Lawmakers move to restock the iconic fish that are disappearing from the lower Great Lakes.
Kelly House
Kelly House covers Michigan environmental issues for Bridge. She joined the Bridge staff in March 2020. Previously, Kelly reported for the Oregonian, where her coverage of the environment and other topics garnered national honors and sparked state efforts to better protect Oregon’s natural resources. She has a master’s degree in environmental law from Lewis & Clark Law School and a bachelor’s in journalism from Michigan State University. She is from Harrison and lives in Lansing. You can reach her at khouse@bridgemi.com or on Twitter at @Kelly_M_House.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan lawmakers ponder dam safety reforms, but ask who will pay
A state House committee on Wednesday considered legislation that would toughen Michigan’s dam safety standards. But one questioned whether the legislation would just be ‘another unfunded mandate.’
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Feds order immediate inspection of Cheboygan Dam powerhouse
Potential damage to the dams during last week’s high waters means the risk of dam failure could still exist.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan’s latest dam safety crisis revives calls for reforms, funding
Lawmakers vowed to strengthen Michigan’s weak dam safety laws after the Midland dam failures of 2020 but never did. Some see a window of opportunity for renewed action after the latest floods.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Supreme Court sides with Nessel in Line 5 jurisdiction dispute
Enbridge had sought to move Nessel’s Line 5 shutdown case into federal court, where the company was expected to get more favorable treatment. But justices unanimously ruled that the company missed the deadline to do so.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan feared Cheboygan Dam danger for years before rains pushed it to brink
Records show state, local and federal officials tried for years to compel repairs that could prevent a flood, but its private owners didn’t act. Once again, regulators are finger-pointing about who is to blame.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
As floodwaters rise, Michigan infrastructure on brink: Dams need $1B in repairs
Climate change and delayed improvements to the state’s infrastructure could come to roost, as rivers threaten to overtop century-old dams.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Ownership disputes, aging design add to Cheboygan dam’s failure threat
Federal officials have repeatedly told the owner of a nonfunctioning hydro plant connected to the dam to bring it back online, but the company has not done so. Now, state officials are scrambling to restart the plant in hopes of staving off dam failure.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Consumers Energy’s sale plan would turn unprofitable dams into $270M payday
The utility’s plan to sell 13 unprofitable dams and buy back the power would boost its profits by $270 million while ratepayer costs skyrocket. Critics of the sale are crying foul, but Consumers maintains its sale plan is the cheapest option for ratepayers.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Trump administration plans closure of 4 Michigan forestry research centers
The closures are part of a broader consolidation and reorganization that will move the US Forest Service headquarters from the nation’s capital to Salt Lake City.