Environment
Dem lawmakers announce bills banning PFAS in household products
Two Democratic House members on Monday announced they are sponsoring legislation that would eventually eliminate the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in household products like clothes and cleaning products. Known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS are synthetic chemicals that are widely used in various household and industrial products due to their water and oil […]
Whitmer expands MI Clean Water Plan, while enviros call for more clean energy investments
As construction workers at the Delta Township Wastewater recovery facility continued efforts to expand the facility, state officials announced they would be investing an additional $290 million into wastewater infrastructure throughout the state. Using authority from the 2002 Great Lakes Water Quality Protection Bond, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, House Appropriations Committee Chair Angela Witwer (D-Delta Twp.) […]
Detroit Earth Day events highlight faith communities going green
Ahead of Earth Day, which is celebrated Monday, two Detroit faith communities lifted up strategies to provide for a cleaner environment and “climate justice.” Lord of Lords Ministries, which is located on the city’s east side, and St. Suzanne-Cody Rouge Community Resource Center, which is located on the city’s west side, carried out community events […]
BLM to finalize rule allowing federal leases targeted at protection of natural areas
The Bureau of Land Management will publish a final rule soon allowing the nation’s public lands to be leased for environmental protection, a Thursday news release from the Interior Department said. The rule, which both proponents and detractors say marks a shift in the agency’s focus toward conservation, directs land managers at the agency to […]
Polluters must pay to clean up areas contaminated with PFOA, PFOS
Industries that discharge toxic PFOA and PFOS compounds into the environment will now be held legally and financially responsible for the contamination, according to a final rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday. The Department of Defense is also subject to the new requirements. PFOA and PFOS are now classified as hazardous […]
U.P. residents ask DNR not to grant Keweenaw Land Association’s metallic mineral rights request
The Keweenaw Land Association has requested metallic mineral lease rights to about 10,631 acres across Baraga, Dickinson, Iron, Marquette and Menominee counties. At a Wednesday virtual public meeting held by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), residents of these counties, members of environmental groups and other community members expressed concerns about the lease request […]
House GOP announce plans to bring back Right to Work, Snyder-era economic policies
A day after state House Democrats won two special elections to regain a majority, Republicans on Wednesday announced a plan “to grow local economies” that included rolling back regulations and reversing some key Democratic policies. “The state is lacking a coordinated economic growth plan,” House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) said. “Unfortunately, after five […]
Research into recycling critical minerals gets a boost in Michigan
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between IPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. Michigan plans to spend millions of dollars researching how to better recycle minerals found in electric vehicle batteries and other technologies. One priority of the Critical Minerals Recycling Grant program is to research “circular economy efforts” to reuse […]
‘Panicked rush to gas’ could hike energy costs, report warns regulators
The nation’s largest public power company, the Tennessee Valley Authority, which serves 10 million people in Tennessee and parts of six neighboring states, has put forward plans for eight new natural gas plants since 2020. In South Carolina, Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper are pushing the state legislature to pave the way for a 2,000-megawatt […]
After a hot winter, Whitmer asks for more ways to get aid to businesses
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between IPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. A grassy, mud-streaked ski hill. Snowmobile trails where dirt and fall leaves were still visible. A record high of 73 degrees in Traverse City in late February. This winter was extremely tough for snow-based businesses across northern Michigan […]
As feds stand down, states choose between wetlands protections or rollbacks
For 200 miles, the Wabash River forms the border between Illinois and Indiana as it meanders south to the Ohio River. On the Illinois side, lawmakers are scrambling to pass a bill that would protect wetlands from development and pollution, in order to safeguard water quality and limit flooding. But in Indiana, state policymakers hastily […]
Michigan lawmakers outline next steps after announcement of national PFAS standard
On Wednesday the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first national drinking water standard targeted at PFAS, a family of long-lasting chemicals tied to cancer and other negative health effects. Following the announcement, several Michigan lawmakers joined the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network for a press conference to celebrate the new federal PFAS […]