The attorney general on Wednesday filed a brief in Wisconsin federal court supporting a Native American tribe’s effort to shut down the Line 5 pipeline over fears of a rupture into a river that runs through tribal land.
Kelly House
Kelly House covers Michigan's environment for Bridge Michigan, with a focus on the Great Lakes, climate change, industrial pollution, water quality and wildlife. She joined Bridge in March 2020 after reporting for the Oregonian, where her coverage earned national honors and sparked efforts to better protect Oregon's natural resources. Kelly holds a master's degree in environmental law from Lewis & Clark Law School and a bachelor's in journalism from Michigan State University.
Kelly grew up in Harrison and is based in Lansing.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Fix the damn roads? Michigan must first decide who OKs the darn gravel mines
Lawmakers revive years-long debate over who has authority over siting new sand and gravel mines: municipalities or the state?
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Flint misses new deadline in long-overdue lead line replacement effort
Advocates say the city has blown through a court-ordered May 1 deadline to figure out which Flint residents are still dealing with potholed yards and sidewalks, after work crews excavated lead service lines and left a mess behind.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Flush with cash, Michigan lawmakers try again to pass state septic code
Democratic lawmakers want to end Michigan’s “shameful” reign as the only state without a statewide code to prevent leaky systems from fouling lakes, rivers and groundwater. Past efforts failed, but bill sponsors say the state’s surplus changes the conversation.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Once beset by industrial pollution, Rouge River on a slow path to recovery
Thanks to the Clean Water Act, the Rouge is no longer a dumping ground for industrial waste. But its gains are fragile and incomplete, with contaminants still soiling the river bottom and the fish that returned to its waters.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Proposal to ban solar developments on farmland withdrawn amid confusion
Opponents of solar development on Michigan’s farmland want to ban ‘utility-scale; arrays on land zoned for farming. But the proposal is on hold, for now, amid confusion about what ‘utility-scale’ means.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan rejects Camp Grayling expansion, instead offering annual use permits
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has rejected a proposal to double the footprint of the Camp Grayling military training base, instead making 52,000 acres available for potential short-term military use.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Lawmakers aim to phase out dry-cleaning chemical with a dirty reputation
Perchloroethylene cleans suits and silks like no other, but it also contaminates soil and groundwater. Some lawmakers want to ban the chemical, but dry cleaners fear another hit to their struggling industry.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan recycling rate ticks up, but still short of state goal
Michiganders are now keeping 21 percent of their waste out of landfills. The state aims to boost that to 45 percent, but disagreement lingers about how to get there.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan brine brouhaha: Proposed limits for unpaved roads prompt dustup
The salty solution is killing the state’s precious waters, but efforts to cut back on spraying have met fierce opposition.