4. Initiate improvements at the Hubbell-Southfield CSO Basin to maintain the operational effectiveness of that facility ($2 million).

5. Modify two Lower Rouge Outfalls to eliminate existing CSO discharges ($1 million):

• Carbon Outfall elimination
• Fort St. East Outfall diversion to Oakwood Basin

6. Eliminate the Glenhurst Outfall by constructing flow control devices and a new pump station to direct this flow to the Oakwood Northwest Interceptor ($3 million).

7. Construct two new Pilot Projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of First Flush capture tanks in conjunction with disposable nets and innovative upstream disinfection injection systems at both the 7 Mile East and Pembroke outfalls ($41 million).

8. Re-invest in existing CSO control facilities on a phased basis over the 25-year program to ensure their continued structural integrity and operational viability as they approach their design life expectancies ($40 million).

9. Construct a new CSO storage tunnel (URT-2); a 5.5-mile long, 19-foot diameter; 63-MG capacity tunnel to control 14 CSOs between Warren Avenue and McNichols; plus associated drop shafts and outfall modifications, and a 35-mgd pump station to dewater the captured flow to the wastewater treatment plant after the storm event ($484 million).

10. Upgrade the wastewater treatment plant by constructing a new Rouge River Outfall (RRO-2) with the capability to chlorinate and dechlorinate primary effluent to eliminate the existing undisinfected Rouge River Outfall (RRO-1). This project will include improvements at the wastewater treatment plant to provide flow control including gates, regulators, hydraulic structures, and instrumentation and control, plus a new outfall conduit ($130 million).

The total cost for all of these CSO grey infrastructure projects will be $764 million.

The new 25-year plan will create an average yearly debt-load of $33 million a year as opposed to the old plan that had an average debt-load of $190 million per year. The project will be implemented in five different phases over the 25-year period.

Phase I: 2010-2014 = $101M
Oakwood Sewer Segments 2, 3 ($44 M) 2010-2011
Baby Creek Remedial Improvements ($3 M) 2010
7 Mile Pilot Project (FFT & nets, NaOCl) ($17 M) 2012-2014
Pembroke First Flush Tank ($15 M) 2013-2014
Glenhurst Outfall Elimination ($3 M) 2014
Carbon/Fort St. Outfall Elimination ($1 M) 2010
Hubbell-Southfield Re-investment ($2 M) 2011
TRC Minimization & In-Stream Evaluations ($1 M) 2010
Green Infrastructure Phase I ($15 M) 2010-2014

Phase II: 2015-2019 = $218M
Oakwood Sewers Segment 4 ($15 M) 2015-2016
Pembroke Outfall Nets & NaOCl ($9 M) 2017
WWTP Outfall Gates/I&C ($30 M) 2015-2016
Re-investment in Existing Facilities ($10 M) 2015-2020
URT-2 South Tunnel Segment ($139 M) 2017-2020
Green Infrastructure Phase II ($15 M) 2015-2019

Phase III: 2020-2024 = $158M
URT-2 S. Tunnel Drop Shafts & Near Surf ($83 M) 2019-2022
URT-2 35 MGD Pump Station ($55 M) 2021-2022
Re-investment in Existing Facilities ($10 M) 2019-2024
Green Infrastructure Phase III ($10 M) 2020-2024

Phase IV: 2025-2029 = $227M
URT-2 North Tunnel Segment ($133 M) 2026-2029
URT-2 N Tunnel Drop Shafts & Near Surf ($74 M) 2029-2031
Re-investment in Existing Facilities ($10 M) 2025-2029
Green Infrastructure Phase IV ($10 M) 2025-2029

Phase V: 2030-2034 = $110M
WWTP Outfall Conduit & Cl2+SO2 ($100 M) 2032-2034
Re-investment in Existing Facilities ($10 M) 2030-2034

The state will still need to approve this new proposal. A public meeting will take place Wednesday February 10 at 7 pm at::

University of Dearborn
Environmental Interpretive Center
4901 Evergreen, Dearborn MI

"Alternative Rouge River CSO Control Program Executive Summary."

Asian Carp Forum in Ypsilanti Next Wednesday

2010-02-08T18:38:00.009-05:00

The EPA announced another public meeting that will provide a forum for public comment and ideas on Wednesday, February 17 in Ypsilanti Michigan. The meeting is being hosted by the International Joint Commission and will bring together representatives from all over the Great Lakes as well as federal agencies such as: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, EPA, U.S. Coast Guard and various scientific experts. If you have a problem with the feds' current carp control plan, come out and tell them about it.

The meeting is from 3-6 pm at the:
Marriot Ann Arbor Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest
1275 S. Huron
Ypsilanti, MI 48197

The meeting will also have a live webcast.

DWSD Announces New Sewage Project

2010-02-08T18:18:00.008-05:00

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) has released an alternative plan to the old Upper Rouge Tunnel Project. The newer plan is $814 million and is a 25-year project. The old Upper Rouge Tunnel project urged a quicker compliance by 2015 and had a $1.2 billion price tag. The newer project calls for smaller 5.5 mile tunnel as opposed to the old plan that had a 7 mile tunnel.

These plans were required by law since the Upper Rouge Tunnel Project was canceled last April due to the high cost. It looks as if the DWSD is going with the idea of the smaller tunnel. This is an idea that was previously proposed and rejected by the MDEQ. This is because the State of Michigan has stricter requirements on waste water than the current federal laws.

A public meeting will be held this Wednesday February 10 at 7 pm at:
University of Dearborn
Environmental Interpretive Center
4901 Evergreen, Dearborn MI

Free Press Story: Project Aims To Cut Sewage Dumping

Federal Officials Release Asian Carp Control Plan

2010-02-08T17:09:00.008-05:00

After today's White House Carp summit, federal officials released plans to control the asian carp, called the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework. The plan lists a bunch of short-term and long-term ways that federal agencies will deal with control of the asian carp. Such plans include building a third electric barrier, installing fences where they would prevent the asian carp from flowing into Lake Michigan during a flooding event, and using the locks less.

The plan also calls for more rotenone treatments in places where carp DNA has been found as well as development of biological controls that mirror those used in sea lamprey suppression. Officials are also calling for expanded carp DNA testing. Under the proposed plan DNA testing would double.

This new plan does not address Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox's request for closure of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Locks. The plan also does not acknowledge the recent study done by Wayne State researchers that valued the shipping industry resulting from the locks at $70 million. The study also found that new jobs would be brought to the region from closing the locks. Cox's lawsuit is still in the works and still is aimed at having the locks closed down. The recent reopening of the lawsuit asks that the U.S. Supreme Court consider the Wayne State study as well as the new asian carp DNA that was found in Lake Michigan.

The plan is posted on the website of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee.

This is federal officials proposed plan:
Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework

Researchers Find Link Between Gastroschisis and Atrazine

2010-02-08T14:28:00.005-05:00

Researchers have found a link between the birth defect gastroschisis and the weed killer atrazine. The results will be presented in Chicago at the Society for Maternal-Fetal medicine's (SMFM) annual event: The Pregnancy Meeting.

Gastroschisis is when the intestines and other organs develop in an opening outside of the abdominal wall of the fetus. The research was done by the University of Washington where the state has double the average of gastroschisis. The researchers matched birth certificates to the U.S. Geological Survey's database of agricultural spraying. The researchers found that babies born within 25 km of water contaminated with atrazine were at higher risk for gastroschisis. They also found that babies born between the months of March and May were at higher risk.

This evidence comes on the heels of a recent New York Times expose that found that large amounts of Americans are exposed to atrazine in their drinking water. While the EPA disagrees that the public is exposed to unsafe levels of atrazine, many experts disagree. New studies have shown that atrazine can be dangerous even at legal levels. These studies also suggest that atrazine in the water can lead to birth defects, low birth weight, and menstrual problems.

According to the New York Times, the state at greatest risk in the Great Lakes region is Ohio. In Ohio over 40 percent of the population is exposed to atrazine. The only other state that is even close in the region is Indiana with just over 29 percent of the population exposed to atrazine. The rest of the Great Lakes states have under 10 percent of the population exposed to atrazine.

New York Times:
Debating How Much Weed Killer Is Safe in Your Water Glass

Science Daily:
Link Between Birth Defect Gastroschisis and the Agricultural Chemical Atrazine Found

Will Anything Be Done?

2010-02-06T12:13:00.013-05:00

We will be even more saturated by stories about the ugly, voracious, advancing, asian carp as two big meetings are set to take place next week.

On Monday the White House will host regional leaders behind closed doors to discuss what to do about the advancing asian carp. Then on Friday there will be another meeting in Chicago with representatives from all of the involved agencies and states seeking public input.

The big question will be whether any substantive action will come from these meetings. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox is working on discrediting the argument that the Illinois economy would be severely impacted. Cox commissioned a study to find out exactly what the economic impacts would be on the Illinois economy. The study found that the claims by Illinois legislators and the Obama Administration are grossly exaggerated. The study came on the heels of a renewed preliminary injunction that Cox filed in response to new carp DNA that was found in Lake Michigan.

The study found the following:

7 million tons of cargo would be affected. This is less than 1 percent of all freight traffic in the Chicago region and 30 percent of the total Port of Chicago traffic.

The affected barge traffic equals two loaded freight trains. This is in a region that has 500 daily freight trains.

Truck traffic would increase by less than 1/10 of a percent despite shippers' claims that the increase in truck traffic would lead to deteriorated air quality.

Cargo that was affected would still be moved by ships, they just would not be entering the locks. The cargo would have to be transported the rest of the way by trucks or trains.

Overall the costs to shippers would be increased by $70 million, not $190 million as was previously claimed by Illinois and federal officials. If anything, new cargo related jobs would be created. Any lost barge jobs would be replaced by trucking or rail jobs.

The report also found that shipping has decreased in recent years from over 7.4 million tons in 2007 to over 6.9 million tons in 2008.

The report came up with three alternatives for cargo if the locks were closed.

"Alternative A. Transload all cargo between barge and truck. All existing cargo passing through the Chicago and O’Brien locks would continue to move by barge. New transload facilities would be built downstream of the barrier. All cargo would be trucked between the transload center and existing customers."

"Alternative B. Transload but some rail. Most cargo would continue to be transferred to and from trucks at the transload facilities. However, some would shift to an all rail movement. "

"Alternative C. Transload, rail, pipeline, and use of other terminals. Half of cargo would continue to transfer to and from trucks at the transload facilities. There would be more rail. Some cargo would continue to move by barge via other routes to terminals elsewhere in the region, and some would move by pipeline."

Given that the Great Lakes sport fishery is valued at $7 billion, the Great Lakes are being held hostage by Illinois officials for the paltry sum of $70 million. There are reasonable actions that can be taken. It will be interesting to see if this study is even considered in the decision making process. By the end of next week we will see whether anything will be done or if everyone will just agree that it is a problem and keep dragging it out.

The report is toward the end of the renewed motion for preliminary injunction.

Chicago Waterway System Ecological Separation: The Logistics and Transportation Related Cost Impact of Waterway Barriers

Yet Another Carp Meeting Announced for February 12

2010-02-03T23:09:00.004-05:00

The EPA just announced that the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee has a meeting for February 12. The meeting is four days after the White House Carp Summit and will address public comments and answer the public's questions. They will also discuss plans and listen to ideas for battling the carp.

The committee is comprised of representatives from all of the Great lakes states as well as local Illinois interests and federal agencies such as the: EPA, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps. of Engineers, and the Coast Guard.

The meeting will take place at the Metcalfe Federal Building in Chicago from 3 to 6 pm. There will also be a live webcast.

This is the committee website.

White House Carp Summit Date Set

2010-01-28T20:20:00.002-05:00

The White House has set a date for the carp summit for Monday, February 8.

The meeting announcement comes a week after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox's request to close the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal locks. The same day that the U.S. Supreme Court denied Cox's request, carp DNA was found beyond the barrier in Lake Michigan. In response to the new DNA finding Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm along with Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle requested to meet with White House officials on the matter.

The meeting will be closed to the public and will be between Granholm, Doyle, and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, as well as Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and top officials from the EPA, Department of the Interior, U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Three days ago Cox and four other attorneys general requested to have a seat at the table and have been denied. Despite the denial they are still proceeding with the lawsuit that could close the shipping canal linking the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River.

Michigan legislators Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) have introduced legislation called the CARP ACT (Close All Routes and Prevent Asian Carp Today) to the U.S. Senate. The CARP ACT would immediately close the locks until a new strategy could be developed. The CARP ACT would also require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to install new barriers in the North Shore Channel and and the Grand and Little Calumet Rivers to help stop the carp migration. They would also have to conduct two studies. One would have to find ways to lessen the negative impact on commerce in the canals, while the other would address how best to deal with flooding concerns.

The CARP ACT would grant authority to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to apply fish toxicants, or allow commercial fishing and netting to help eradicate the carp. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would also be granted the authority to acquire any real estate that they need to install the barrier systems.

Michigan Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) is also in on the issue asking the Obama Administration for money to poison all of the waterways where the carp could enter the lake.

Even rocker Ted Nugent is in on the issue with a plea on Cox's website stop asian carp.

Deadly Fish Virus is Now in Every Great Lake

2010-01-27T19:41:00.008-05:00

The deadly fish disease viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) has been found in Lake Superior by Cornell researchers and the U.S. Geological Survey. They tested 874 different fish from seven different sites and found positive results in fish from Paradise and Skanee Michigan, and in Superior Bay Wisconsin.

VHSV was initially found in the Great Lakes in 2003. While the virus is not contagious to humans it is very contagious to other fish. Even fish that survive the disease will remain carriers of the disease throughout their lives. The disease causes hemorrhaging of the liver, spleen, and intestines and eventually leads to internal organ failure in fish. Since 2008 and 2009 did not produce any major fish kills from VHSV, researchers are looking into causal connections between the presence of stress on the fish and mortality rates.

Deadly fish virus now found in all Great Lakes

VHSV Fact Sheet

Important Information for Anglers

While Public Opinion May be Unsure About Climate Change, it will still Impact Michigan in a Big Way

2010-01-27T13:17:00.016-05:00

A recent poll indicates that public opinion is waning on global warming. A recent survey by the Yale Project on Climate Change shows that there is more uncertainty about global warming than when the survey was given in 2008. They surveyed 1001 people 18 years and older and found that this year only 57 percent of respondents believed that global warming was happening. This is a 14 percent drop in comparison to 2008. The people that do not believe that global warming is occurring increased from 10 percent in 2008 to 20 percent in 2010.

The survey indicates that people are more unsure about the entire issue than two years ago. When respondents were asked whether they believe if most scientists think that global warming is happening, the number actually went down from 47 percent in 2008 to 34 percent in 2010. Following that trend in the same question was the choice that asked if people thought there were a lot of disagreements over whether global warming was happening, 40 percent thought that there was. This was up from 33 percent in 2008.

The series of questions indicate uncertainty on whether global warming is a natural or manmade phenomenon. Most people do feel that if it does happen it would be a threat to them. The general consensus has been that people are less worried about global warming than they were in 2008. In 2010, just 50 percent said they were very worried or somewhat worried. This was down from 63 percent in 2008.

While this issue may be losing steam, it is still important to keep it at the forefront. Most people's focus is on the economy right now, as it should be. But let's not forget that the climate change is an economic issue that will alter our physical world in ways that will change how we make a living.

There are a laundry list of projected threats to Michigan and the Great Lakes region as a result of climate change. The projected increases in temperature will outweigh the increased precipitation from severe storms. This will also result in less winter ice which will mean more evaporation will occur. This means that all of the Great Lakes will have their water levels go down.

This will effect the shipping industry and will likely mean more dredging of shipping canals like the St. Lawrence Seaway. A 2008 study by the University of Maryland, found that a forecasted drop of the St. Lawrence Seaway by 25 percent would cost a $1.5 billion economic loss in foreign trade for the ports of Detroit, Muskegon, and Port Huron. The cost of increased dredging and the ripple effect of lost import and export jobs could lead to an additional loss of 13,000 jobs and $2.6 billion.

While precipitation is expected to increase, the way that we get rain is expected to change. We will have more storms. This will lead to more flooding and a decline in water quality from combined sewer overflows. The University of Maryland study applied damage from past flooding events and found that this could cost Michigan an additional $700 million a year in damages.

The flooding will be especially bad for the Metro Detroit area since the area is plagued by sewer overflows. The Metro Detroit area is too broke to fix the current sewage overflow problems amidst the worst sewage overflow numbers in recent memory.

As warmer temperatures come to Michigan. There will be trend of more animals and forests migrating northward. This will effect the $12 billion that Michigan forests contribute to the Michigan economy each year as well as the tourism industry. Skiing and snowmobiling will be particularly hard hit.

The agriculture industry will have to deal with more drought, higher rainfall, more soil erosion, and the threat of more invasive species from the higher temperatures.

The way we live and do business will be forever altered in the next century. It is important to remember the local consequences of issues like climate change. If climate change continues unabated it will cost Michigan billions of dollars.

Yale Project on Climate Change:

Americans' Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in January 2010

University of Maryland Report:

Economic Impacts of Climate Change

There is No Time for Debate About the Asian Carp

2010-01-26T12:05:00.014-05:00

Will we get more than rhetoric with the asian carp?

It is a fair question to ask. Throughout the history of invasive species in the Great Lakes region the trend seems to be to pay it lip service and do little. That is why Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox does deserve praise by acting fast to do all that he legally could to close the locks. Now we are getting ready for the Washington carp summit. It sounds like some great opportunities for 30 second sound bites and some great photo-ops.

More talking. Maybe Obama will set up a symbolic task force, or better yet a scientific panel. Maybe we can build more electric barriers and never turn them on all the way. None of this posturing is new, it all sounds vaguely familiar.

There has been a long history of not taking invasive species seriously. Consider the history of bungled ballast water regulations. In 1973, shortly after the Clean Water Act was enacted a curious amendment was added that exempted ballast water from the Clean Water Act. The reasoning was that it caused little pollution.

This then put the regulation of ballast water under the watch of the U.S. Coast Guard. Even as early as 1981 there were conclusive studies that found that ballast water contained live organisms that were being transported to the lakes and had the potential for ecological harm. It took nearly a decade for the first federal law to take effect in 1990, known as the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (NANPCA). This law was in direct response to the zebra mussel invasion that ground the city of Monroe Michigan to a halt, as the zebra mussels clogged the water intake pipes.

Even despite reauthorizing NANPCA in 1996 and renaming it the National Invasive Species Act (NISA), the laws were still a paper tiger in actually stopping the flow of invasive species. The Coast Guard still allowed the vast majority of ships through without flushing out their tanks. This was partly because ballast water was not being treated as a pollutant and because there was another gaping loophole.

Ships that have no ballast water which are referred to as NoBobs (No Ballast on Board), still contained tons of mud in the bottom of the tanks that were teeming with potential aquatic invaders and pathogens. So despite the appearance of doing something about invasive species, there were still gaping loopholes.

In 1999 California environmental groups and anglers filed a petition to the EPA to have ballast water regulated under the Clean Water Act. The EPA dragged its feet and fought the case. There wasn't a decision until 2005 and though it was a huge victory for environmental groups, the EPA would not be required to regulate ballast water until the fall of 2008. That was also the year that the U.S. Coast Guard closed the NoBob loophole. The main fight now is coming up with ballast water treatment standards.

The point of this short history of ballast water is that while we kill time holding carp summits and fighting court battles, nature goes on. It took 17 years to even admit that ballast water was harmful to the Great Lakes. It has been 37 years since the Clean Water Act and the ballast water exception and we still don't have federal ballast water treatment standards. We are running out of time on this carp issue. The idea of the carp summit has opened up a new debate about whether the carp are a threat or not. Chicago politicians are wondering why people throughout the Great Lakes basin are freaking out about the carp. It's because we have been through all of this before. We have seen many of the initial gains of the fishery and water quality of Lake Huron and Lake Erie be reversed from the unforeseen consequences of zebra and quagga mussel infestation. We have nearly had nuclear meltdowns from cladophora algae clogging the intake pipes of nuclear plants. There is nothing to debate. Invasive species are not good, and the asian carp won't be good for the Great Lakes.

Despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against the emergency closing of the locks, Michigan legislators have persisted with the CARP ACT (Close All Routes and Prevent Asian Carp Today). Meanwhile, a date has yet to be set for the White House asian carp summit. Nobody is really sure what will happen since the Obama Administration has sided with Illinois shipping interests. Whatever does happen at the carp summit or legally, time drags on and the locks remain open. Make no mistake about it, wasting time on this issue is political posturing to narrow Illinois shipping interests.

Here are some useful links about what Michigan legislators are proposing, and the plans that the Feds have proposed.

Detroit Free Press Links: Efforts to combat Asian carp

The Trash Paradox

2010-01-25T12:26:00.004-05:00

There has been a lot of rhetoric lately about Michigan's loss of revenue from imported garbage. We are importing less trash due to the struggling economy. Or in other words, people are consuming less. A few years ago I worked for Clean Water Action and if there is one thing that most Metro Detroiters agree on, it is that importing garbage from neighboring states is a bad deal.

Another bad deal is relying on imported garbage to fund necessary programs. In this case, Great Lakes Echo reports that the garbage fees go towards landfill inspection to make sure that the landfill is safe. This creates a paradox. The more garbage we take in, the more liability we assume. What do we get out of it? If we're lucky we can fund the landfill inspection program. It is easy to see that this is a bad deal for Michigan.

Other states don't charge Michigan's measly 21 cents per ton, because they know that importing trash is bad business. Ohio charges $4.75 per ton while Wisconsin charges $12.98 per ton. The solution seems to be to modestly raise the rate 35 cents according to the Great Lakes Echo article. That would help short-term, but something is fundamentally broken here. Relying on imported garbage to raise revenue just shows how desperate and cash strapped the state is.

Here are the top 5 five counties for solid waste imports measured by cubic volume.

Macomb County: 3,741,197
Wayne: 2,855,857
Genesee: 2,393,825
Monroe: 1,742,990
Berrien: 1,277,146

MDEQ Report of Solid Waste Landfilled in Michigan

When a garbage decline is bad for the environment

Opportunity at the trash dumps

2009 Metro Detroit Sewage Numbers

2010-01-19T14:41:00.011-05:00

Last year was a bad year for combined sewage overflows in Metro Detroit. Over 37 billion gallons of sewage overflowed into Metro Detroit waterways in 2009. This total was an 11 billion gallon increase from 2008.

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) occur when it rains. Older sewer systems receive municipal waste along with storm water. During heavy rains the sewers fill up and rather than having sewage back up into streets and basements, the sewage is then released into the local waterways.

The main way that Metro Detroit is dealing with sewage treatment is by building retention treatment basins. These basins hold the excess storm water and sewage and are supposed to hold and treat the wastewater. What often happens is that the sewage only gets partially treated. This means that the sewage is treated with chlorine and the solids are allowed to settle. This is better than just releasing raw sewage but it does not get rid of all of the dangerous pathogens.

All sewage categories were unusually high in 2009. One category that was higher than normal was diluted raw sewage. In 2008 there were 1.2 billion gallons of diluted raw sewage released into metro Detroit waterways while 2009 brought over 5 billion gallons of diluted raw sewage. This is significant because this is untreated sewage. To put it in perspective how high this number is consider that in 2007 the rest of the entire state of Michigan excluding Wayne County only had 3 billion gallons of CSOs.

The annual rainfall for Detroit was nearly the same. The total rainfall for 2008 was 33.98 inches while 2009 brought a little bit more rain for a total of 34.12 inches. It is hard to blame the rain for this large increase in CSOs.

The majority of these high sewage numbers occurred during nine wet weather events where each time at least a billion gallons of partially treated sewage and diluted raw sewage were released into the waterways. The biggest CSO of the year occurred between March 7 and March 16. A total of over 8.6 billion gallons of sewage overflowed into the Detroit and Rouge Rivers. 6.9 billion gallons were partially treated sewage while the other 1.7 billion gallons was diluted raw sewage.

The nine biggest Wayne County CSO events yielded 75 percent of the total Wayne County CSO releases. Over 90 percent of the diluted raw sewage releases for Wayne County also occurred during these nine events.

Despite the recent problems much progress has been made. Consider that in 1988 there were 613 CSO outfalls throughout Michigan. As of 2008 that number has been reduced to 154 CSO outfalls. Recently though, progress has stalled.

The biggest problem that municipalities are facing comes down to money. It is really expensive to overhaul the sewer systems. The Upper Rouge Tunnel Project would have greatly reduced CSOs for Metro Detroit but it had to be abandoned last April because of the $1.2 billion cost. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) would have had to hike water rates 16 percent and that was seen as unreasonable in today’s economy.

The Upper Rouge Tunnel Project was part of a court mandate to reduce CSOs into the Rouge River. This was part of the conditions of 2008 litigation brought by the EPA. The city has until 2015 to comply with the court order. Now that the project has been canceled the DWSD is drafting new plans. Two possible outcomes are a smaller tunnel, though that has already been rejected once, partly because Michigan has stricter wastewater standards than the EPA. The other possible outcome could be getting more time to comply.

There are other less expensive methods to curbing CSO overflows. One is green infrastructure. There are things that anyone can do such as using rain barrels to collect rainwater rather than directing rainwater to sewers. You can use the collected water to irrigate your flowers or garden.

Other green infrastructure solutions include green roofs. Where gardens are planted on roofs to reduce rainwater, these roofs also last longer than your conventional roof though the initial installation cost is higher.

Any time you can avoid directing rainwater to the sewers you are helping to combat CSOs. A lot of this can be achieved through rethinking how we design structures such as buildings or parking lots. A simple green oasis can help reduce the burden of CSOs on waterways and is aesthetically pleasing.

These are important issues since global warming is expected to change precipitation patterns in the Great Lakes. It will rain less often, but when it does rain it will be intense storms. This will wreak havoc on the local waterways if our infrastructure is not updated.

These are how the numbers shake out for 2009:

Macomb County
Partailly Treated Sewage: 2,092
Diluted Raw sewage: None
Raw Sewage: 3

Oakland County
Raw sewage: 12 million gallons
Diluted Raw Sewage: None
Partially Treated Sewage: 139 million gallons

St. Clair County
Raw sewage: 13 million gallons
Diluted Raw Sewage: 57 million gallons
Partially Treated Sewage: 156 million gallons

Wayne County
Raw sewage: 156 million gallons
Diluted Raw Sewage: 4.95 Billion gallons
Partially Treated Sewage: 29.2 Billion gallons
Blended Effluent: 574 million gallons

Totals
Raw sewage: 184 million gallons
Diluted Raw Sewage: 5 billion gallons
Partially Treated Sewage: 31.4 billion gallons
Blended Effluent: 574 million gallons
Total: 37.2 billion gallons

These are my 2009 totals in excel format available for download HERE.

It has every individual release along with where and when it happened along with which waterways were affected. I also summarized the ten biggest CSO events of the year.

All of this data came from the MDEQ website.

(Important note)
There are gaps in data for Dearborn. Of 54 total combined sewer overflow events for Dearborn, 28 event dates had a volume total for the amount of partially treated sewage released into the waterways. The other 26 CSO events had incomplete data. Between the beginning of 2009 and July 11, there were 968 gallons of partially treated sewage released into the waterways from Dearborn. After July 11, Dearborn quit reporting the total volume of sewage that was released into the environment.

More Resources

Steve Neavling wrote a great story in the Free Press on the sewers today:
Aging sewage systems breed record bacteria in our waters

This is a great story about the sewage overflow issue from The Windsor Star:
Windsor cleans up act as Detroit spews sewage into river

Anybody that wants to see the Rouge River up close and personal should check out the book Up the Rouge! by Joel Thurtell.

Toxic Waters New York Times Series

EPA Report on Climate Change and CSO Mitigation on the Great Lakes

Green Cities, Great Lakes: The Green Infrastructure Report

by Jason Tafilowski

Asian Carp: Politics as Usual

2010-01-19T11:54:00.005-05:00

My last blog was about the asian carp it seems fitting that I will start up again with that issue on the day that the US Supreme Court decided to not temporarily shut down the navigational locks to keep out the Asian carp.

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox brought the suit in late December after Asian carp DNA was found past the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal's electric barrier. The order brought open an old Supreme Court case that left open a challenge to the Chicago diversion if it could be shown that the diversion was doing harm to the Great Lakes.

Since the lawsuit was brought Cox quickly got Wisconsin, Ohio, New York, and Minnesota on board with the lawsuit since recreational fishing in the Great Lakes is estimated at $7 billion. The only people openly against temporarily shutting down the locks were Illinois officials like Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill), U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill), U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorsen (D-Ill), and Obama's Great Lakes czar Cameron Davis.

Make no mistake about it the do-nothing approach is a risky move politically. It shows an irrational unwillingness to work with the neighboring states. The refusal to at least temporarily shut down the locks until a solution can be found is borderline insane and reckless. There is a fighting chance to stop the Asian carp and to save recreational boating and the fishery and instead of using every tool we can to stop it, Illinois officials have doomed us all to a do-nothing approach. They have chose local special interests over everyone's interests.

If the Asian carp does get into the Great Lakes everyone will know who to blame. There will be a nasty political fallout. One could argue that is already happening. After the 15-month old Great Lakes Compact was signed into law bringing all of the Great Lakes together in a unified act of legislation, we are becoming divided. It didn't have to end up this way. We could have worked together to try to stop the carp and there wouldn't be a scapegoat, instead it is just politics as usual.

Asian carp DNA found in Lake Michigan; Supreme Court rejects remedy

Supreme Court turns down Asian carp remedy

Carp-fighting lawsuit doesn't aim to flood Chicago

Back for 2010

2010-01-19T11:50:00.002-05:00

I have not blogged for awhile. Well I'm back online now for 2010.

The March of the Carp

2009-04-11T16:41:00.002-04:00

To truly understand how catastrophic Asian carp would be to the Great Lakes you have to actually see it. It would without a doubt ruin the recreational boating and fishing. This is one of the most underrated issues confronting the Great Lakes today.

Here are some useful links.

Carp barrier must work BETTER than advertised

Asian Carp.org

New Toxic Release Inventory Is In

2009-03-19T16:53:00.002-04:00

The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) is in. Each state requires facilities to voluntarily report all air emissions. Below are a couple of links to the EPA's TRI websites.

EPA TRI Explorer State Fact Sheets

EPA TRI Explorer Chemical Report

Plunging the Numbers, 2008 Sewage Report

2009-02-11T16:49:00.003-05:00

2008 was another grim year for water quality as combined sewer overflows were up slightly from last year in the Metro Detroit area.

A combined sewer overflow is when the sewer system gets overwhelmed during a storm and the storm water and sewage from homes releases into the waterways rather than back up into the streets.

In recent years many local projects have been aimed at helping the overburdened Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant with the construction of retention ponds. Without a doubt it has helped, when there is a heavy rain these retention ponds act as holding tanks to hold the overflowed storm water and sewage. The solids are allowed to settle and then the water is treated with chlorine to kill bacteria, then the water is released into the waterways. This is called partially treated sewage.

Another big project that is in its early stages is the $600 million Upper Rouge Tunnel project. The project calls for a tunnel adjacent to the banks of the Rouge River and is designed to hold 218 million gallons of storm water at 28 combined sewer overflow locations throughout the Detroit area.

So how did Metro Detroit do this year?

The grand total for all categories of sewage releases, (including raw sewage, partially, treated sewage, and diluted raw sewage) for St. Clair, Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties was over 26 billion gallons of sewage.

Metro Detroit releases far more sewage into the waterways than anywhere else in Michigan. Last year Wayne county released 23 billion gallons of sewage while the rest of Michigan released only 3 billion gallons.

These large sewage releases are of concern in light of a recent Metro Times article reporting that the USGS is shutting down water quality testing in the Rouge River due to budget cuts. The problem with this is it will be impossible to gauge any future water quality progress or deterioration in the years to come.

Another interesting aspect of this is that Canadian sewage overflows are not publicly reported. The Canadian Ministry of Environment collects some data but it is often inconsistent. In 2006 a Canadian environmental organization; Ecojustice rated Windsor as the third worst city in the Great Lakes for combined sewer overflows. This is an important thing to keep in mind when looking at the numbers.

Here is how the individual numbers break down for each county.

Wayne County
Partially Treated Sewage: 23.2 Billion gallons
Diluted Raw Sewage: 1.2 Billion Gallons
Raw Sewage: 103 million gallons

Oakland County
Partially Treated Sewage: 119 million gallons
Raw Sewage: 4 million gallons

Macomb County
Partially Treated Sewage: 1.3 billion gallons
Raw Sewage: 2 million gallons

St. Clair County
Partially Treated Sewage: 60.7 million gallons
Raw Sewage: 3.9 million gallons

100,000 Gallons a day are one click away

2008-12-24T03:17:00.003-05:00

Clinton Township-On December 8, MSU’s Institute of Water Research introduced the new rules and regulations being implemented for large-scale water withdrawals. This is part of a series of workshops going on around the state. The next meeting is January 22, 2009 in West Olive.

The Institute of Water Research has created a first of its kind website that allows users to quickly see if a water withdrawal is possible. The website can instantly grant or deny access. If you are denied access then you can try from a different point on your property. Sometimes a different part of your property may be in a different watershed.

Michigan is the only state to have a website that manages all of the large-scale water withdrawals. A large-scale water withdrawal is defined as any daily withdrawal exceeding 100,000 gallons a day.

The website is based on existing data and a combination of three different models.

With an interactive map the user can zoom into their property and choose where they want to sink a well and how much water they want to withdraw. You then click a button and within moments you are told whether you can proceed with the withdrawal or not.

The USGS only monitors 142 different sites, so the rest of the 13,000 river segments have to be predicted according to the stream type and the index flow. The index flow is the median flow for the month of the lowest water levels. There are 11 different stream types in Michigan and they all have different amounts of water that can be withdrawn before it negatively affects the ecosystem.

The way that they are determining ecological harm is by whether or not characteristic fish are harmed by the proposed water withdrawal.

The online tool naturally underreports the water that is available. Since they don’t know the amount of error when combining all three of these models, they are only making half of the amount of the water available on the website.

There are four zones A-D. Zone A means there will not be an adverse impact on the ecosystem, while zone B means there will not be much of an impact on the ecosystem. Any withdrawal that falls into the C or D range will not be authorized by the website. Anybody that keeps falling into the C or D range can have the MDEQ come out free of charge to do an onsite assessment.

If the MDEQ issues a permit to anyone falling into the Zone B or C range they will have to place a notice on their website and notify other water users in that community. The MDEQ ruling can also be legally challenged by the person proposing the withdrawal or by a third party.

It is important for everyone with wells to register them with the MDEQ by February 1, 2009. After that the MDEQ will be actively seeking those who have not registered. The law officially goes into place July 9, 2009. Any wells that existed prior to February 28, 2006 are grandfathered in. Whether they cause ecological harm or not they can continue to operate. Any new wells have to receive a permit before they are installed.

The main reason that the rules are being updated on water withdrawals is due to the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says: “To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with Indian tribes.” This ignited an argument over who should regulate water, the states or Washington? The states won this argument and now water regulations are being updated in Michigan and other states throughout the Midwest. This all has a lot to do with the recent passing of the Great Lakes Compact, the legislation protecting the Great Lakes from water diversions. The states have to show initiative in managing their resources or Washington will do it for them.

Michigan's Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool

By Jason Tafilowski

"In Ohio, Rumblings About Pet Coke "

2008-12-23T13:29:00.003-05:00

Investigative journalist Glen Puit has written a very in depth story for the Great Lakes Bulletin News Service on the negative effects of pet coke power plants on neighborhoods in Ohio. Pet coke is a cheaper way to generate power but it is much dirtier.

According to the article: "Burning pet coke, according to an industrial trade association, produces about 50 percent more ash than burning coal, and that ash contains many toxic heavy metals. And, according to federal records that track U. S. power plant emissions, burning petroleum coke also increase smokestack gases that experts say can cause or worsen certain lung and heart problems and produce acid rain."

It is important to consider all of the economic and health implications of the proposed plant as the public comment period winds down to a close. The MDEQ will hold one last public hearing on January 6, before they issue a decision to grant an air permit for the proposed pet coke power plant in Roger's City.

In Ohio, Rumblings About Pet Coke

Mining Madness, Water Wars: The Great Lakes in the Balance

2008-12-17T14:32:00.003-05:00

The new documentary about Kennecott's attempt to sulfide mine in the Yellow Dog plains in the Upper Peninsula is available for viewing on the National Wildlife Federation website. Copies are also available for only $5.

View Now: Mining Madness, Water Wars: The Great Lakes in the Balance

Purchase

Save the Wild UP

JS: "Little city is at center of a great debate"

2008-12-08T08:16:00.003-05:00

The city of Superior Wisconsin is in the planning stages of building one of the nation's largest refineries, making the midwest a major player in importing and refining foreign oil.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Little city is at center of great debate

"New oil pipeline across Minnesota approved"

2008-11-29T02:54:00.002-05:00

From the Star Tribune:

New oil pipeline across Minnesota approved

"Minnesota energy regulators gave their approval Tuesday to a new pipeline that will come out of Canada carrying crude oil across northern Minnesota and on to Wisconsin.

The unanimous decision by the five-member Public Utilities Commission followed a pitch from U.S.-based affiliates of Enbridge Inc., that the 1,000-mile pipeline will help supply the north central United States with reliable energy from a friendly neighbor, at a time of volatile petroleum prices and growing demand by a growing population."

This ruling comes amidst concerns that the Canadian tar sands are exporting pollution to the Great Lakes states. The refining process of oil from the tar sands takes one barrel of oil to produce three barrels of oil. Throughout the Great Lakes region there are several projects aimed at refining tar sands oil.

How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes Basin

Workshops Explain Michigan's Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool

2008-11-29T01:48:00.002-05:00

There will be three workshops located throughout Michigan to explain Michigan's water withdrawal assessment tool. The workshops explain the guidelines for large scale withdrawals of 100,000 gallons or more per day of surface or groundwater. The event is being put on by the MSU Institute of Water Research.

The workshops will also show the new online assessment tool that allows potential users to apply for large water withdrawals online.

I reported about this back in March: Scrutinizing Michigan's Assessment Tool

Register Here

West-Central Michigan

Seating limited to 40
Only -12 Seats left!

December 4
Montcalm Community College
Panhandle Area Center
5856 Federal Road
Howard City, MI 49329

Local Contact: Jim Breinling
231-757-4789

Southeast Michigan
Site Registration List
Seating limited

December 8
Macomb Intermediate School District
Educational Service Center
44001 Garfield
Clinton Twp., MI 48038-1100

Local Contact: Terry Gibb
586-469-6430

Ottawa County Michigan
Seating limited

January 22, 2009
Ottawa County Fillmore Complex Admin Bldg Main Conference Room
12220 Fillmore St.
West Olive, MI 49460

Local Contact: Tom Dudek
616-846-8250

Separating the Mississippi from the Great Lakes?

2008-11-12T14:06:00.003-05:00

The Alliance for the Great Lakes released a report today about the "ecological separation" of the Mississippi river from the Great Lakes. The call for action comes amid the floundering electric carp barrier in the Chicago River. The electric Carp barrier is still not allowed to be turned on to its full capacity because of safety concerns. Meanwhile, the biggest fear is that the Asian carp will invade the Great lakes. The Asian carp can grow up to 100 pounds and can eat 20 percent of its body weight in plankton. The fish would also disrupt recreational boating since it has a tendency to jump out of the water when it hears boat motors.

Though the proposal would be very expensive it would ensure a 100 percent effectiveness on aquatic invasive species. The only other major source of invasive species that would be left to deal with would be coming to a consensus with Canada on how to regulate the ballast water of ships.

Chicago’s electric carp barrier hits a snag

Conservation group urges separation of Great Lakes, Mississippi basin waters

Alliance for the Great Lakes Press Release

Alliance for the Great Lakes Report on the ecological separation of the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes

Donation raises questions for head of FDA’s bisphenol A panel

2008-10-12T12:22:00.003-04:00

From a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Investigation

A retired medical supply manufacturer who considers bisphenol A to be “perfectly safe” gave $5 million to the research center of Martin Philbert, chairman of the Food and Drug Association panel about to make a pivotal ruling on the chemical’s safety.
Read on

Ann Arbor News: FDA to look into issue involving University of Michigan professor

EPA to hold open house on the Kennecott mine proposal

2008-10-10T12:02:00.002-04:00

The following is a press release from the EPA:

EPA holds open house on Kennecott Mine proposal

(Chicago, Ill. - Oct. 9, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold an open house on October 22 to answer questions about the federal role in regulating the proposed mine and the underground injection control permit application submitted by Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company. The open house will be held at the Holiday Inn, 1951 U.S. Highway 41, West Marquette, Mich. There will be three sessions from 9 to 11 a.m., 1 to 3 p.m., and 6 to 9 p.m.

Kennecott proposes to dispose of treated wastewater as part of a nickel and copper sulfide mining operation within the Yellow Dog Plains of northwestern Marquette County. EPA notified the company that any underground disposal system at the mining site must comply with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act's federal Underground Injection Control program before construction and operation. The Safe Drinking Water Act is intended to protect underground sources of drinking water.

The UIC permitting process for the underground disposal system is EPA's only direct regulatory role in the Eagle mine project. EPA is conducting a technical evaluation of the permit application and supporting documents and expects to issue a draft decision before the end of the year. EPA will accept public comments and hold a public hearing when the draft decision is announced.

A copy of the permit application and more information about the Eagle mine project and the underground injection control program is available here

Other recent Kennecott news:

From Save the Wild UP: U.S. Fish and Wildlife requests EPA delay on Kennecott mine

From Save the Wild UP: Kennecott lacks state, Federal permits to proceed with mine plan

From the Michigan Land Use Institute: Mining Company Lobbied Hard in U.P., Lansing

New Report: "How the Oil Sands Got To The Great Lakes Basin"

2008-10-08T13:49:00.009-04:00

As the price of oil has skyrocketed, new techniques of extracting oil are emerging. The tar sands of Alberta Canada are promising huge profits as the energy intensive oil extraction is now profitable. Right now 1.3 million barrels are being exported daily, this number is expected to increase to 3.5 million barrels a day by 2011 and eventually to 5 million barrels a day by 2030. This would turn Canada into one of the oil giants.

The problem with extracting oil from the tar sands is that it produces three times the amount of greenhouse gases than producing a regular barrel of oil. It is easily one of the dirtiest energy solutions around.

According to a report released today by The University of Toronto's Munk Centre entitled: "How the Oil Sands Got To The Great Lakes Basin," Canadian company Enbridge who is one of the major players in energy and oil transport are proposing a new network of pipelines and expansion of refineries to be located throughout the Great Lakes region.

This includes: "significantly expanding the refineries in Indiana, next to Chicago, as well as in other states and possibly Sarnia, Ontario." The Canadian oil industry has requested "more capacity out of the oil sands and into the U.S. Midwest markets." This would mean that crude oil would be piped to the Great Lakes region and would then have to be refined here, the results would mean more pollution in the Great Lakes region.

The report lists 17 major refinery expansions that are now either being considered, or already underway. Some of these include:

• Illinois (Conoco Phillips in Wood River, Exxon-Mobil in Joliet, and Marathon
Robinson in Robinson)
• Indiana (BP Products North America Inc. in Whiting)
• Kentucky (Marathon Petroleum Co. LLC in Cattletsburg)
• Michigan (Marathon Petroleum Co. LLC in Detroit)
• Minnesota (Marathon Petroleum Co. LLC in St. Paul Park)
• Ohio (BP Products North America Inc/Husky Energy Inc. in Toledo)
• Wisconsin (Murphy Oil USA Inc. in Superior)
• Ontario (Suncor in Sarnia).

One of the examples of increased air pollution is already being felt in Whiting, Indiana at British Petroleum's (BP) $3.8 billion refinery expansion. BP has applied for permits to increase daily discharges of suspended solids from 3,646 pounds per day to 4,925 pounds per day. Other byproducts that come with refining oil to gasoline is ammonia and sludge.

Other regional concerns included through the report are:

"the region already endures some of the worst pollution in Canada or 131,000 tonnes of air pollution a year. Industrial waste from Chemical Valley has feminized male snapping turtles in the St Clair River, turned 45 per cent of the whitefish in Lake St Clair 'intersexual' and exposed 2,000 members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation to a daily cocktail of 105 carcinogens and gender benders. The Ojibway [members of a First Nation who live in the area] are not faring much better than the snapping turtles or whitefish. In fact the number of newborn girls outnumbers boys by two to one on the reserve. Two thirds of the children have asthma while 40 percent of the women experience miscarriages. Calls for a thorough federal investigation have gone largely unheeded. Environment Canada never bothered to do a cumulative impact study and probably no responsible authority ever will."

"In Wood River, Illinois, near St. Louis, Missouri, ConocoPhillips seeks to process Alberta Tar sands oil from EnCana Corporation as part of a $15 billion expansion that would also send processing to Texas. This project has been challenged by the U.S. Natural Resources Defense Council; in June, 2008, the U.S. EPA determined that its Illinois counterpart didn’t adequately address air pollution questions raised during the permit process and reopened the project to further public comment."

"In Superior, Wisconsin, Murphy Oil is studying an oil sands-related expansion that citizens fear could damage 300 to 500 acres of wetlands. The project will consume 5 million gallons of water per day from Lake Michigan and boost the refinery’s energy demand 12-fold; the filling of the wetlands, according to one environmentalist, will be 'the largest wetlands filling in Wisconsin since the passage of the U.S. Clean Water Act
of 1972.'"

"In Detroit, a Marathon refinery is awaiting its final expansion permits; unlike other projects, this refinery does not discharge directly into the Great Lakes, but pre-treats its waste and then sends it to Detroit’s municipal treatment system before discharge. However, Detroit is already among the worst 10 (ranked ninth) U.S. cities for short-term particle pollution (the microscopic solids and liquid droplets that are often linked directly with health problems). In Toledo, Ohio, BP has an agreement with a Canadian company to expand its refinery and split the profits from processing oil sands, although no official
permit applications have been filed yet."

The report defines this pipeline as a pollution delivery system and uses a conservative estimate that this will bring an additional 2.3 million tonnes of additional greenhouse gas emissions a year, as well as "large-scale sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions – the building blocks of acid rain – as well as fine particulate matter, which is responsible for premature deaths. In addition, refineries use millions of litres of water per day. It is also worth noting that these would be refinery expansions, not replacements – in many, if not most cases, the old refineries with increasingly antiquated abatement equipment would be running side by side with the new expansion facilities."

Report: How the Oil Sands Got To The Great Lakes Basin

Live Webcast from the University of Toronto on How the Oil Sands Got To The Great Lakes Basin

Globe and Mail story: Oil sands will pollute Great Lakes, report warns

Should water be a commodity or a human right?

2008-09-30T18:12:00.009-04:00

As the Great Lakes Compact works its way towards President Bush's desk, Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI) has been getting a lot of press lately for opposing the compact.

Stupak is concerned with water being defined as a commodity. Language in the current compact allows water to be exported in containers no larger than 5.7 gallons.

While the current language protects large water withdrawals, the fear is that current U.S. free trade agreements could strike down this arbitrary limit to the amount of water that can be taken from the Great Lakes if water is seen as a commodity.

The bigger controversy worldwide is over whether water should be considered a commodity and opened up to the free market, or is a human right that everyone deserves access to. In other words, who delivers the water and should they be able to profit from it?

The Economist has a debate going on right now over the following proposal: "Water, as a scarce resource, should be priced according to its market value."

The debate is between market advocate Steve J. Hoffmann, Managing Director of WaterTech Capital and co-founder of Palisades Water Index Associates and water rights advocate Vandana Shiva, Director of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy.

Steve J. Hoffmann's opening statement.

Vandana Shiva's opening statement.

Participate in the debate.

The Water Front begins a Great Lakes tour on Friday at Marygrove College

2008-09-24T10:03:00.012-04:00

Liz Miller's documentary The Water Front begins a 20 city tour around the Great Lakes when it premieres on Friday at Marygrove College in the Madame Cadillac Dining Room at 8425 W McNichols road at 6:30 pm.

In 2004 Highland Park was in the midst of state receivership, so the state sent in an emergency financial consultant. One of the solutions for getting Highland Park out of the red was to sell off the cities' biggest asset, their water plant. Highland park unlike most of the other surrounding Detroit areas has its own water intake pipe. The idea of selling the water plant was met with fierce resistance by residents. Many were angry by the steep increase in water bills. Some people were receiving water bills as high as $4500 and $9000. Many of the people felt that the financial consultants were trying to pass on the costs of years of mismanagement to Highland Park residents. When the people couldn't pay, their water would be shut off and this legally makes your house condemned. The film follows the issue and provides a balanced look at the issue, interviewing all sides: the activists, residents, and financial consultants.

Water Front Preview:

Here is a recent interview with Liz Miller about her documentary, The Water Front.

Food and Water Watch: Sponsor of the tour

WDET Detroit Today interview with Water Front Associate Producer Curtis Smith and local bluesman Joe Carter who wrote music for the movie

How the local waterways fared from last week's downpour

2008-09-21T13:01:00.012-04:00

It has long been common practice for rainwater to be diverted to city drains. This is largely a consequence of urbanization and the accompanying pavement. Rather than have rainwater be absorbed back into the ground, it goes into the sewer system and becomes the cities' problem and must be dealt with by the local wastewater treatment plant. These systems get overloaded when large storms occur and the end result is that the sewers overflow sewage into the waterways. There are two types of overflows, Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs).

CSOs are when sewer systems use the same pipe for raw sewage and rainwater. When there are heavy rains these pipes get overwhelmed and the sewage goes into our local waterways or goes into a CSO retention basin and is partially treated and then released into our waterways.

A good explanation of CSO retention treatment basins comes from the MDEQ Annual CSO Report (2000-2001):

“Many combined sewer systems have recently installed treatment facilities (called retention/treatment basins), which are designed to capture the combined sewage and rainwater long enough to provide initial treatment and disinfection. This initial treatment often involves allowing solids to settle, the skimming of floatable materials such as oils; and disinfection of disease causing organisms, often accomplished through the addition of chlorine. This combined rainwater and sewage wastewater, with chlorine disinfection is the typical treated CSO discharge in the state of Michigan; therefore, many CSO releases are considered partially treated sewage. The treatment provided significantly reduces the amount of pollutants discharged and the associated public health risk.”

SSOs are generally a broken pipe or equipment malfunction, unlike a CSO these are illegal and you cannot get a permit for these. SSOs generally releases raw sewage that gets no treatment at all.

Some areas in Metro Detroit received over 5 inches of rain last week, so how did the local waterways fair?

All of these incidents occured between September 13-15, the counties that were looked at were Macomb, Oakland, Wayne, and St. Clair.

This list is for releases of partially treated sewage into our local waterways:

Lake St. Clair: 208.05 million gallons
Milk River: 86.199 million gallons
Rouge River: 71.67 million gallons
St. Clair River: 14.75 million gallons
Clinton River: 1.16 million gallons

This list is for releases of raw sewage:

St. Clair River: 3.75 million gallons
Clinton River: 1.92 million gallons
Rouge River: .517 million gallons

The Detroit Waste Water Treatment Plant released 62.41 million gallons of blended effluent into the Trenton Channel.

1 Million gallons of diluted raw sewage was released into the Detroit River.

New economic plan could bring over half a million jobs to the Great Lakes states

2008-09-13T21:49:00.004-04:00

A new report by the Center for American Progress details an economic plan that would help turn around the ailing economy and provide much needed green infrastructure and investment.

This program would create nearly 2 million jobs nationwide and would reduce the unemployment rate from 5.7 percent to 4.4 percent. The plan focuses on six different areas: Retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency, expanding mass transit and freight rail, constructing 'smart' electrical grid transmission systems, wind power, solar power, and next-generation biofuels.

According to the report: "This economic recovery program combines the $100 billion fiscal stimulus with an additional credit stimulus-through a federal loan guarantee program to boost private-sector investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy." The plan would be about the same cost as the economic stimulus checks that went out last April.

Other key benefits identified throughout the report are: Widespread employment gains, lower unemployment, renewed construction and manufacturing work, more stable oil prices, and self-financing energy efficiency.

The new Center for American Progress report can be found here:

Green jobs: A program to create good jobs and start building a low-carbon economy

Find out how your state will benefit: State fact sheet

40 percent of all North American freshwater fish face extinction

2008-09-10T19:23:00.003-04:00

A new report led by the United States Geological Survey finds that 40 percent of all North American fish face extinction. The research was published in the journal Fisheries.

The report lists 700 species as imperiled, this is a 92 percent increase since the previous 1989 report that listed 364 species as imperiled.

The USGS has a very useful interactive map of all of the imperiled fish species that can be viewed by ecoregions or by political boundaries.

USGS and the American Fisheries Society interactive map

ENS Story: North American Freshwater Fishes Fading into Extinction

Using Green Infrastructure to Stop Combined Sewer Overflows

2008-09-04T17:46:00.013-04:00

The Canadian environmental organization Ecojustice released a report on Tuesday focusing on preventing rainwater from entering our sewer systems. Most big cities had their sewer systems built in the early 1900's. When they were built raw sewage and storm water used the same sewer, this is called a Combined Sewer. Most are serving larger populations than was ever originally intended, so as a consequence, when it rains they overflow and release sewage into our waterways.

Though the report focuses primarily on Ontario, the suggestions of green infrastructure which they define as “an interconnected network of natural areas that maintain natural ecological processes,” can be applied anywhere. Many of the solutions presented in the report are alternatives to hard infrastructure solutions that are often prohibitive due to high costs. An example of a costly hard infrastructure solution is overhauling a large cities' sewer system. It gets real expensive real fast.

Another problem identified in the report is Canada's lack of public reporting. In Michigan, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) reports every Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) that happens. That is not the case in Ontario. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) collects some information on CSOs but the data is often inconsistent and rarely provides a full and accurate picture of what is going on. Some of the federal and provincial government data does not even contain volumes for the amount of the CSO. This distorts the overall effect of CSOs on the Great Lakes since it is somewhat of a mystery of the total number of sewage entering the Great Lakes.

A 2006 report by Ecojustice graded Windsor the third worst in CSOs for major cities in the Great Lakes basin. So all we really know is that the problem is bad. We can only guess just how bad it is.

The Ecojustice report is using an innovative way of tackling the problem since it aims at a more direct solution of limiting the amount of water that gets into the sewer systems, and provides options that are affordable and practical and provide aesthetic value to communities.

Many of the solutions suggested are beginning to be implemented in many big cities across the country such as Chicago, Toronto, and Portland that have implemented on a large scale many of the Ecojustice suggestions such as green rooftops, rain barrels, permeable sidewalks and roads, and bio-retention areas. The aim of all those measures is to "get the rain out of the drain" as the report succinctly put it.

Even locally people are starting to implement some of these suggestions as well. The Detroit Free Press recently reported that a green roof is being constructed in Auburn Hills over the gun range at the Public Safety Department.

The report provides several case studies of what cities are doing to reduce water from overwhelming sewer systems and water treatment plants and leading to CSOs.

Green Cities, Great Lakes: The Green Infrastructure Report

Holy Shit!

2008-08-22T12:16:00.005-04:00

Jeff Alexander the Muskegon Chronicle recently reported that the amount of sewage overflows in Michigan overall is down by 30 percent, which is great, optimism is important when dealing with environmental issues.

But...According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality 88 percent of all of the raw and partially treated sewage that entered our waterways in 2007 was from Detroit. 23 billion gallons of raw sewage entered Metro Detroit waterways as a result of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). Most old sewers in big cities use the same sewer system for sewage and stormwater. When there are heavy rains it causes the sewer system to overflow and release sewage into the local waterways. These events are referred to as Combined Sewer Overflows or (CSOs).

The current numbers speak for themselves. Detroit released 23 billion gallons of raw and partially treated sewage in 2007 while the rest of Michigan only released 3 billion gallons of raw and partially treated sewage. What's worse is this doesn't account for the CSOs that occur in Windsor.

A recent Great Lakes Sewage Report Card by the Sierra Legal fund graded major cities in the Great Lakes on how much sewage they released into the waterways. Detroit was rated number one, while Windsor was number three, a double whammy.

We need to do better, the lakes are the entire regions biggest asset and will be the key to economic revitilization.

Other article of interest:

Speaker: Stop using Great Lakes as lavatory

The Crappies

Revisiting an old classic: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

2008-08-20T20:50:00.002-04:00

"Conservation groups warn of hole in ballast water bill"

2008-07-26T18:45:00.002-04:00

Environmental groups are urging Wisconsin Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl to oppose the Coast Guard Authorization Act. At issue is whether the law would force the ships to comply with the Clean Water Act. The proposed law that is currently in the U.S. Senate does not require compliance with the Clean Water Act. Also at issue is the lax time frame that may not require some ships to upgrade to better ballast water treatment systems until as late as 2021.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Conservation groups warn of hole in ballast water bill

Inaction on Climate Change Could Cost Michigan Billions

2008-07-25T14:15:00.004-04:00

A study by the University of Maryland finds that climate change will cost a number of states billions of dollars. According to the study Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois should expect to lose billions if the issue is not dealt with. The report summarizes in these terms:

"Michigan: Billions of dollars in losses from damage to the state's shipping and water resources. Warmer temperatures and lower water levels predicted for much of the state."

"Ohio: Billions of dollars in losses from warmer temperatures and lower water levels and the resulting impact on shipping and water supplies."

"Illinois: "Billions of dollars in losses from impact on shipping, trade and water resources. Warmer temperatures and lower water levels predicted for much of the state.:

The above quotes are from a Sciencedaily Story

Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Michigan

Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Ohio

Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Illinois

Deadly Denial: Nuclear Weapons Workers Left to Die

2008-07-23T20:59:00.003-04:00

In a special series the Rocky Mountain news reveals how cold war nuclear weapons workers who risked their safety must fight for compensation.

Deadly Denial

Feingold won't rule out overseas shipping ban to protect Great Lakes

2008-07-19T19:07:00.002-04:00

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Feingold won't rule out overseas shipping ban to protect Great Lakes

Naomi Klein on Democracy Now!

2008-07-19T17:22:00.009-04:00

Naomi Klein, the author of the Shock Doctrine explains how the Bush Administration is exploiting the current oil crises as a way to open offshore drilling. The current "shock" of high gas prices are being used to falsely sell Americans the idea that by opening up offshore drilling the price of gas will go down. Offshore drilling has historically been unpopular with the American public but with consumers being squeezed with high gas prices, people are willing to believe anything.

Also discussed is the next largest oil empire: Canada.

The Guardian: Canadians ponder cost of rush for dirty oil

Rolling Stone story: China's All-Seeing Eye

Democracy Now!

"Cosmic Markdown: EPA Says Life Is Worth Less"

2008-07-19T11:22:00.004-04:00

The EPA recently lowered the value of an American life from $8.04 million to $7.22 million. This was the first time the agency has ever lowered the value of a generic human life. This decision compromises everybody's safety since it lowers the stakes when the agency does a cost-benefit analysis. A cost-benefit analysis factors in how much the cleanup will cost and compares those costs to how many people would be saved or helped by the cleanup. The lower value of an American life lets industry off the hook for endangering people and puts everyone's health at greater risk.

Washington Post article: EPA Says Life is Worth Less

New Report: Great Lakes Shipping, Trade, and Aquatic Invasive Species

2008-07-18T19:15:00.003-04:00

A new report by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies ponders uniform ballast rules to help keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes. The report comes out on the coattails of a recent study by Notre Dame that found that invasive species cause $200 million in damage annually to the Great Lakes.

The new report by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) urges the U.S. to come to an agreement with Canada in setting uniform rules on regulating ballast water for ships entering the Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence Seaway. One of the suggestions includes the U.S. adopting the International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules that require ships to flush their ballast tanks with either saltwater or chemicals to kill freshwater species. This would at the very least bring both of the countries a step closer to actually doing something about the rapid influx of invasive species.

The House of Representatives recently passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act which would require ships entering U.S. ports to install technology to kill invasive species in the ballast water. The Senate still needs to pass these standards, though they would only be for the U.S. The recent TRB report focuses on uniform rules so that the U.S and Canada can work together to monitor the problem.

There are currently at least 180 invasive species in the Great Lakes, with a new species being discovered every six months. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently ran a series on the effects of invasive species on Lake Huron and in the wake of the story the Sentinel ran an editorial that recommended closing the St. Lawrence Seaway since the economic benefits are only $55 million, according to a report by the Joyce Foundation. The St. Lawrence Seaway will probably not be closed down anytime soon, but everyone does agree that something must be done soon to stop the damage.

TRB Report: Great Lakes Shipping, Trade, and Aquatic Invasive Species

Sciencedaily Story: Keeping Invasive Species Out Of The Great Lakes

"Hazardous flame retardant found in household objects"

2008-07-13T13:52:00.007-04:00

An investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reveals a dangerous flame retardant that is being used in many household products. Though the chemical in question is widely known to cause cancer, the EPA has been dragging its feet on issuing a final assessment and has relied largely on industry funded studies.

Journal Sentinel Watchdog Report: Hazardous flame retardant found in household objects

Des Moines Register Climate Change Series

2008-07-10T13:49:00.004-04:00

There is a fantastic new series in Iowa's Des Moines register on climate change. While the report focuses on Iowa, there is enough analysis of Iowa in relation to the rest of the U.S for the report to be relevant to anyone already interested in the topic of climate change. There are also a lot of great interactive graphs and graphics. This series is a fine example of online investigative reporting.

Des Moines Register Climate Change Series

"Detroit To Stop Using Incinerator"

2008-06-30T18:28:00.003-04:00

According to the Detroit News "Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said today in a statement that Detroit won't buy the city incinerator, and instead will expand recycling and pay to landfill city refuse."

Detroit News Article: Detroit To Stop Using Incinerator

How Much Do We Value the Great Lakes?

2008-06-30T18:05:00.006-04:00

A recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel series examines the high cost of ocean freighters on the Great Lakes. A 2005 study by the Joyce Foundation finds that the public only saves $55 million by allowing ocean vessels to use the Great Lakes, while the steady influx of invader species from the foreign ships are wreaking havoc on Lake Huron in a way that scientists thought unimaginable a few years ago.

GREAT LAKES, GREAT PERIL: A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Exclusive

Editorial: Close the Seaway

The decision on whether or not to close the Detroit Incinerator to be made on Tuesday, July 1, 2008

2008-06-27T17:19:00.005-04:00

Free Press video series

From the Ecology Center:

The City of Detroit currently faces a historic deadline of July 1, 2008 to close the largest trash incinerator in the world. The incinerator burns nearly 800,000 tons of trash per year currently at a cost of over $170 per ton to Detroit residents (5-7 times the cost of suburbs that recycle and landfill). Hazardous air pollutants from the facility include mercury, lead and dioxins. Asthma hospitalization rates in Detroit are 3-4 times the average rate of the state of Michigan. In addition to these staggering figures, Detroit is the only city of the 30 largest cities in the United States without any form of curbside recycling.

In 2005, the Detroit Incinerator was the 5th largest stationary source of Nitrogen Oxides, which is a critical component of smog (ground-level ozone). Wayne County is currently in violation of USEPA health standards for smog and soot (particulate matter). Hazardous air pollutants from the facility include mercury, lead and dioxins. Asthma hospitalization rates
in Detroit are 3-4 times the average rate of the state of Michigan. Both smog and soot contribute to and aggravate asthma.

Trash is an inefficient fuel for generating steam and electricity, creating more global warming carbon dioxide per unit of energy than any other fuel. Recycling will create far less pollution, save more energy than the facility produces, and bring the potential for many more jobs in recycling based manufacturing. The current system binds the City
financially and legally to incinerate waste with prohibitive barriers to recycling.

A broad coalition of community organizations- environmental, civil rights, health, labor, faith-based and social service advocates- have proposed a New Business Model for Solid Waste Management in Detroit, which has been endorsed and supported by the Detroit City Council by a 6-2 majority. This plan would implement a curbside recycling pilot program by January 1, 2009 and close the incinerator at the end of its current contracts on June 30, 2009. Closing the facility must include a funded plan to assist every displaced worker in finding a similar job at similar compensation.

The administration of Mayor Kilpatrick has agreed to a smaller pilot curbside recycling program, but appears opposed to ending incineration, which means there will not be significant recycling. The operations of the facility are overseen by the Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority (GDRRA). Board members are appointees of the Mayor of Detroit.

Stop Trashing the Climate Incineration Report

Recent Record Floods Contribute to Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

2008-06-21T15:34:00.006-04:00

A recent updated report is available on the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone." Every year sewage and fertilizer runoff creates dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico. This year's record flooding is creating a much larger dead zone. The recent updated EPA Science Advisory Board Report aims to limit the mount of fertilizer runoff and urban runoff coming from the Mississippi river.

ENS Story: 2008 Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Could Be Largest Ever

Farm runoff creates ‘dead zones’ offshore, but no national authority is tasked to address them.

Revised EPA Science Advisory Board Report: Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Website

Editorial: Recent Climate Report Predicts More Severe Weather

2008-06-21T13:02:00.005-04:00

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research released a report yesterday that forecasts more drought, hurricanes and severe weather. One could make an argument that we are already seeing these effects with the recent flooding of Cedar Rapids Iowa as well as the droughts in California, Georgia, and Australia.

What does this mean for the midwest states?

Lake levels are already taking a hit. Though Lake Superior has rebounded to normal levels due to a wet spring Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are down. The lack of winter ice causes more evaporation of the lakes.

But experts are forecasting more severe weather, this sounds like maybe it would help water levels but the major problem with that is the toll it will take on water quality. Every time we get heavy rains the sewer systems get overloaded and it washes large amounts of raw sewage into our waterways. This is where the E.coli comes from and why beaches get closed down. At the very worst these may contribute to large dead zones within the lakes.

The good news is that throughout the region public forums and newspaper editorials are bringing this issue into the consciousness of people. That is the first step, educating the masses and explaining the problem. With bipartisan and public support we can begin to effectively combat these issues and keep our lakes great.

Global Warming Report

Sciencedaily Story: Global Warming Likely to Fuel Severe Weather

Iowa-Like Floods to Increase With Global Warming

Forbes Special Report on Water

2008-06-20T18:21:00.001-04:00

Forbes: Water

Protest Rally: Stop Detroit's Incinerator

2008-05-29T16:59:00.004-04:00

Recent Free Press Article: Decision on Incinerator's Future Looms as Other Options Weighed

Please join us to stop another twenty years of health issues and 1.2 billion dollars wasted of taxpayers' money. The protest rally will be healed on Thursday May 29, 4pm to 6pm at the corner of Woodward and Jefferson in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue. Please bring as many people as you can, protest signs, and gas/dust masks.

WHEN: Thursday May 29, 4pm to 6pm
WHERE: Corner of Woodward and Jefferson
WHO: Everyone including the most effected children We want green jobs, clean air and to end this wasteful/unnecessary overspending!
Contact Dan Sordyl 248.890.0729, DanielSordyl@yahoo.com

Something stinks and it's not just the trash!

The lease on the Detroit Incinerator is up for renewal on June 1, 2008. The Detroit City Council has adopted a new plan for trash disposal which includes recycling and shutting down the incinerator. Our Mayor wants to continue using this MONSTER POLLUTING/ASTHMA MACHINE!

We need to act NOW! Call and write to the Detroit City Council and thank them for moving us forward. Call and write the Mayor, ask him to reconsider the health, welfare and finances of Detroit.

-The Detroit incinerator is contributing to the rising dioxin levels, cancer, asthma, and low birth weights in our neighborhoods. The asthma rates for the 9 zip codes around the Incinerator are 4 times higher then the Michigan average. Detroit was just designated the ninth most air polluted city in the country. The Detroit Incinerator is the 6th largest pollution source of over 180 facilities in Wayne County monitored by the state. Wayne County is currently in violation of EPA air quality health standards. The Detroit Incinerator annually emits an estimated 600,000 tons of global warming carbon dioxide. The Detroit Incinerator only burns about 70% of the trash put into it and the resulting highly toxic ash (about 30%) goes to a landfill.

-Our waste is one of the biggest resources for the future. What kind of products could Detroiters produce with the endless supply of this material? Recycling creates 10 times more jobs than incineration. It promotes environmental consciousness and responsibility. Detroit is the only city of the 30 largest cities in the United States that does not provide curbside recycling. By continuing to burn these easily recycle-able items we will never make a full switch to recycling. We are losing the revenue from recycled raw materials. Again, Detroit will be left behind on one of the biggest movements toward a greener economy.

- Detroit Taxpayers have overpaid for trash disposal by an average of about $50 million per year over the last 20 years. In the fiscal year 2007-2008 Detroit residents are paying over $170/ton for trash disposal - about 5 to 7 times more then the suburbs pay. If the Incinerator continues to be used the disposal costs are estimated to be 2 to 3 times higher then what the suburbs will pay. About half of the trash burned in the Detroit Incinerator is from suburban cities, about 50% of the toxic emissions such as lead, mercury and cancer causing dioxins are from suburban trash.

Detroit City Council 2 Woodward Ave(City County Bldg)(313) 224-3266

Council President Ken Cockrel, Jr. 313) 224-4505 CockrelK.CNCL.COUNCIL@kcockrel.ci.detroit.mi.us

Council President Pro-tem Monica Conyers(313) 224-4530 ConyersM@cncl.ci.detroit.mi.us

Councilwoman JoAnn Watson(313) 224-4535 WatsonJ_mb@cncl.ci.detroit.mi.us

Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel(313) 224-1337 S-Cockrel_mb@ckrl.ci.detroit.mi.us

Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins(313) 224-1298 Collins_MB@cncl.ci.detroit.mi.us

Councilman Kwame Kenyatta(313) 224-1198 K-Kenyatta_MB@cncl.ci.detroit.mi.us

Councilwoman Alberta Tinsley-Talabi (313) 224-1645 A_Talabi_mb@atwpo.ci.detroit.mi.us

Councilwoman Martha Reeves(313) 224-4510 m-reeves_mb@cncl.ci.detroit.mi.us

Councilwoman Brenda Jones(313) 224-1245 Bjones_MB@cncl.ci.detroit.mi.us

Detroit Incinerator protest on Tuesday

2008-05-11T14:37:00.002-04:00

Cost of Cutting Carbon: Pennies a Day

2008-04-23T13:53:00.002-04:00

A recent report by the Environmental Defense Fund details the cost of cutting Carbon for the average American.

Study: Costs of cutting greenhouse gases are actually small

EPA begins $4 million ChemServe cleanup in Detroit

2008-04-23T12:48:00.000-04:00

From an EPA press release:

CONTACT: (EPA) Mick Hans, 312-353-5050, hans.mick@epa.gov
(EPA) Dave Novak, 312-886-7478
(MDEQ) Robert McCann, 517-241-7397

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 07-OPA072

EPA begins $4 million ChemServe cleanup in Detroit

CHICAGO (April 23, 2008) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 this week begins a projected $4 million cleanup of ChemServe Corp., which manufactured dyes and soaps at 9505 Copland St., in Detroit's Delray neighborhood.

EPA and partner agencies will host two open house sessions to discuss the project with residents on May 1, from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., at the Delray Neighborhood House, 420 Leigh St.

On March 25, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, with assistance from the Michigan Attorney General's office, issued an imminent hazard order requiring ChemServe owner Aram Moloian to shut down operations and clean up open and leaking drums, and other mismanaged hazardous materials on the property. EPA issued a comparable order on March 27 under the federal Superfund statute.

The cleanup is expected to continue through August or September. The project involves characterization, containment and proper disposal of about 2,000 drums and 3,000 smaller containers of potentially flammable or corrosive liquid waste and process chemicals. The work will be funded and managed by EPA's Grosse Ile-based Superfund emergency response team. Cost recovery efforts will follow on a separate track from the cleanup activity.

ChemServe has been the subject of numerous local, state and federal efforts to address hazardous site conditions. EPA is also conducting a cleanup at Dearborn Refining in Dearborn, Mich., another facility formerly
owned by Moloian. Utilizing funds via the Oil Pollution Act, Superfund has spent more than $2.6 million at Dearborn Refining since 2006.

In addition to the MDEQ and EPA orders, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth issued a notice to ChemServe on March 31 citing the company for occupational safety and health violations. On April 1, Detroit revoked ChemServe's operations permit.

Residents with questions about the cleanup may contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Dave Novak, 800-621-8431, Ext. 67478, or novak.dave@epa.gov. An information repository with site documents has been established at the Campbell Branch Library, 8733 W. Vernor.

Wayne County is Fifth in the Nation for CO2 Emissions

2008-04-17T17:27:00.004-04:00

Purdue recently released the most accurate model for Carbon Dioxide emissions to date. The project is called project Vulcan and the data is available for anyone to download.

Today the Purdue research team led by Kevin Gurney assistant of earth and Atmospheric Science announced the twenty top U.S. Counties for Carbon Dioxide emmissions. The list had Michigan's Wayne county coming in a solid 5th place in the nation for Carbon Dioxide emissions.

Wayne county had 8.270 million tons of Carbon released for the year 2002 (Project Vulcan will be bringing data for more recent years soon). Wayne County is still well out of range of the top two counties of Harris, Texas (Houston) and Los Angeles that had over 18 million tons of Carbon Dioxide released for the year.

Worst Offenders For Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Top 20 US Counties Identified

Wisconsin Expected to Pass the Compact, Ohio is still negotiating

2008-04-10T15:03:00.008-04:00

It appears as if the Great Lakes compact is still alive as Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle called for a special legislative session on April 17 where it is supposed to be ratified.

Wisconsin Rep. Scott Gunderson helped negotiate a compromise for the stalled legislation. Initially Wisconsin Republicans allowed the legislative session to end without passing the compact. They thought that too much power was given to Great Lakes Governors, since just one veto from one governor would not allow a diversion, the votes have to be unanimous.

This is an issue for thirsty communities on the border of the Great Lakes watershed. In theory any rain or water used within the watershed goes back to the Great Lakes. In recent years communities such as Lowell, Indiana have applied for Great Lakes without success. Even though they are physically very close to Lake Michigan, they are technically outside of the watershed and were denied water due to Michigan's John Engler voting no.

Under the recent Wisconsin compromise a legislature committee will have oversight of the Wisconsin Governor's vote.

Also key in the negotiations is that the state will not gain any new authority over groundwater and Wisconsin will not have to implement a statewide conservation program.

What is important here is that no wording of the original compact has been changed. That is part of the controversy in Ohio with Senator Tim Grendell who has similar fears for property rights and the one governor veto power.

As of now the biggest obstacle that faces the Ohio compact is Tim Grendell and the 16other Ohio Senators who oppose the current compact.

If any part of the compact is changed then every state that has passed the compact would have to pass it again, it would in effect kill the bill.

Yesterday Grendell told the Ohio public radio show Sounds of Ideas “I don’t think to prevent water from going to Nevada or some foreign country we have to overly regulate Ohio’s ability to use water for future economic development in its northern counties or convert private water rights to public property.”

Grendell's solution is to try and amend the Ohio Constitution before the end of the year. Grendell's main opponent Ohio state senator Matt Dolan was asked about the prospect of changing the constitution and said there is a time issue with that but that time permitting he would go along with it.

Peter Annin the author of Great Lakes Water Wars, which is a recent book about the compact and the regions water troubles was also on the Ohio public radio show Sounds of Ideas. Annin said: "If Senator Grendell can come up with a way of appeasing his concerns through some other method than changing the compact that completely changes the scenario in Ohio and throughout the Great Lakes Basin."

New Interactive Carbon Map

2008-04-09T09:16:00.003-04:00

A new interactive carbon map has been developed by Purdue researchers. They say that the new map has 100 times more detail then previous maps in detecting where Carbon emissions are coming from.

The project is referred to as project Vulcan and examines CO2 emissions on an hour by hour basis. Researchers say that unlike past models that were based on population these maps are based on actual greenhouse gas emissions.

On the website there are also excel spreadsheets of every state's county by county CO2 emissions.

Project Vulcan Website

2008 National Brownfields Conference to be held at Cobo

2008-04-08T15:47:00.003-04:00

From EPA press Release:
"The 2008 National Brownfields Conference will be held at Detroit's Cobo Center, May 5 to 7. The event is expected to draw more than 6,000 environmental and economic development officials, finance and insurance providers, risk managers, planners, attorneys, engineers and students. The conference is managed by the International City/County Management Association, in partnership with EPA."

EPA Awards $7.8 Million in Brownfield Grants to Michigan

2008-04-08T15:01:00.004-04:00

The EPA has just awarded $7.8 million in Brownfield grants to Michigan. Overall the government awarded $18.6 million to 56 different communities within the Great Lakes region.

Brownfield areas are places where redevelopment is difficult due to the presence of hazardous materials.

According to the EPA's press release the following Michigan communities recieved the Brownfield grants:

Allegan $200,000
Bay City $200,000
Calhoun County $200,000
Delta County $400,000
Detroit Wayne County Port Authority $400,000
Downriver Community Conference $2 million
Genesee County Land Bank Authority $400,000
Grand Rapids $400,000
Hamtramck $400,000
City of Jackson Brownfield Redevelopment Authority $1 million
Jackson County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority$400,000
Kentwood $200,000
Keweenaw County $200,000
Leelanau County $200,000
Macomb County $400,000
Otsego County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority $200,000
Southfield Brownfield Redevelopment Authority $200,000
Three Rivers $200,000
Wyoming $200,000

Dioxin Damage Assessment Plan Released by the Fish and Wildlife Service

2008-04-08T12:12:00.002-04:00

The Damage assessment plan has been released for the Tittabawassee River. The report can be accessed here.

Fish and Wildlife Service Tittabawassee River site

CDC Great Lakes Report

2008-04-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

The Great Lakes CDC report that I reported on, has finally been released. A copy in its entirety can be viewed here .

There are really good maps that accompany the report, though I have had trouble getting them to load up. It may take forever.

EPA, MDEQ to sample Saginaw residential area for dioxin contamination

2008-04-02T14:32:00.000-04:00

This is from a press release from the EPA that came out today.

(Chicago- Apr. 2, 2008) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have begun screening a residential neighborhood in Saginaw Mich., for dioxin-contaminated soil.

An estimated 10 residential properties in an area along the Tittabawassee River will be sampled. Small plugs from up to 36 inches below surface level will be sent for laboratory analysis.

Analysis may take two to three weeks. Once the data is returned, EPA and MDEQ, along with Michigan Department of Community Health, will consider a range of options, including more comprehensive sampling in the area and possible cleanup actions.

"Residential soil contamination is a serious matter," said Associate Superfund Director Ralph Dollhopf. "At this time of year, children are playing outside again and families are planning gardens. If action is needed, this project will ramp up very quickly."

The investigation aims to determine the extent of dioxin contamination present in the neighborhood. The project was prompted by Dow Chemical Co.'s February 2008 disclosure to the agencies of an elevated dioxin level found in a residential soil sample collected by Dow in November 2007. Under the company's Michigan operating license, MDEQ required Dow to conduct certain soil and embankment sampling along the Middle Branch of the Tittabawassee River.

Dow's Midland facility is a 1,900-acre chemical manufacturing plant. Dioxins and furans are byproducts from the manufacture of chlorine-based products. Past waste disposal practices, emissions and incineration at Dow have resulted in on and off-site dioxin and furan contamination.

The Price of Corn May Double

2008-04-01T10:39:00.000-04:00

The prices for corn are expected to rise for corn, which will in turn raise prices for other food products like poultry, beef, and pork since corn is a vital to their needs.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture planting report released yesterday has corn production down 8 percent with soybean production up 18 percent from 2007.

Many farmers are switching to soybean production as a result of rising prices from Asian demand.

Last year was a record for corn production. Farmers planted 13.1 million bushels of corn, this year will still see historic corn production but prices are expected to more double for corn due to ethanol production. In early 2007 the price was $3 per bushel, according to the Financial Times some traders are speculating that prices will reach as high as $6.50.

The West is Warming Faster than Anywhere Else in the World

2008-03-30T15:48:00.000-04:00

A recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) has found that American western states are warming nearly twice as fast than anywhere else in the world.

This is more bleak news for western states. Earlier this year researchers found that in modern recorded times the climate has been unusually wet and that mega droughts lasting 100 hundred years or more are not uncommon.

The big unknown has been how global warming will effect the west. This recent report supports that global warming will accelerate drought conditions.

Science Daily Story

U.S. military buildup on Iran border

2008-03-29T14:39:00.000-04:00

Here we go people, get ready. It seems that the prediction former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter made in Ferndale on January 26 may be coming true.

The Russian News and Information agency has reported that the U.S naval presence is at levels that haven't been seen since right before the U.S invasion of Iraq. This is coupled with a newly dispatched battle carrier group.

The article also quotes a couple of Russian officials claiming that the U.S. does intend to launch quick airstrikes on Iran.

This is similar to what Scott Ritter told a packed house at Ferndale's First United Methodist Church. Ritter predicted that in April there will be a military strike in Iran that will last 5-7 days, with troops coming later. Why April? Part of the reason is that the military’s modernization of B-1 bombers and bunker busters will be finished in late March, early April.

Survey to Examine Frog Killing Fungus in Illinois

2008-03-28T15:08:00.000-04:00

A dangerous fungus that rapidly kills frogs has been found in Illinois. The fungus is called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or "Bd" and kills entire populations of frogs by blocking the passage of oxygen and moisture through their skin.

Zoologists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC), have been studying the fungus abroad in Central America and South America since the early 1990's.

Leading SIUC zoologist Karen Lips is beginning a frog survey funded by the Illinois Department Natural Resources. The survey will examine the effects of the fungus on Illinois frogs. So far little is known about the effects of Bd on North American frogs.

Lips has found that the disease typically spreads through populations in wavelike patters and can cause the extinction of entire populations and species.

The fungus can be spread from ornamental trees and from exotic frogs from pet stores.

The source of Bd in Illinois is not yet known at this time.

Karen Lips' recent study in the journal PLoS Biology.

Science Daily article

Toxic Toy author in the Ann Arbor area

2008-03-28T13:29:00.000-04:00

The Ecology Center is hosting an event with special guest Mark Schapiro, author of "Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power."

Here is a link to a recent cover story he wrote for The Nation.

Thursday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m., at Washtenaw Community College, 4800 E. Huron River Drive, in Room 101 of the Morris Lawrence Building.

Metro Detroit Danger Zone

2008-03-21T18:25:00.000-04:00

When news broke that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Great Lakes report was delayed, it was news in and of itself. The CDC claimed that there was faulty science in the report which prompted the delay.

The report lists various “area’s of concern” and rates the sites on a scale of one to five, with one being an “Urgent Public Health Hazard,” a three being an “Indeterminate Public Health Hazard,” and a five being a site that has no threat of exposure to the public.

But what did it say? What did the report say about the health of Great Lakes residents? More specifically, what did they have to say about Metro Detroit?

Rouge River

The Rouge River was the first metro Detroit main area of concern in the report. The report shows that Wayne County has a very disproportionate amount of pollution in comparison with neighboring Oakland County:

“Onsite Toxic Report Inventory releases in Wayne and Oakland Counties (combined) totaled 24,621,119 pounds in 2001, primarily to air and land. Wayne County accounted for 89% and Oakland County accounted for 11% of the total onsite releases.”

One of the things that is echoed throughout the report is the acknowledgement and observance of citizens having ill health effects, but there was no clear link established between the adverse health effects and the areas of concern.

The report identifies the vulnerable populations for Wayne County and Oakland County. The people included as vulnerable were children six years and younger, females aged 15-44, and adults 65 and older.

In the words of the report:

“Wayne County (vulnerable populations 923,411) had an unusually large number of health status indicators that compared unfavorably with those of the U.S. and with the median of the peer counties, including infant mortality indicators, birth measures and death measures. Some of the indicators in each of these three categories also were elevated above the upper limit of the peer county range.”

“In contrast, Oakland County (vulnerable populations 510,496) had only two health status indicators that compared unfavorably with those of the U.S. and also with the median of the peer counties: these were black infant mortality and deaths from stroke.”

Consider the Allen Park Clay Mine, this site was classified as an Indeterminate Public Health Hazard, which means they don’t know if it is a threat to people. But what they do know is that ongoing cancer studies in the surrounding communities of Snow Woods, Melvindale, and Allen Park, have revealed high incidences of brain cancer. Still though, there is no smoking gun or clear link since little is known about brain cancer.

A possible “flaw” in the science which (the CDC originally claimed was the reason for delaying release of the report) is the community study of Detroit neighborhoods near the Carter industrial site which is listed as a Public Health Hazard. They found PCBs in storm sewers that drain into the Detroit River and they found PCBs in the gutters of nearby homes. But, the study was done before the removal of PCB soil from the site and the covering of mounds of soil. So while we know that it was a threat, is it still a threat?

Most of the report for the Metro Detroit area is ambiguous, with seven of the nineteen sites being listed as an Indeterminate Public Health Hazard.

Seven of the sites were listed as Public Health Hazards Category 2 including the Carter Industrial, Gratiot Trailer Park, Joy Road Dump, Master Metals Inc. #2, Packard Plant, Wholesale Russell, and Old World Trade Center.(More information on hazardous sites can be found here.)

The Clinton River

The Clinton River watershed goes on into Oakland County from Macomb and in turn feeds and affects the Rouge River. This marks the next metro Detroit section of the report.

The Clinton River affects far more people in Macomb County than in Oakland County. The vulnerable population in Oakland County was only 17,616 people while Macomb County had 348,417 people at risk. Again these are Children 6 years and younger, females 15-44, and adults over 65.

None of the Oakland County sites were listed as Public Health Hazards (Category 2) with only one site being listed as a public Health Hazard in Macomb County.

Six of the nine Oakland and Macomb sites were listed as Indeterminate Public Health Hazards. What is not included in the report are all of the landfills on the border of Oakland and Macomb Counties. It mentions Liquid Disposal, the G & H Landfill, and the J & L Landfill which are all within two miles of each other, but it says nothing about the other six landfills in the immediate area. Though the landfills may be “safe” and within Federal standards, there is no look at the bigger picture here. Also while it may be a “safe” place to live there is also no mention of the house that blew up in 2000 from methane migrations from one of the landfills in the proximity (it has not been proved exactly which landfill it came from.)

The Rose Township Dump in Oakland County was listed as an Indeterminate Public Health Hazard. Though some groundwater pollutants were escaping the report says: “residential wells were not yet affected. There is the potential, however, for residential wells to be affected in the future.” The report does cite this incident as one of the “Issues for Follow-Up.”

Another one of the “Issues for Follow-Up” is the South Macomb Disposal Authority (SMDA) moving up from an Indeterminate Public Health Hazard to a Public Health Hazard when it was found that not all of the pollutants were being contained. The report stated that there “was concern for future contamination of residential wells. Additional remedial action is underway.”

The SMDA has long been a plague for residents that lived near it. The majority of nearby residents got out of court settlements. The most recent (and second highest) out of court settlement totaled $950,000 and was awarded to Calvin Wieslawa after 23 years of litigation.

The report acknowledged the local “death survey” put on by local residents but said: “The data was considered insufficient due to the lack of information on the geographic boundaries of the survey, types of cancers, and important risk factors. The survey which did not provide any clear connections between reported adverse health effects (hepatitis and skin rash in one person and cirrhosis in another) and possible exposure to landfill contamination.”

The report identified that currently 867 residents are vulnerable to pollution within the area of SMDA.

By Jason Tafilowski

Great Lakes compact may be going nowhere in Assembly

2008-03-10T16:49:00.000-04:00

AP article Courtesy of the Green Bay Press Gazette

From the Journal Sentinel
Editorial: Taking proper measure

New Federal Toy Reform Law Passes the U.S Senate

2008-03-08T18:48:00.000-05:00

Just as Michigan recently passed stricter laws curbing lead in children's toys, the U.S. Senate just passed a law calling for a public complaint database and for stricter toy testing and consumer access to complaints. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also is getting a larger staff and budget.

Chicago Tribune article

AP article courtesy of the Toledo Blade

Scrutinizing Michigan's Asessment Tool

2008-03-08T17:27:00.000-05:00

Withdrawing large amounts of Great Lakes water is as easy as paying your bills online. With a few clicks and the right numbers you could tap into the Great Lakes.

Michigan legislators are currently discussing whether to amend the Senate version (SB 212) of the Great Lakes Compact by adding an Assessment Tool that would create a model based approach towards withdrawing Great Lakes water. The model is intended for large withdrawals exceeding 100,000 gallons per day.

In a recent slideshow, Jon Bartholic, director of Michigan State University’s Institute of Water Research had mock versions of an easy to use water withdrawal website that would provide instant approval or rejection.

The entire concept of an “Assessment Tool” and “Screening Tool” (the website), is from the government appointed Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council.

Public Act 34 was passed in Michigan in February 2006 mandating that the Council come up with “criteria and indicators to evaluate the sustainability of the state’s groundwater use.”

The model that the Council developed works by determining how much water is in Michigan streams and then to determine how much water can be withdrawn before there is an adverse effect on indicator species such as trout.

An indicator species is a species that is sensitive to environmental changes. Trout is the most likely candidate to be the indicator species for the Assessment Tool. Trout are sensitive to temperature changes and are seen as good indicators of stream health by ecologists.

The council has worked out four A-D Zones that water withdrawals will fall under, with A having the least amount of impact on the indicator species and D having the greatest impact on the population.

Zone B is where there is the beginning of a negative impact on the indicator species. What is unclear in the Council’s final report is whether it will be ok to fall into the Zone B range.

The report says: “In Zone B the proposed water use will likely begin to impact ‘thriving’ fish populations and, at a minimum, steps need to be taken to better understand water uses in the area and concerns regarding specific aquatic resources and to educate users.”

The council left the Zone B issue unresolved, the report stated: “The Council did not reach final consensus on whether or not a withdrawal in Zone B also should be considered as ‘not likely to cause an Adverse Resource Impact,’ either by the Screening Tool or following a site-specific determination. We recognize that this area required discussion beyond the time afforded the Council for deliberations.”

The unresolved Zone B is significant since the Council recommended that this model should become the legal standard for water withdrawals in Michigan.

Other legal aspects for the final decision are that the decision is based on the best available data and then the decision can be challenged legally by either a third party or by the applicant.

The Council did not set up any guidelines for anybody that over time ends up falling in the Zone C or D range. There also has not been consensus over whether these permits should be permanent or renewable.

James Clift, who was a member of the Council and is part of the Michigan Environmental Council disagreed with the reports acknowledgement that some streams could be reduced by as much as 40-50 percent and still fall into Zone A and could still “support good populations of trout.”

In a press release Clift explains: “The numbers prove that the assessment tool should be used exactly for what it was intended – as a tool, not the sole means of determining whether water users can responsibly pump huge quantities of water from the ground.”

The Council did not come to a consensus over whether each stream should be valued equally or on a stream by stream basis since some streams are valued differently for their ecological or recreational importance.

Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council: Final Report

Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council MDEQ website

by Jason Tafilowski

The Lead Commission Makes its Ruling

2008-03-05T23:14:00.000-05:00

The Lead Commission decided to keep the lead levels for toys at 600 ppm. All Michigan toy retailers will be required to pull any toys that exceed 600 ppm off of their toy shelves effective March 2.

Current Federal law only bans lead paint at levels higher than 600 ppm. While the Michigan law is an improvement, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that any toys exceeding levels of 45 ppm are dangerous to children.

News Analysis: Momentum of The Compact is tested

2008-03-05T22:50:00.000-05:00

Crunch time has come in the Wisconsin Legislature. Water lobbyists and interest groups are jumping on the bandwagon to try and discredit the Great Lakes Compact.

The Compact took a step back when two Wisconsin Representatives Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem and Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, declared that The Compact was unfair to communities bordering the Great Lakes watershed.

The current Compact versions that the eight Great Lakes states have been passing do not allow for communities outside the Great Lakes watershed to withdraw Great Lakes water unless there is a unanimous vote of all eight Great Lakes Governors.

Also key in the current Wisconsin Compact version is the expansion of the public trust doctrine to the groundwater, which would allow for increased protection and regulation of private wells from the state. Huebsch and Gunderson are also against the added extensions of groundwater being in the public trust. They want less regulation for private wells.

The original Compact version was passed by the Wisconsin Senate and sent to the Republican controlled state Assembly where Huebsch is the Assembly speaker and Gunderson is the chairman of the Assembly natural resources committee.
As a result, the bill probably won't make it out of committee by the end of next week which is the end of Wisconsin's legislative session.

This reconsideration of The Compact has gotten Ohio Senator Tim Grendell more visibility to advocate for protection for private property rights. Grendell also does not like that the votes for water withdrawals have to be unanimous.

While these are valid concerns, it threatens the progress that has been made, and could send the process back to the beginning. The Compact has been enacted into law in only three of the eight states including Illinois, Minnesota, and Indiana.

The dangers of dragging this situation out include the 2009 U.S. Census that will see the loss of U.S. Representatives to thirsty southwestern states. The Compact does still have to pass the U.S. House and Senate.

The other reason everybody is in such a hurry to get The Compact passed is that the current Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) that is in place is seen as unconstitutional by legal analysts. WRDA prohibits water diversions which is unconstitutional under the commerce clause in the Constitution.

Amidst the controversy from opposing legislators, interest groups that oppose The Compact have been getting more editorial space within the region.

One of the critics, the Monroe County Farm Bureau are lobbying lawmakers to oppose the Michigan House Bills. Much of their opposition is directed towards increased public involvement .

Paul Marks, president of the Monroe County Farm Bureau told The Monroe News “The public would be allowed to have a say on whether a water use is reasonable or not. The bills place all groundwater withdrawals in the ‘public trust,’ which would allow the state to place restrictions on water use beyond the environment.”

In The Monroe News article Marks worries about “Having the public comment on the permits ‘could diminish your property rights because your water use did not meet their values,’”

Marks also cites the increased costs of drilling new wells which would have a cost of over $100,000 and require many permits.

In the Green Bay Press Gazette Green Bay Press Gazette Scott Manley who is the environmental Policy director for Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (Wisconsin’s largest business association) compares the infamous Great Lakes Chicago diversion with Wisconsin’s industrial use saying that industry uses less than one percent of the water compared to water use in the entire Chicago metropolitan area.

Like Marks, Manley is making the case for less regulation and protection. Though Manley is not boldly advocating for less public involvement.

The comparison of Wisconsin’s Industrial water use with Chicago water use is a flawed argument. It is important to balance regulation with economic concerns but the water situation is becoming too hot of a topic nationally and worldwide to stall a legally valid protection against water diversions.

The Chicago diversion is a strange exception that goes back 100 years. According to Peter Annin, author of Great Lakes Water Wars, Chicago had sanitation problems of “Biblical Proportions.” At the time, the proposal to make the Chicago River flow the opposite way seemed like great idea. That way the sewage would go into the Mississippi river and the problem would be flushed far away.

When people started getting sick in St. Louis the lawsuits started. Eventully the legal battle went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967 where they issued a decree that Chicago could divert water, but only 1,500 cubic feet per second. This is known as The Chicago Exception. Though the Chicago diversion is the largest Great Lakes diversion, the amount they can legally divert is finite.

The days of these kinds of large scale diversions are over and this was an unusual situation that cannot be fairly compared to industrial water use.

What is clear is that Agricultural groups oppose regulations on water use, while the lake levels continue to drop.

The levels have dropped so low that another industry is suffering: the shipping industry. The Canadian Press reported that the Great Lakes shipping industry may have to cut the shipping season short since big freighters are getting stuck in shipping canals. On Tuesday the Mississagi, a 189-metre Canadian ship got stuck for two hours in the entrance to the Grand Haven channel.

The New York Times reported that “for every inch of water that the lakes lose, the ships that ferry bulk materials across them must lighten their by 270 tons – or 540,000 pounds – or risk running aground, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association, a trade group for United States flag cargo companies.”

It will be curious to see the press that Great Lakes shipping groups get in the coming weeks. It will also be curious to see the response of regional lawmakers to these complex challenges.

by Jason Tafilowski

Ecology Center Hosts Toxic Toy Testing in Ferndale

2008-02-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

Parents brought their children’s favorite toys to the Kulick Community Center in Ferndale on Saturday to have their toys tested for lead and other toxic chemicals.

The event was put on by the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor and Michigan state senator Gilda Jacobs. The guest speakers were The Ecology Center’s Policy Director Mike Shriberg and toxic chemical specialist Dr. Mike Harbut.

Much of the recent interest in unsafe chemicals comes amidst recent recalls of toys with unsafe levels of lead paint. The Ecology Center is one of many consumer advocacy organizations across the country that has been spearheading efforts to get dangerous chemicals out of everyday products.

Currently Federal law only regulates lead paint. Any paint that exceeds 600 ppm is illegal, to put this into perspective, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): any products that exceed 40 ppm are unsafe.

Recently Michigan passed a law banning all products that have levels of lead exceeding 600 ppm. Part of the package of the recent legislation includes the formation of the Michigan Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Commission. The Lead Commission will assess by the end of this March whether the 600 ppm ban on children's products is a low enough level.

Both Harbut and Shriberg want the Lead Commission to set lead levels as low as possible. According to Harbut “Lead serves no useful purpose to the human body…The general scientific standard is, there is no such thing as a safe level” Shriberg was quick to point out that much of the record recalls last year were voluntary toy recalls “because the Federal government actually lacks many of the tools to do this.”

Shriberg is concerned about the lack of disclosure to consumers: “…there is a huge gap here in information for parents and consumers of all types…There’s not even disclosure requirements between the retailer so the manufacturer doesn’t have to tell Toys R’ Us for instance, what’s actually in the product.”

What the Ecology Center is trying to do according to Shriberg is “take a small chunk of filling in that gap, but really trying to spur both state and federal government to action.”

The Ecology Center has been randomly testing toys; they test the toys with an XRF device. The XRF device is a gun-shaped device with a trigger and decked out with flames on the side. The device has been loaned to the Ecology Center since it costs $40,000. The XRF device gives an accurate measure of a products composition and is used by the FDA and throughout big industry to test products.

So far the Ecology Center has tested over 1200 products and found that a third of the products tested have had detectable amounts of lead and other hazardous substances. Hundreds of the products tested had levels above the 600 ppm standard though it was in the plastic, not the paint.

According to Shriber, price was not a factor in which toys had lead. But he does warn that any kind of children’s metal jewelry had the highest levels of lead.

Other things to look out for is lead-glazed earthenware, these are often large decorative coffee mugs. One of the cups a man brought in tested at 2100 ppm, and when Shriber pointed the gun inside of the cup he found low levels of mercury. Though Shriber points out that the toxins could be sealed inside the cup, which is ok as long as it doesn’t get chipped.

Harbut also warns that lead is found in plastic so people should be sure to wipe off their vinyl plastic window shades because they get coated with dust that contains lead that can then easily be ingested.

Shriber and the Ecology Center are sure to be busy as the March 31, deadline approaches for the Lead Commissions deadline on whether the 600 ppm requirement is protective enough for consumers.

The Ecology Center is currently offering to test daycares for $150 for about an hour where he can test up to 50 items. The website for the Ecology Center is: www.ecocenter.org while the phone number is (734) 761-3186

Here is a recent Nation article on this topic.

Mark Schapiro will be speaking at the Ecology Center's Annual Membership meeting on April 10 from 7:00-9:00. The meeting location will be announced soon.

Healthytoys.org

Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health

By Jason Tafilowski