EGLE

HOUGHTON COUNTY, MI — A public meeting will be held in the Upper Peninsula town of Lake Linden to present plans for removing vast amounts of crushed copper mining ore that’s slowly swallowing a stretch of Lake Superior coastline. The Buffalo Reef Task Force will hold the in-person meeting at the Lake Linden-Hubbel High School auditorium, 601 Calumet Street, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12. Since 2019, the task force has been developing plans to save Buffalo Reef, a 2,200-acre trout and whitefish spawning reef that’s being covered by “stamp sands,’ which is legacy mining waste that’s been slowly eroding along the Keweenaw Peninsula shoreline for a century. The vast swath of stamp-sand covered shoreline between Gay and the Traverse River mouth is easily visible from space on Google Maps. About half of the stamp sands are underwater, where they are smothering Buffalo Reef and nearshore whitefish recruitment areas.

FLINT, MI -- The state says testing has confirmed that a petroleum product released into the Flint River earlier this week came from Lockhart Chemical Co. Lockhart manufactures and markets chemical additives including sulfonates, emulsifiers, rust prevention additives, corrosion inhibitors and additives for metalworking fluids and greases in Flint, according to the company’s website. Even before Wednesday’s spill, the company was facing increased scrutiny from the state regarding its operation in Flint. Friday’s announcement by EGLE said local, state and federal agencies will continue to work to ensure the contamination is removed from the river. Read more at The Flint Journal:Likely source of Flint River chemical spill had no leak detection on concrete vaultsState says Lockhart Chemical is likely source of Flint River chemical spillSearch continues for breach that led to Flint River chemical spill

FLINT, MI -- The company identified as the likely source of a Flint River chemical spill was cited by the state in April for 13 violations of environmental law, including its storage of liquid industrial by-products in concrete vaults that had no leak detection capability. Sheriff Swanson speaks during a press conference, at the Flint Fire Department - Station 5, discussing the Flint River chemical spill in Flint on Thursday, June 16, 2022. Lockhart has not acknowledged responsibility for the river spill, according to EGLE, but did agree to empty the underground containments. The EPA on Thursday established a website to provide information on its role in the Flint River spill. Read more at The Flint Journal:State says Lockhart Chemical is likely source of Flint River chemical spillStay out of the Flint River, Genesee County health officer orders following oil spillEPA sending on-scene coordinators to assist in Flint River oil spillToxic chemical found in groundwater, storm sewers at company that discharges into Flint River

There are walks on the beach — and then there are walks on the beach with someone who understands the ecosystem and can teach you something about it. These beach walks are the latter. Selegean has studied coastal issues and shrinking beaches for more than 30 years and leads the Army Corps Detroit District’s coastal engineering and field measurements unit. The first walk is Tuesday, June 21 along the Lake Erie shoreline at Luna Pier, starting at 7 p.m. Dates and locations are:- June 21: Luna Pier – 7 p.m. at Luna Pier Lighthouse, 10754 Lakeside Drive.

FLINT, MI -- State environmental regulators say Lockhart Chemical, a manufacturer of metalworking fluids and greases, is the likely source of a significant, ongoing leak of an oil-based material into the Flint River. Greenberg said the company’s Flint plant was built over a brick storm sewer that leads to an outfall, leading to the Flint River. “The results indicate the unauthorized discharge to the Flint River of contaminated water containing PFOS in excess of (water quality standards),” the state said in the May 20 letter. An amended public health order issued Thursday by Dr. Pamela Hackert, Genesee County’s medical health officer, has closed to Flint River from Stepping Stone Falls to Willard Road. Read more at The Flint Journal:Stay out of the Flint River, Genesee County health officer orders following oil spillEPA sending on-scene coordinators to assist in Flint River oil spillThousand gallons of oil-based material spilled into Flint RiverToxic chemical found in groundwater, storm sewers at company that discharges into Flint River

FLINT, MI -- City, Genesee County and state of Michigan agencies are responding to a significant oil spill in the Flint River. “It sounds like a significant spill.”EGLE officials described the spilled material as oil-based and dark black with a petroleum smell that looks similar to motor oil. The EGLE officials had they did not know if the potential source of the spill is located in the city of Flint. Sean McBrearty, coordinator of the Oil & Water Don’t Mix campaign to shut down Line 5, told MLive-The Flint Journal that Wednesday’s spill should serve as a warning. “No oil spill has ever been fully cleaned up.”An estimated 5,300 gallons of gear oil spilled at the Algoma Steel mill in Sault Ste.

SAGINAW, MI — Saginaw Metal Casting Operations could pay a $462,000 fine from state environmental officials for violating air quality rules and regulations. Saginaw Metal Casting Operations staff self-reported the miscalculation in April 2021 after discovering it while preparing information for another permit, EGLE records show. A letter from Saginaw Metal Casting Operations administrators to state officials indicated foundry staff “inadvertently” omitted calculations that accounted for emissions related to the combustion of sand-bound resin. Jill Greenberg, a spokesperson for EGLE, said state officials were not aware of any health impacts on the surrounding northside Saginaw neighborhood. After that point, state officials will review the input and finalize the consent order.

State meteorologists expect the temperatures and ozone concentrations to ease Thursday. This year’s first ozone day comes nearly a month after the initial ozone day in 2021, which occurred on May 21. The ozone action day follows the onset of a brutal heat wave across the Midwest. Heat index values, which take into account the temperature and relative humidity and indicate how hot it feels outdoors, are expected to reach 104 degree in those areas. “Dangerously hot” conditions with heat index values of 102 to 107 degrees are expected in those areas this afternoon.

In Walkerville, Valley View raised pigs on contract and sold them around the country. Both were owned Eagle Ottawa Leather Co., a Grand Haven tannery that used them as a landfill alternative for its manufacturing waste. According to a June 1998 story in BioCycle Magazine authored by an Eagle Ottawa employee, the company started applying “compost” to its farmland in 1994. Eagle Ottawa, which is now owned by Lear Corp and headquartered in Auburn Hills, dates back to 1868. And that’s about it.”Thus far in Michigan, only one farm has been severely affected by PFAS traced to sludge application.

ADRIAN, MI - Michigan regulators have cited an Adrian-based manufacturer of powdered eggs with several environmental violations after nearby residents complained of “offensive odors” coming from the facility. The Crimson Holdings, LLC plant at 1336 East Maumee Street in Adrian recently switched from making powdered milk to powdered eggs, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Then, in late May and early April, environmental officials sent the company a pair of violation notices. EGLE officials said company officials had been looking for a solution to address odors, even before the violation notice was sent. In a two-page letter, Plant Manager Dan Hofbauer detailed an “action plan” to eliminate smell issues.

Macomb County Public Works Office has announced operational changes to prevent the combination of sanitary sewage and stormwater from going into Lake St. Clair.

On Tuesday, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced that 23 local organizations will receive grants to help fund stream cleanups.

There is a new resource for birders in Michigan!

WALKER, MI – The public on Tuesday evening can learn more about moderate PFAS contamination found on a portion of Kent County’s Millennium Park. Based on those results, state health officials say there are no health concerns associated with recreating and swimming in the lakes at the park. At the Tuesday meeting, state officials will also give an overview of what PFAS is and what possible health risks are associated with exposure. EGLE officials say Riverside Sand and Gravel started in the 1970s. In December, EGLE staff took three groundwater samples and two surface water samples.

MARSHALL, MI — A New York developer trying to build a 1,000-megawatt natural gas power project in Michigan is making a second attempt to secure air pollution permits. The state says the project, as proposed, would comply with air quality regulations and has drafted a permit. The project fuel would be supplied by existing Vector and Panhandle gas pipelines that cross the industrial park nearby. William Ladd, president of Development Partners, said the project has yet to secure commitments with utilities to purchase the planned facility’s power. Once built, he said the power complex “could very likely be owned by one of the utilities or public power agencies.”“These projects take time,” Ladd said.

MILFORD, MI — The state of Michigan has moved to safeguard drinking water in an Oakland County village after contaminants were found near its municipal wells. The state called it a pre-emptive move to mitigate an “imminent and substantial threat,” although vinyl chloride, a cancer-causing breakdown product of chlorinated solvents, hasn’t shown up in village wells or treated water. The action was sparked when a monitoring well at the Central Park playground, which is 200 feet from the village wells, showed vinyl chloride detections last spring. “Vinyl chloride has not been detected in the village’s drinking water,” said Kevin Wojciechowski, an environmental quality analyst with EGLE’s remediation division, during an online meeting Wednesday, April 27. The village stepped-up testing over the past year after sampling found vinyl chloride at 3.5 parts-per-billion (ppb) in the monitoring well on May 13, 2021.

FLINT, MI -- Flint-based ACI Plastics has received a state grant to support an $8 million project aimed at processing 25 million pounds of post-consumer plastic film annually. Neither a spokeswoman for the city of Flint nor ACI would comment on the development in further detail. The announcement of the recycling grants came on the same day the state announced that Michiganders had increased the amount of waste sent to recycling centers instead of landfills before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state reached a 19.3% recycling rate in 2019, according to a one-page analysis from EGLE. Read more at The Flint Journal:Michigan recycling rate increases slightly to 19 percent, state saysGenesee County renews plea for election help from stateHere are the biggest, most disruptive and unusual road projects in Genesee County this year

The state reached a 19.3 percent recycling rate in 2019, according to a one-page analysis from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). The pre-2019 Michigan recycling rate increase does not account for changes in consumer waste disposal since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kerrin O’Brien, director of the Michigan Recycling Coalition, said she suspects the recycling rate has “probably increased, but not very significantly” since the pandemic began. Flechter said the pre-COVID increase in the state’s recycling rate also traces with an overall increase in waste disposal at large during that time period in Michigan. Gretchen Whitmer and the state Legislature have indicated they want to raise Michigan’s recycling rate to 30 percent by 2025 and 45 percent by 2030.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy have reported that Michiganders’ recycling rate is up 35.4%.

JACKSON, MI - Consumers Energy wants to draw five million gallons of water a day from its own well for its gas-fired electric generating plant in Jackson, and state officials want local input on the company’s plan. The Jackson-based energy company applied to withdraw the daily amount from the groundwater for the plant on Chapin Street on the city’s east side. Read more: Consumers Energy drills well at power plant, city loses significant revenue from largest customerComments on Consumers’ plan for water use may be submitted to EGLE by email at LeBaronA@michigan.gov or by mail to EGLE, Water Resources Division; P.O. Consumers Energy is seeking the large water withdrawal from its well to generate steam and provide cooling for power generation, the notice states. The permit, if approved, would make Consumers Energy virtually self-sufficient for all of its water needs, outside of drinking water supplied by Jackson, LeBaron said.

GROSSE POINTE PARK — There’s no guessing when the installation of an emergency relief valve will start protecting the community from sewer water backups into basements during big rains, but if the new council’s efforts to do so continue at the current pace, it will be sooner than later. “My philosophy has always been to

The sole plant will also soon be listed independently on the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) roster of PFAS-polluted sites across the state, say officials. The facility is currently unused, but the old sole plant recently housed repair operations for Chaco brand sandals. She’s taken numerous photos over the years of brackish river water and surface water foam, a common trait of water bodies with PFAS contamination. “It reeks.”She’s frustrated it took so long for pollution investigators to reach the sole plant and hopes the new probe yields the evidence necessary to force a cleanup. Toxicity drafts point that wayBiden EPA plans key PFAS regs by 2023Timeline: The Wolverine, 3M PFAS disasterWolverine tannery back in EPA crosshairsBlue dirt dug from under Wolverine tanneryWolverine kept PFAS outdoors at polluted tanneryHow citizen sleuths cracked the Wolverine case

The Stellantis Mack Assembly Plant in Detroit has been served with yet another air quality violation.

Inspectors issued a notice one day after CW50 spoke with neighbors and EGLE regulators about paint shop fume complaints.

A Michigan farm’s animal waste practices are threatening to overload nearby bodies of water with harmful bacteria and pathogens, according to the attorney general.

Residents in the predominantly Black neighborhood filed a civil rights complaint against the state

LANSING, MI — Michigan communities could more easily access new infrastructure money under legislation that aims to modernize state programs which fund, among other things, the removal of lead service lines from water systems. The intent is to help smaller rural and other disadvantaged communities access federal water infrastructure money that’s being funneled through Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) over the next five years, according to sponsors. The changes are timely, he said, because EGLE is anticipating $2.8 billion in funding requests from the revolving fund programs going forward. The legislation is supported by the Michigan Water Environment Association, a trade group which represents wastewater professionals, as well as the American Water Works Association Michigan Section, a trade group that represents water treatment operators. The analysis found that Michigan had the least amount of drinking water systems which received revolving fund money out of any U.S. state between 2010 and 2020.

Dizziness, burning eyes and throat pain. Those are some of the symptoms families in East Canfield Village say they experience after being outside too long.

A trio of college students from Detroit won a state sustainability pitch contest with their plan to deconstruct the city’s abandoned houses and reuse the salvaged pieces to help neighborhoods. The student team’s plan included an awareness campaign for neighborhood residents in areas where abandoned houses would be deconstructed because of fears about risks of asbestos and lead contamination removal. The three students - Solomon and Mojica from Wayne State and Kalaj from U-D Mercy - partnered to pitch a sustainability plan for repurposing materials from blighted homes rather than simply demolishing them. I was really inspired by their work ethic and how they kind of chartered a team,” Kalaj said. The team won a $2,500 cash prize, while the teams that took second and third place received $1,000.

There has been a mystery for the residents living close to Huron River for weeks. But now we’re finally getting some answers to the questions that we have and who exactly may be responsible to begin with. The substance that leaked in the Huron river has now been identified as fuel oil. A nearby metal company is currently working with the EPA and EGLE to handle the clean-up process.

It has been close to a week since a sheen-like substance was found flowing into the Huron River.

The Flat Rock situation is still considered to be an active leak. As the investigation continues, there’s still no idea on what the substance is or where it’s coming from.

The city of Flat Rock is seemingly dealing with yet another chemical leak, this time into a body of water parallel to the Huron River.

FLAT ROCK, MI — Authorities are responding to apparent chemical spill in the Huron River near a metal processing company in the city of Flat Rock. The sheen source remained active as of Tuesday evening, she said. “There’s something coming up from underneath that bridge.”The city of Flat Rock closed Huroc Park on Tuesday. Mayor Mark Hammond told the Detroit Free Press a “heavy oily sheen” in the river channel “poses no health risk at this time.”The sheen is located near Flat Rock Metal Inc., a steel processing factory. “That’s one of the places.”Greenberg said EGLE is unaware of any potential connection between the sheen and a recent high-profile chemical spill into the Flat Rock sewers that prompted evacuations across the city, a suburb of Detroit in Wayne County.

Officials are investigating a chemical leak at the Huron River in Flat Rock.

Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee asked multiple questions about water levels on the Kalamazoo River during a Thursday, Feb. 17 hearing on legislation introduced in response to an ongoing ecological crisis started two years ago by a surprise dam drawdown. The state says Eagle Creek drained its 1,000-acre Morrow Lake reservoir with little warning or sediment controls in November 2019. Water levels were on the mind of others, too. “So, the sediment on one side of the dam isn’t an issue but the sediment on the other side of the dam is an issue?” Rep. Gary Eisen, R-St. Clair Township, asked Rogers. Eisen circled back to water levels following testimony from Kalamazoo River Watershed Director Cheryl Vosburg.

FLINT, MI -- Multiple Flint activist groups are suing Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy in the latest attempt to stop the construction of an asphalt plant near Flint. Earthjustice and the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center filed the lawsuit on the groups’ behalf. For months community members, and even EPA, said a toxic asphalt plant has no place in Genesee Township,” said Nayyirah Shariff, director of Flint Rising. “This community cannot and should not take more chemical pollution.”The Flint City Council last week voted 8-0 to authorize its attorneys to also challenge the air permit granted to Ajax. In October 2021, Flint residents traveled to the state capital to hold a mock funeral in Lansing to commemorate the death of the neighborhood.

BREEDSVILLE, MI — The state of Michigan has filed a lawsuit against a rural village where elected leaders re-routed a river branch in order to rebuild a dam without obtaining permits. “The Village of Breedsville has had years to properly address the environmental concerns created by this improper response to the dam breach,” said state attorney general Dana Nessel in a statement. Village clerk Linda Norton referred calls for village president Steven Rogusta to an attorney in Portage who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to Nessel’s office, EGLE (which was named DEQ at the time) told village leaders in 2008 that rebuilding the failed dam would require a state permit. A July 29, 2020 inspection photo of un-permitted work to fill in part of the Black River in the village of Breedsville.

The money is being funneled to nonprofits, consulting firms, universities and municipalities through the agency’s Michigan Coast Management Program (MCMP). Michigan Association of Planning, Ann Arbor: $100,000 to conduct regionally focused coastal leadership academies and a Coastal Resilience Summit. Huron Pines, Gaylord: $58,833 to host community engagement sessions to raise awareness about topics including water quality, stormwater management and coastal resilience. City of Petoskey: $112,500 to construct a barrier-free boardwalk for public access to Lake Michigan, install other site amenities, treat invasive species and plant native vegetation. Fort Gratiot Township: $76,250 to construct a barrier-free walkway to Lake Huron, install green infrastructure and plant native vegetation for coastal habitat improvement.

In 2018, he followed that up with hydrogeological analysis, which concluded old groundwater wells that supplied base drinking water likely drew from an aquifer highly contaminated by toxic plumes. He said both the 2016 and 2018 EGLE reports were sent to Air Force leaders and discussed with defense officials during regular remediation team meetings. “Wurtsmith veterans suffer from a myriad of health problems in percentages well above the national norm,” Bussey said. “To have the Department of the Air Force perpetuate this lie is unacceptable. There is no other explanation for high PFAS levels in the hydrants beyond the fact that the base water was highly contaminated, Delaney said.

LANSING, MI — Michigan lawmakers received an eye-opener to the severity of an unabated ecological crisis occurring in the Kalamazoo River while reviewing legislation this week that would expand the state’s authority to compel a cleanup when natural resources are being harmed. “If it was my river, I’d be pissed,” said Bumstead, who sits on the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly board. The drawdown, which started without sediment controls, was initiated so the dam could conduct “emergency” spillway gate repairs on a dam it acquired in 2017. It’s decimated,” said Ryan Baker, president of the Kalamazoo River Alliance, a nonprofit group that formed around the issue, who testified before the senate panel with a slideshow of photos. Sanders said a lack of cooperation from Eagle Creek has complicated the situation, which falls outside the scope of existing state dam regulations.

KALAMAZOO, MI — A class action lawsuit filed against a packaging company by Kalamazoo residents upset with emissions from its recycled paperboard factory will move forward after a federal judge declined to dismiss the case. Graphic Packaging declined to comment on the decision through a public relations firm. “The judge kind of went off on (GPI), it seemed like,” said Crawford-Johnson, who said she moved away from Kalamazoo to escape the factory odors. Graphic Packaging argues that its own investigations have concluded the Kalamazoo mill operations do not create a nuisance situation for neighboring residents. The city and Graphic Packaging are developing a “community benefits agreement” this year as part of that approval.

KALAMAZOO, MI — Federal officials are investigating whether Michigan regulators discriminated against a predominantly Black community when it approved an air pollution permit for an expanding paper recycling factory in Kalamazoo. In November, Detroit residents living near an FCA Stellantis Jeep assembly plant emitting nuisance odors filed a Title VI complaint against EGLE. Graphic Packaging argues that its own investigations have concluded the Kalamazoo mill operations do not create a nuisance situation for neighboring residents. The city and Graphic Packaging are developing a “community benefits agreement” this year as part of that approval. Related stories:Asthma rates in Kalamazoo neighborhood prompt studyHow to report foul industrial odors in KalamazooOdor violations mount at Kalamazoo factory getting tax breakWhy did it take so long for Kalamazoo air concerns to get traction?

In a virtual meeting Thursday (Jan 27), EGLE announced Stellantis has a 3-part plan to fix four odor violations and one for improper ductwork at the Mack Assembly Plant. Part of the presentation featured a toxicologist with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services who reviewed air samples.

In a virtual meeting Thursday (Jan 27), EGLE announced Stellantis has a 3-part plan to fix four odor violations and one for improper ductwork at the Mack Assembly Plant. Part of the presentation featured a toxicologist with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services who reviewed air samples.

FLINT, MI -- Flint’s most recent testing shows an increase in the overall level of lead found in drinking water and an eye-popping single-site test that registered more than 200 times the federal action level. But the results overall also show the city remains below the federal lead action level of 15 parts per billion and lower than stricter state limits on lead in water that won’t take effect until 2025. The latest test results were calculated from water samples drawn from 71 homes and businesses known to have lead service lines. Those new sites were added because the vast majority of residential testing spots have had lead service lines replaced and no longer meet the criteria for testing under the federal Lead and Copper Rule. Flint’s testing results can be found by visiting https://www.michigan.gov/flintwater/.

“Identifying physical properties can give clues about the chemical composition of a mineral,” Humphrey noted. -How the mineral breaks apart-Density/specific gravity (can get an idea by “hefting” to see if it’s heavy for its size)-Luster (is the shiny, dull, glassy?) mineral was found in the Adventure Mine’s third subterranean level, which had recently been pumped dry after being waterlogged for almost a century. While the mineral’s composition remains unknown, Humphrey speculated it may be azurite, as it is associated with copper ores and can occur as bright blue. However, she cautioned that color alone is not conclusive for identification.

A draft of a state plan says Michigan will build clean energy infrastructure and invest in green programs over the next 30 years with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 to confront climate change.

Michigan will build clean energy infrastructure and invest in green programs over the next 30 years with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 to confront climate change, a draft of a state plan says.

MIDLAND, MI - Those interested in raising chickens or livestock in areas along the Saginaw or Tittabawassee rivers are invited to attend a public meeting to discuss the impact of dioxins on the animals. Dioxins are chemicals that are linked to health issues, including problems with fertility, thyroid function, brain development, and cancer, according to EGLE. The fact sheet states that dioxins got into the soil and river sediment along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers because of old waste handling practices at The Dow Chemical Company. As a result, EGLE has measured high amounts of dioxins in the soil in some of these areas. Although Dow is no longer releasing these chemicals and has implemented cleanup efforts, dioxins stay in the environment for a very long time, according to EGLE.

PONTIAC, MI — A Detroit man who is being sued by authorities for stockpiling medical and laboratory waste in rental storage units apologized when contacted by phone this week, saying he was overwhelmed by the business he started. It was wrong for me, wrong for my company, wrong for the state — wrong for the community all the way around and I apologize.”“I do take responsibility for my actions,” he said. Mangrum’s actions are the most egregious violations we have seen under Michigan’s medical waste law,” said Elizabeth M. Browne, director of EGLE’s Materials Management Division. “Businesses involved in managing medical waste have an obligation to do their work in a way that protects Michigan residents. The state says Mangrum has a history of violating medical waste laws.

State officials’ decisions around the water crisis in Benton Harbor, including allegedly pushing off a corrosion control study, left “thousands of people to drink and...

Biochem Technical Services LLC (Biochem) and its owner, Raoul Keith Mangrum Jr., are accused of violating the state public health code involving mismanagement of medical waste.

According to the Michigan Attorney General's office, Joseph Pettit pleaded guilty in September to two counts of embezzlement over $100,000 and one count of uttering and publishing.

2022 will be a key year for Michigan’s energy and climate future -- and we now have a peek into what could be the path forward. A look at some of the key points.

BENTON HARBOR, MI — Regulators are attributing a drop in toxic lead levels in Benton Harbor tap water to the effects of corrosion treatment at the water plant, although community advocates remain skeptical of the results due to concerns with previous testing efforts. Resampling by F&V Operations and Resource Management, which operates the Benton Harbor water system, reduced the city’s overall lead level to 24-ppb, according to the Detroit News. Messages to Benton Harbor City Manager Ellis Mitchell were not returned. Related stories:$150k in BH water bills forgiven through grantMI Senate passes $3.3 billion water infrastructure billEmails show fight between EGLE, BH water chiefIs Benton Harbor Gretchen Whitmer’s Flint? EPA orders BH to fix troubled water systemHamtramck, other systems flagged for leadBenton Harbor water crisis echoes the past, say residentsNanoparticle worries sped BH response, state saysWhitmer seeks $11.4M to dig up BH lead linesSenate Republicans launch BH water oversight probeBlood lead data shows uptick in Benton Harbor‘This is ridiculous.’ Frustrations mount in Benton HarborBenton Harbor urged to use bottled water amid lead crisis

KALAMAZOO, MI — Environmental regulators are threatening to sue the owner of a hydroelectric dam responsible for polluting the Kalamazoo River with an estimated 369,000 tons of sediment after cleanup negotiations stalled. Eagle Creek, which operates the dam under the entity STS Hydropower, was meeting biweekly with the state this year to develop river restoration plans. Eagle Creek announced plans June 4 that involved dredging next to Morrow Dam in Comstock Township and near the Kings Highway bridge in Kalamazoo. In Comstock Township near the dam, river current has washed much of it downstream and re-exposed the gravel bottom in many areas, although some large deposits remain. “That’s a loss of habitat.”“We anticipate that resulting in more longer-term impacts to the fishery.”Local anglers formed a group, the Kalamazoo River Alliance, in 2020 to advocate for cleanup.

Landowners are under fire once again after part of a seawall collapsed along the Detroit River last month, spilling contaminated soil into the water exactly two years after a nearly-identical incident occurred at the same site.

In May, EGLE inspectors responding to a complaint found asbestos debris amid wrecked building concrete being stored nearby awaiting salvage. EGLE later fined Bolle $26,250 and MTC $8,000. Bolle won the bid and was responsible for recognizing suspected asbestos materials beyond what was identified in the survey report, he wrote. Wrecked materials were moved off-site due to prison system rules prohibiting concrete processing on Department of Corrections sites, he wrote. “EGLE held DTMB, as the general contractor, equally responsible for the errors made by the subcontractors.

Michigan environmental officials have the results from water testing done after the northern wall of a boat slip belonging to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers collapsed on Nov. 26.

Michigan environmental officials responded to the boat slip belonging to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after its northern wall collapsed on Friday.

DETROIT, MI — Michigan regulators say they’re planning to fine FCA Stellantis over mounting air pollution violations at assembly plants in Warren and Detroit. In a letter to FCA plant managers in Detroit and Warren, EGLE staff said the equipment violations are considered “high priority” by the EPA. The state says Stellantis can resolve them though an agreement that includes a monetary penalty and compliance plan. “Although the plant is operating within its permitted emission limits, correcting this condition is our top priority,” Brieda wrote. The increase in emissions at the Detroit facility was “offset” by reductions at the Warren facility within the permit despite knowledge of pre-existing high levels of asthma in the census tracts closest to the Stellantis plant.

Michigan environmental regulators are taking “escalated enforcement” action against Stellantis for failing to adequately address a months-long nauseating odor wafting from its year-old Jeep assembly...

Residents who live near Stellantis’ year-old Jeep assembly plant in Detroit filed a federal civil rights complaint against state environmental regulators on Monday, alleging racial...

GENESEE TWP., MI -- An air permit for a proposed Ajax Materials Corp. asphalt plant near the township-city of Flint border has been approved by the state despite a citizen campaign launched against it. Ajax’s planned plant here is located in an area the state describes as a neighborhood of color in social and economic distress. The company’s plans here have been opposed by community groups including the St. Francis Prayer Center, which neighbors the proposed plant; Flint Rising; C.A.U.T.I.O.N. The Flint City Council has also approved a resolution authorizing city officials to do all things necessary to object to the air permit. Filing a court action should be considered, Murphy said Monday, “if they don’t listen to the cries of the community.”Read more:State will take more time to review permit for proposed asphalt plant near FlintEPA recommends further study before Genesee Township asphalt plant gets permitFlint residents unhappy with proposed asphalt plant near city’s border

The nauseating stench wafting from Stellantis’ year-old Jeep assembly plant in Detroit was so strong that U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib said she could "taste it"...

BENTON HARBOR, MI — To say Michael O’Malley was frustrated with state drinking water regulators, who were exasperated in turn, would be putting it mildly. Without help we cannot easily see how this applies to Benton Harbor (or anywhere). He started as superintendent in 2008 and oversaw all Benton Harbor water and sewer operations, distribution and maintenance. Beyond lead contamination, city water users suffered through a total water system outage for several days in October after a primary distribution main burst. Related stories:Is Benton Harbor Gretchen Whitmer’s Flint?

FLINT, MI -- An attorney for Liane Shekter Smith, the only state employee fired because of the Flint water crisis, says she feels vindicated by a $300,000 settlement announced Friday, Nov. 5, by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. In addition to her firing on Feb. 5, 2016, Shekter Smith was initially charged with crimes related to the water crisis. The criminal charges were related to the water crisis, which occurred after state-appointed emergency financial managers made a series of decisions that led to Flint’s use of the Flint River for drinking water. “Liane was not responsible (for what happened in Flint),” Morley said. “She was, in my opinion, a scapegoat ... She did her job.”Read more:Arbitrator sees ‘reasons to believe’ former state official fired for Flint water crisis was a ‘political scapegoat’Former state water chief changes tune, will talk about her Flint plea dealDEQ water chief also refused to talk to state police about Flint water crisis

LANSING, MI — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has posted 11,000 pages of documents related to the Benton Harbor water crisis online in response to public records requests and a Republican legislative oversight probe. “This gap should serve as an important point of reflection and discussion for officials and stakeholders at all levels of government.”The document disclosure follows an escalation in federal involvement in Benton Harbor. EGLE issued a separate but related legal violation notice to Benton Harbor on Tuesday, directing the city to survey the conditions of its water distribution system. The governor has also faced criticism from local advocates in Benton Harbor who say the situation did not receive an urgent response until they petitioned for help. A similar document dump occurred in February 2016 during the escalating Flint water crisis, when former Gov.

The city of Hamtramck will distribute free water filters to residents on Thursday after routine tap water testing revealed substandard lead levels.

Unsatisfactory lead levels have been discovered in the tap water in the city of Wayne during routine testing, prompting the city to increase sampling at more locations.

Residents that live near the Stellantis Mack Assembly Plant on Detroit’s east side claim fumes from the plant are causing their throats to burn.

More and more people are recycling these days, which is great, but have you thought about what you are actually tossing into that recycling bin?

A gas leak from the Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant triggered voluntary evacuations of the area and officials have been testing levels of gas in sewers and homes.

“It felt like an explosion or earthquake honestly. The doors in the building were shifting. We were trying to fix them and then we noticed that it was actually a foundation issue. Cracks were appearing inside as well as outside."

Anyone who smells gas or a strong odor in the area is asked to call EGLE’s Pollution Emergency Alerting System hotline at 800-292-4706.

More than 1,000 homes have been evacuated in parts of Flat Rock as the EPA continues testing.

Inspectors believe an underground storage tank at the Ford Flat Rock assembly plant is to blame for the gas leak impacting Flat Rock.

Inspectors believe an underground storage tank at the Ford Flat Rock assembly plant is the source of the gas leak.

After the flammable and cancer-causing chemical, benzene, was found in the in the sewer system, many Flat Rock residents are voicing their opinions about now having to be displaced because of the recommended evacuation.

Anyone in need of assistance with evacuation and/or relocation is asked to call Flat Rock’s hotline at 734-782-2455, ext. 6.

Officials with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) said three additional homes were evacuated as part of an emergency response to hazardous chemicals found in Flat Rock this week.

Officials said the city plans to use firefighting form to suppress the vapors found within the sanitary system. The industrial facility has taken measures, including inserting plugs into the onsite sewer system to prevent it from entering the system at a location north of Gibraltar Road at the Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant property.

As of Friday morning, seven homes have been evacuated and hundreds of environmental safety investigators are in the area.

Federal and state hazardous materials teams from Downriver and western Wayne County went street-by-street and door-to-door Thursday in Flat Rock’s southeast neighborhoods.

An unusual smell Downriver sparked an investigation from hazmat teams Thursday, along with state and federal environmental agencies.

Flat Rock is investigating what the mayor called an “unusual odor situation” in the area of a sanitary sewer lift station.

It may feel like mosquitoes are worse than ever this summer -- and that’s because they are.

Michigan environmental officials said Friday that Enbridge Energy is working to remove a 15,000 ship anchor from the Straits of Mackinac lakebed.

Michigan environmental officials said Friday that Enbridge Energy is working to remove a 15,000 ship anchor from the Straits of Mackinac lakebed.

As the tanker burned, employees knew drivers would avoid the area and that would mean fewer customers.

Sources told the Defenders that the drug screen on the driver came back clean for drugs or alcohol.

If you see people rummaging through your recycling cart this summer, don’t be alarmed.

With the recent heat, it’s hard to not think about spending the day on one of Michigan’s many lakes, but there’s a growing problem for many coastal towns: erosion.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is commemorating Earth Day on Thursday by announcing the state’s plan to shift to renewable energy.

Over the last few years, Michigan officials have been at odds with the company Enbridge, who owns and operates Line 5 -- a major oil pipeline that runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac. AdOn Friday, March 12, the Michigan Public Service Commission introduced the state’s new Propane Security Plan. Though the closure of Line 5 appears to be a “when” issue for Michigan officials, Enbridge officials in January said they have no intention of closing the pipeline. AdOn Nov. 24, 2020, Enbridge filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Michigan, challenging the state’s attempt to revoke the 1953 easement. Enbridge officials argued that shutting down Line 5 is “improper and unlawful,” and that disrupting the oil flow would negatively impact U.S. and Canadian residents and businesses.

MACKINAC COUNTY, Mich. – There was praise and disappointment on Friday after the Michigan Department Environment, Great Lakes and Energy approved the first permits to for the controversial tunnel project around the Enbridge Line 5 gas line. The dual oil pipeline is among the largest in the region and runs directly through the Mackinac Straits carrying 23 million gallons of crude oil each day. In 2010, a separate Enbridge pipeline spilled more than 800,000 gallons of oil into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. AdEnvironmental scientists estimate an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac would cost almost $2 billion in cleaning costs and lost tourism revenue. This week the Canadian Consul General in Detroit telling the Canadian National Post shutting down Line 5 could harm Canadian-U.S. relations.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Michigan's environmental agency said Friday it has approved construction of an underground tunnel to house a replacement for a controversial oil pipeline in a channel linking two of the Great Lakes. AdThe project requires permits from the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “We have issued permits designed to ensure that if a tunnel is constructed, it will be in strict compliance with relevant statutes and adhere to stringent protections against impacts to the Great Lakes,” Clark said. State officials emphasized the tunnel project was a separate legal matter from the dispute over the existing pipeline, which was laid in 1953. It has taken steps to prevent future anchor strikes and says the tunnel project would eliminate that danger.

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – Enough progress has been made in cleaning up the toxic green ooze site in Madison Heights that the federal government has handed control back over to Michigan officials. The work has never stopped at the green ooze site -- even during the pandemic. Madison Heights officials said EGLE and EPA conducted an extensive investigation, installed a treatment system and collected more than 350,000 gallons of contaminated groundwater to be treated. Gary Sayers, the owner of the building at the center of the Madison Heights toxic ooze case, hasn’t been seen much since November. A virtual town hall meeting with Madison Heights officials, the EPA and EGLE will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. More information can be found here.

Early results from a Michigan project to monitor the levels of COVID-19 in wastewater show promising results. “These initial results show promise for the field of COVID-19 wastewater monitoring in Michigan,” said Sarah Lyon-Callo, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and Population Health at MDHHS. “This project has demonstrated the feasibility of this laboratory method and local partnerships for a longer-term wastewater surveillance system. Nineteen laboratories across the state of Michigan are participating in a standardized and coordinated network of COVID-19 wastewater monitoring systems. View the EGLE COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance map here.