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Freshwater Weekly: January 9th, 2020

Posted on January 9, 2020 by

January 9, 2020

This week:  Michigan Accepting Comments on Drinking Water Standard for PFAS Chemicals + Side by Side Comparison of the World’s Greatest Lakes + Steel Rod left in Straits of Mackinac Moves 150 feet due to Currents + Erosion Endangers Goderich, ON Water Treatment Plant + Update on Green Ooze in Detroit

Your Action Needed to Push the PFAS Action Act Forward in the US Senate

This week the US House of Representatives will be voting on the PFAS Action Act.  The Act will likely pass the House.  It will face a bigger hurdle when it reaches the US Senate.  Please watch for an URGENT email from Freshwater Future next week to sign a petition to Senators to urge them to pass the important protections in this Act.

Michigan Accepting Comments on Drinking Water Standard for PFAS Chemicals

The State of Michigan has proposed rules to set drinking water standards for the toxic chemicals called PFAS. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division are holding three public hearings on the proposed rules that would establish how much of seven PFAS compounds can be in your drinking water.

Don’t miss your chance to provide your comments about these important rules. You can attend one of three meetings or submit your comments in writing by Friday, January 31, 2020, to EGLE-PFAS-RuleMaking@Michigan.gov.  Visit our website for tips on submitting comments.

Side by Side Comparison of the World’s Greatest Lakes

This cool infographic compares the World’s 25 largest lakes, showing them side by side.  What is obvious is that our five Great Lakes–Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior are truly amazing with 20% of the world’s surface freshwater.

Steel Rod left in Straits of Mackinac Moves 150 feet due to  Currents

Enbridge Energy recently removed a 45-foot steel rod that was dropped in November while collecting bedrock samples for the proposed tunnel.  The approximately 250-pound rod moved 150-feet in two-months time from the strong currents and was found adjacent to the west leg of the pipeline.  The disposal of the rod was a violation of the Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act although no fine was imposed.

Erosion Endangers Goderich, ON Water Treatment Plant

High water levels are wreaking havoc all over the Great Lakes region.  Goderich, Ontario recently armored its drinking water treatment plant located about 100 feet from the water’s edge, to protect it from rising lake levels and erosion.  The stone brought in from Owen Sound will cost upwards of $1.5 million, a costly bill for the community of 10,000 residents.

Update on Green Ooze in Detroit

The owner of the Madison Heights electro-plating facility responsible for the pollution went to prison last week to begin a one-year sentence for illegally storing hazardous waste. The discovery of the hexavalent chromium waste renewed interest in adopting polluter pay bills introduced last year in Michigan and criticism of state and Federal oversight of the cleanup at the facility.

PFAS Test Kits – GIFT a KIT!
Freshwater Future believes everyone has a right to know what is in their drinking water, regardless of what’s in their wallets. We have partnered with the University of Michigan Biological Station and other donors to offer PFAS testing for homes on private wells at reduced rates. You can help make our kits even more accessible by selecting Gift a Kit at check out. We’ll use your donation to send a kit to someone else as part of our “Pay What You Can Program”. Get (or gift) your test kits today!

Grant Funding Available for Habitat Restoration

Sustain Our Great Lakes announced the request for grant proposals to restore and enhance aquatic habitats.  Grant funding will be awarded in five categories:

  • Restore and Enhance Stream and Riparian Habitat
  • Restore and Enhance Coastal Wetland Habitat
  • Expand Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Great Lakes Communities
  • Maintain and Enhance the Benefits of Habitat Restoration through Invasive Species Control
  • Restore and Preserve Natural Areas and Biodiversity in Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan Watershed

A webinar on January 16, 2020, at 11 am ET will provide more information on the grant program.

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Images courtesy of Steven Huyser-Honig,
West Grand Boulevard Collaborative, & Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.

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