The US Army Corps of Engineers approved construction of Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac despite expected adverse effects on endangered species and archaeological sites. The project remains tied up in court, with opponents promising new lawsuits.
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.
Water’s True Cost
As the nation prepares to pour hundreds of billions of federal dollars into rescuing water systems, the Great Lakes News Collaborative investigates the true cost of water in Michigan. Read the series.
Ready or Not
The Great Lakes region is frequently touted as one of the most climate-resilient places in the U.S., in part because of its enviable water resources. But climate change also threatens our water. The Great Lakes News Collaborative explores what it will take to prepare. Read the series.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Think you’re getting old? New study says Michigan sturgeon may live to 400
Some lake sturgeon swimming in the Great Lakes today may have been alive for centuries, according to new research that suggests scientists have significantly underestimated the fish’s lifespan.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan Supreme Court vacates key Line 5 permit
The court ruled 6-1 that the Michigan Public Service Commission’s review of a key permit for the petroleum pipeline tunnel was overly narrow, failing to consider whether the tunnel will harm public trust resources.
Posted inMichigan Government
Where Michigan governor candidates stand on data centers, the environment
How would Jocelyn Benson, Chris Swanson, Perry Johnson and John James protect the Great Lakes? How would they approach data centers, climate change and energy policy?
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
State issues Line 5 permits despite conceding its ‘significant impacts’
State agencies said the pipeline tunnel construction would affect Native American burial sites, wetlands and threatened and endangered species but concluded the benefits of the tunnel outweigh the damages. The project remains tied up in court.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
In Michigan, 100K live downstream of old, decrepit dams. ‘We’re at their mercy’
Michigan’s aging dams pose growing risks to thousands of downstream residents. Weak standards, slow enforcement and scarce funding mean problem dams fester as climate change brings ever-bigger floods.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Bloody red shrimp found in Lake Superior; invader now in all 5 Great Lakes
Scientists have confirmed that the invasive bloody red shrimp has established itself in Lake Superior — the last of the five Great Lakes with an established population that could pose an ecological threat.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan island needs reliable power. Can Great Lakes waves provide it?
University of Michigan researchers are this week testing a prototype that turns wave energy into electricity for the remote Beaver Island.
Posted inEvents
Bridge Listens Issues Watch recap: Digging into Michigan voters’ environmental concerns
Reporters addressed questions related to data centers, dams, Michigan’s energy transition, climate change and natural resources funding.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch, Michigan Government
Bridge on WJR: ‘Devil’s in the details’ on data centers
As the data center boom begins in Michigan, Bridge reporter Kelly House joined WJR in Detroit to discuss concerns about their impact and other top environmental issues.