In a claim filed this week, a Sanford couple whose home was destroyed in the floodwater argues federal regulators never should have granted Boyce Hydro a license to generate power at the Edenville Dam.
Michigan Environment Watch
Michigan Environment Watch examines how public policy, industry, and other factors interact with the state’s trove of natural resources.
Great Lakes News Collaborative
Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television, The Narwhal and Michigan Public work together to report on the most pressing threats to the Great Lakes region’s water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. You can find all of the collaborative’s stories here.
Shockwave
The Great Lakes region is in the midst of a seismic energy shakeup, from skyrocketing data center demand and a nuclear energy boom, to expanding renewables and electrification. In 2026, the Great Lakes News Collaborative will explore how shifting supply and demand affect the region and its waters. Read the series here.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan’s coast is being armored with seawalls, making erosion worse
Desperate to save homes from encroaching waves, shoreline property owners are hardening shorelines on the Great Lakes at a feverish pace. Experts fear these barriers will do harm in the long term.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan coastal towns try sand 'renourishment’ to restore beaches
Great Lakes towns affected by rapid erosion amid record-high water levels are petitioning the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to bolster their beaches with sand transported from offsite.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
On Mackinac Island, Lake Huron’s waves are destroying an iconic highway
State officials are scrambling to save the carless road that encircles the island, beloved as one of Michigan most scenic bike rides. High waters and relentless winter storms are chewing up state coastal roads.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Lawyers for Michigan argue to keep Enbridge Line 5 closed for safety
Line 5 will remain closed until further notice, after a judge declined to rule from the bench Tuesday on state attorney’s request for a preliminary injunction to keep the petroleum pipeline closed until Enbridge convinces the state it’s safe to reopen.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan regulator: Enbridge needs permission to move Line 5 into tunnel
The Michigan Public Service Commission ruled that Enbridge must get its approval to move Line 5 into a tunnel it already had permission to build below the Straits of Mackinac, teeing up a lengthy public debate.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan DNR missed chance to test worker diagnosed with TB a year later
Michigan’s failure to test a wildlife lab technician for tuberculosis in 2018 means it may have missed an opportunity to identify the outbreak before four additional workers tested positive last summer.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Enbridge Line 5 shutdown prompts Michigan debate over risks vs. economic harm
After a judge ordered the pipeline temporarily shuttered following damage last week, an Upper Peninsula lawmaker said he feared economic repercussions. But energy analysts say a short-term stoppage won’t cause much pain.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan judge orders temporary Enbridge Line 5 shutdown
Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James Jamo orders Canadian oil company Enbridge to cease operations “as immediately as possible,” following reports last week of damage to the lake-bottom petroleum pipeline.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan Democratic congressional members seek Enbridge Line 5 shutdown
In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Democratic members also called for a federal investigation into what caused damage to an anchor support on the lakebottom pipeline.