The 2018 federal budget proposed by the Trump administration once again zeroes out 100% of the funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), but on Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee rejected that proposal, releasing an appropriations bill that fully funds the GLRI. This is promising news! Although the budget battle is far from over, […]
This week: potential roll backs of federal water protections + a mining investigation + Asian carp (yes, still) + an easy way to donate + more ways you can make a difference. WATER WATCHDOG Over the past week, we’ve learned of two startling proposals to roll back critical federal water protections that could affect our […]
Photo credit: jeremiaheagleeye Freshwater Future submitted a letter to Attorney General Bill Schuette and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) calling for an investigation into the geological stability of Eagle Mine—an underground nickel and copper mine located in western Marquette County of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Officials at Lundin Mining failed to publicly disclose a […]
This week: Asian Carp near Lake Michigan + the Flint Water Crisis continues + two ways you can make a difference. TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT Live Asian Carp Found Nine Miles from Lake Michigan Last week a commercial fisherman caught an 8-pound silver carp (pictured above) in the Calumet River on Chicago’s south side, just […]
On June 22nd a live silver carp was caught in the Calumet River on Chicago’s south side, approximately 9 miles from Lake Michigan and well beyond the electric barrier network designed to prevent invasive fish from reaching Lake Michigan. This event is a wake-up call; we can’t wait any longer to act. U.S. Senators Debbie […]
This afternoon, EPA Director Scott Pruitt announced a proposal to repeal the 2015 Clean Water Rule, which protects the water supply for 117 million Americans. The rule, also known as the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, clarified longstanding confusion about the water protected by the 1972 Clean Water Act, declaring streams and wetlands […]
The Senate this morning voted in favor of a $56.7 billion state budget that now heads to Governor Rick Snyder for approval. He is expected to sign the bill. The final version cuts $9.5 million in state funding from the Department of Environmental Quality’s (MDEQ) current $516 million budget, a decrease of roughly 2 percent. A […]
IT’S DAY 1154 OF THE FLINT WATER CRISIS The Science Flint, Michigan has been without clean water since April 24, 2014. What went wrong? A recent episode of PBS’s award-winning NOVA program explores the science behind the man-made crisis. The program does an excellent job of simplifying highly technical information in a way that’s easy […]
BREAKING NEWS JUNE 27, 2017: We’ve just learned that the state-appointed Receivership Transition Advisory Board for Flint denied the City Council resolution placing a moratorium on water liens for unpaid water bills. Freshwater Future joins the National Wildlife Federation and the Genesee County Hispanic Latino Collaborative in calling for a moratorium on water liens for […]
Thursday’s announcement from the White House that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate accord did not come as a shock to those who kept up with last year’s campaign. In the months leading up the election, candidate Trump made pulling out of the pact—which has been signed by nearly 200 nations—a […]