Wisconsin

Wisconsin agency’s expanded mission led to record $450 million investment in Milwaukee waterways

ByGreat Lakes Now 9 November 2023

Since assuming the helm of Milwaukee’s sewerage agency (MMSD) in 2002, Kevin Shafer has been focused on managing and expanding the city’s deep tunnels designed to keep sewage out of Lake Michigan.

Knowing that tunnels alone are not enough, Shafer also started a campaign to emphasize green infrastructure and over the years, Milwaukee went from having a reputation as a bad actor to being a national leader in managing sewage overflows.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Coastal erosion researcher appeals for help in finding her remote-control boat

ByGreat Lakes Now 5 November 2023

Chelsea Volpano’s coastal erosion study began drawing attention on social media last week, but not for the reasons you would expect.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison student was gathering the final data set for her Ph.D. on October 30 when her small boat stopped responding to the remote control.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Federal, local officials agree on $450 million deal to clean up Milwaukee waterways

ByGreat Lakes Now 17 October 2023

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Federal, state and local officials have agreed to spend about $450 million to dredge contaminated sediment from Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan harbor and area rivers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it will devote $275 million from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to the project.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Milwaukee suburb begins pulling millions of gallons per day from Lake Michigan

ByGreat Lakes Now 10 October 2023

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A Milwaukee suburb has finally started to pull millions of gallons of water per day from Lake Michigan after spending years seeking approval from regulators.

The city of Waukesha began the diversion Monday. City officials say 90% of the city will be using Lake Michigan’s water within five days.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Behind the shipwreck discovered in Lake Michigan

ByGreat Lakes Now 15 September 2023

A 150-year-old schooner that sank in 1881, was finally discovered in Lake Michigan. On July 15, maritime historians, Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck located the old shipwreck off the coast of Algoma, Wisconsin. The Trinidad was on their radar for more than twenty years, as the ship was a strong candidate for research; the captain and his eight crew members all survived (except their trusted Newfoundland), providing a good description of where the vessel sank.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

PFAS News Roundup: Impact of PFAS on farming, proposed cuts to the EPA

ByGreat Lakes Now 12 September 2023

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois
Farmer Claiming PFAS Pollution From Mine Sent to Arbitration — Bloomberg Law News

An Illinois appellate court on Friday ordered a dispute between a farmer and a mining company over alleged water pollution from firefighting foam used to extinguish a fire at a mining operation be settled in arbitration, reversing a lower court decision.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Energy News Roundup: Opposition over solar development in Illinois, Excessive heat in Detroit

ByGreat Lakes Now 7 September 2023

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois

Will County solar boom not entirely welcomed — Herald-News

Some Illinois local officials say a recent state law limits their ability to block commercial solar developments amid landowner opposition.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

PFAS News Roundup: PFAS likely present in all major water supplies, Court rules against restrictions on PFAS in Michigan

ByGreat Lakes Now 29 August 2023

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Energy News Roundup: Climate action plan in Illinois, Offshore wind project in Lake Erie

ByGreat Lakes Now 24 August 2023

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois

Wind, solar training facility opens in Bloomington — Pantagraph

Officials unveil a new technical training center in Bloomington, Illinois, that will train at least 100 people annually for wind and solar jobs.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

PFAS News Roundup: Clermont County village files lawsuit over forever chemicals, home testing kits debut in Chicago

ByGreat Lakes Now 16 August 2023

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois

Home Water Quality Testing Kits For Lead, Copper And PFAS To Debut In Chicago — Forbes

The National Science Foundation is backing a pilot study by Northwestern University to develop and distribute water quality testing kits to Chicago-area residents.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Milwaukee residents fear more flooding due to planned I-94 expansion

ByGreat Lakes Now 14 August 2023

by Jonah Chester, Wisconsin Watch

This piece is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News, Borderless, Ensia, Planet Detroit, Sahan Journal, and Wisconsin Watch, as well as the Guardian and Inside Climate News. The project was supported by the Joyce Foundation.

Janet Haas two decades ago saw potential in a field of thistle, grass and bushes that Milwaukee County had neglected: Valley Park, nestled between the Menomonee River to the west and homes in one of Milwaukee’s most racially diverse neighborhoods to the east.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Energy News Roundup: Improvements coming to Michigan’s power grid, Congress can’t agree on climate spending

ByGreat Lakes Now 3 August 2023

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois

Chicago Mayor Receives Blueprint for ’Green New Deal’ to Address Environmental Justice — Inside Climate News

Advocates deliver Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson a local “Green New Deal” proposal that aims to tackle energy affordability, clean energy job opportunities, and environmental justice curricula in schools.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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