U.S. Supreme Court Declares “Don’t Look Up.”
Children play near a coal-fired smokestack in 1972—two years after the federal Clean Air Act was passed. Photo courtesy of Flickr.
News
What Do the Election Results Mean for the Great Lakes State?
While the word “water” was not on the November 8 statewide general election ballot in Michigan, it was present on the ballot in various local communities and in different, more subtle ways across the Great Lakes State. In some of Michigan’s 276 cities and 1,240 townships, voters considered new regulations to safeguard water resources and… Read more »
Don’t Do It in the River
Photo: A lack of septic regulations can lead to waste in our treasured waters. You wouldn’t “do it in the river,” would you? Michigan prides itself on being an environmental leader, particularly in curbing water pollution. But in one area of water policy, Michigan is dead last among the 50 states. It is the only… Read more »
Last Call: Army Corps on Oct. 6 to Hold Final ‘Scoping Meeting’ on Proposed Oil Tunnel in Great Lakes
Editor’s note: Learn more about FLOW’s efforts to shut down Line 5 and stop the proposed oil pipeline tunnel on FLOW’s Line 5 program page and new Line 5 fact sheet. The public will have a last chance on October 6 to comment orally to the leadership and staff of the U.S. Army Corps of… Read more »
Solving Michigan’s Groundwater Crisis to Protect Drinking Water, the Economy, and the Great Lakes
For over three years, FLOW has analyzed and reported on one of the biggest gaps in Michigan’s environmental protection safety net—groundwater protection. Now, during National Groundwater Awareness Week 2021, we are reaffirming and expanding upon our call for stronger state groundwater protection policies and actions. We’re also releasing our new report, “Deep Threats to Our Sixth Great Lake.”
Groundwater, though Invisible, Is Critical for Our Survival
What’s the natural resource that is critical to the survival of billions of human beings but invisible to the vast majority of them? The answer is groundwater, both in Michigan and globally. Out of sight but not detached from our economy and health, groundwater plays a critical role in Michigan communities, supplying 45 percent of Michigan’s population with drinking water. Yet groundwater is a neglected and much-abused part of our state’s natural endowment. This year, groundwater will be in the spotlight on the annual World Water Day, March 22.
MPSC: Proposed ‘Line 5’ Oil Tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac Must Undergo Full and Vigorous Public Review
Photo above: MPSC Chairman Sally A. Talberg, presiding over the Commission hearing today on Enbridge’s proposed oil pipeline tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac. The following statement can be attributed to Liz Kirkwood, environmental attorney and executive director of FLOW (For Love of Water), a Great Lakes law and policy center based in Traverse City:… Read more »
Two Virtual Hearings, Two Real Steps Closer to Shutting Down Line 5 in the Great Lakes
After two pivotal hearings Tuesday, June 30, Enbridge has lost its grip on the fate of its dangerous twin Line 5 crude oil pipelines in the waters of the Straits of Mackinac. Two hearings, and the State and its citizens are two steps closer to shutting down the unstable twin crude oil pipelines once and for all.
Courtroom Showdown Coming Friday over Line 5 Shutdown
Streaming live online this Friday morning, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and members of her staff—attorneys Peter Manning, Bob Reichel, and Dan Bock, steeped in water and natural resources law—will make historic arguments that will lead to a shutdown of Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac to protect the public trust of all of Michigan’s citizens, now and in the future, in Attorney General Dana Nessel On Behalf of the People of Michigan v. Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership, et al., before Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James S. Jamo.
Minimizing Risk
Ken Winter October 3, 2014 COLUMNS Ken Winter Minimizing Risk October 3, 2014 MACKINAC ISLAND–Some 75 braved harsh rains earlier this month to gather at the Island’s Community Center to learn the hard realities should nearby Enbridge’s aging oil and gas Pipeline #5 break in the Great Lakes, especially near the Mackinac Bridge. The troubling… Read more »
