Government officials begin the grim task of prioritizing which cold lakes and rivers to sacrifice — or save — as the climate changes. Not all cold-water loving fish may survive in the northern Great Lakes region.
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
Enbridge: Federal review of Line 5 tunnel permit is ‘inexplicably lethargic’
The Canadian energy giant pleads with Michigan officials to intervene, saying federal authorities are slow-walking their review of a key permit needed to build a tunnel in a pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Democrats seek to reverse Michigan’s ban-on-bans of plastic bags
Democrats took a step forward in their quest to abolish a controversial “ban on bans” of plastic bags. However, some are concerned that local measures could be costly.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Consumers Energy tells Michigan residents it needs partners to keep hydro dams
As Consumers Energy ponders the fate of its 13 hydropower dams, nearby residents push to keep them operational. But Consumers officials have said they won’t allow customers to absorb the $781 million cost of doing so.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Climate change is harming Michigan hunting and fishing, groups warn lawmakers
Michigan’s wild places — and the fish and wildlife that call them home — are under threat as warmer temperatures cause species to migrate northward and rivers to overheat. Advocates called for more resources to protect Michigan’s fish and game from those changes.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
As automakers win incentives for EV plants, Michigan pays for polluted past
The auto industry is getting billions to build battery plants on rural land, while taxpayers pay for contaminated plants left behind. Will history repeat itself? Or will Michigan forge a new path?
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
With thousands of tainted sites, Michigan Dems eye return to ‘polluter pay’
Michigan went from strict cleanup laws to among the most lenient. Three decades and 26,000 contaminated sites later, will the state reverse course? Democrats, GOP and business leaders see areas to agree on.
Posted inBusiness Watch
‘They destroyed our little town.’ What Michigan’s auto industry left behind
Milan, Romeo and Wyoming are Michigan towns with something in common: All are sitting on shuttered auto plants where legacy pollution may complicate their path to recovery.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Key findings in Bridge Michigan auto project
Bridge Michigan set out to quantify the financial and environmental toll factory contamination has exacted on Michigan, and what the state can do to avoid repeating history in the shift to EVs. Here’s what we found.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
How Bridge tallied $259M in public costs for auto industry pollution
Our first-of-its-kind analysis identified at least $259 million in publicly subsidized cleanups at more than 100 sites linked to Michigan’s automotive industry. Here’s why the tab is almost certainly far higher.