When a chemical disaster strikes – as it did in the tiny town of St. Louis – bills mount far faster than polluters’ willingness to pay. It’s a lesson survivors of the crisis fear will repeat with PFAS, which Michigan already has spent tens of millions to address.
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 found PFAS in Oscoda in 2010. There’s still no plan to clean it up.
An ignored 2010 report about PFAS is just one of several bureaucratic hurdles that has slowed Michigan’s response to the chemical that is now befouling waters. The delays are reminiscent of those that prolonged the PBB contamination of livestock in the 1970s.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Letter suggests Bill Schuette shrugged off request to sue 3M over PFAS
As he left office, the former attorney general told Rick Snyder he couldn’t sue because the governor’s staff never greenlighted a lawsuit — even though Snyder himself requested the suit.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Graphic photos vivid reminders of horror of Michigan PBB chemical crisis
This slideshow shows how a 1973 mixup at a chemical company in St. Louis sparked an agricultural and health disaster statewide that still affects residents. Warning: Some photos may be upsetting.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Marquette girds for climate change in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Marquette may become a destination as high heat and drought drive folks from southern communities more vulnerable to a shifting climate. But it still faces challenges — from intensifying rains to disease-carrying pests.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Old mines, perilous drains in Michigan’s Copper Country, which now eyes a fix
Epic floods devastated Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula. Foundations are now stepping in to fix a unique vulnerability: century-old drainage systems — built by mining companies — that sat neglected after mines shuttered and towns shrank.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
As climate change threatens Midwest cultural identity, cities explore how to adapt
The spring floods were just the latest wake-up call as global warming raises the risks for everything from ice fishing to growing seasons.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Enbridge vows to cover costs in ‘unlikely’ case of Michigan Line 5 rupture
The promise came days after Nessel released a 120-page report raising questions about Enbridge’s financial obligations under a series of agreements that its U.S.-based companies signed with Michigan.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan judge rules Enbridge Line 5 construction is constitutional
The victory, which could pave the way for the tunnel plan to proceed, is a setback for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who halted work on the project in March. Attorney General Dana Nessel released a 120-page report and vowed to appeal.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
When residents say ‘no’ to aerial mosquito spraying
When states use pesticides to slow the spread of insect-borne diseases, should households be allowed to opt out?