Pipeline opponents hailed the decision by the Michigan Public Service Commission as “historic,” while Enbridge downplayed its significance.
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 offers $97 million for projects that can boost recycling in state
Through NextCycle Michigan, a new program announced Monday, government and businesses have teamed up to devote tens of millions to supporting ideas that divert waste from landfills. Think “upcycled” clothing and toilet paper made from recycled boxes.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Feds fine former Midland dams owner $15 million over safety violations
The fine may be purely symbolic, since Boyce Hydro has declared bankruptcy. But the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chair called it “a clear message” to other dam owners that the agency is serious about dam safety.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
A big fight in Lansing over fishing rules on the Great Lakes
With Great Lakes whitefish in decline, commercial fishers say they’re fighting for survival against state rules that would put them out of business. But recreational fishing advocates say the commercial trade needs more regulation.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Meet the Michigander who's advising Biden on environmental justice
President Joe Biden has promised to combat systems that unfairly burden communities of color with pollution and other threats. Kyle Whyte, a University of Michigan professor, environmental justice scholar and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, has been tapped to help shape the White House’s strategy.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan’s Dingell and Upton revive effort to set federal PFAS standards
A divided Congress has stymied legislation to require the U.S. EPA to set drinking standards for the harmful chemical once used in a host of products. But a new administration brings new hope, sponsors say.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Lawsuit: Michigan wolf advisory group stacked with hunting advocates
Activists fear a group that may make recommendations on a wolf hunt is stacked with partisans. Tribes and Upper Peninsula hunters have similar complaints about the panel.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Rapids return means fish returns
Restoring one of the rapids is helping diverse fish species recover in the river that connects lakes Superior and Huron, according to a recent study.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Is the Line 5 tunnel a bridge to Michigan’s energy future or a bad deal?
With climate action on the state and national agenda, critics of Enbridge Line 5 warn that investing in new pipeline infrastructure undermines Michigan’s pathway to carbon neutrality. Experts say it’s not so simple.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
In flooded Michigan neighborhoods, who should pay for sea walls?
For two straight summers, residents of Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood watched water pour into basements and pool in streets, a result of coastal flooding that will become increasingly common throughout the Great Lakes as climate change progresses.