Michigan is poised to spend nearly $3 billion to upgrade or expand aging water, road and broadband infrastructure. It’s a big deal, but experts contend the state should be spending even more than that every year.
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
Wash your hands: Highly contagious bird flu reaches Michigan wild flocks
State officials are pleading for vigilance while noting that for now, the risk of transmission to humans remains low.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Small portions: Michigan puts PFAS advisory on Lake Superior rainbow smelt
Samples taken from the big lake revealed widespread PFAS contamination of rainbow smelt, a popular sport fish. State officials advise consuming no more than a few smelt a month for safety reasons.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan parks, more popular than ever, struggle to staff up for summer
Seasonal work at Michigan’s state and local parks was once a sought-after job. Now, parks across the state are struggling to find enough workers to keep programs running.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Report: Climate change threatens these 29 Michigan chemical sites
A federal audit calls on regulators to ensure industrial sites are reinforced against floods, wildfires and other worsening climate hazards that could trigger chemical spills.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
With new invasive carp money, the Great Lakes learns from past invasions
A new $226 million allocation to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes is part of a broader, more proactive approach to how the Great Lakes region confronts invasive species issues.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Flat Rock’s second chemical spill points to hazards of underground tanks
Investigators believe a nearly century-old fuel storage tank on land now being used by a metal factory may be causing the ongoing chemical leak in the Huron River.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan sues dam owners for drawdown that put sediment in Kalamazoo River
Attorney General Dana Nessel wants two companies tied to the Morrow Dam near Kalamazoo to pay for and clean up sediment following a 2019 drawdown to repair the dam.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
What Michigan can do as global report details ‘closing window’ on climate
Michigan won’t emerge unscathed if society fails to limit global warming. A landmark report published Monday warns that communities across the globe are behind on planning for the coming extremes.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Chemicals in Huron River put Flat Rock on alert months after Ford gas leak
Local, state and federal crews were responding Tuesday to a chemical sheen on the waterway, just months after a gas leak from a Ford assembly plant contaminated city sewers and prompted widespread evacuations.