News

Source of tunnel graphic: Enbridge’s 2020 application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

FLOW Appeals ALJ’s Decision on Proposed ‘Line 5’ Oil Tunnel

November 10, 2020

Source of tunnel graphic: Enbridge’s 2020 application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FLOW on Nov. 6, 2020, filed an appeal with the Michigan Public Service Commission of the October 23 decision by Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Dennis W. Mack granting in part Enbridge Energy Limited Partnership’s motion to exclude critical evidence from… Read more »

In Appreciation of Greg Reisig: Passionate Steward and Member of FLOW’s Family

November 5, 2020

When longtime northwest Michigan environmental leader Greg Reisig passed away in September, it was as if one of the state’s great white pines had fallen. Greg — a journalist, environmental champion, esteemed friend, and beloved husband and father — made a lasting difference for the good of our environment and the community.

PFAS-tainted Groundwater Emergency Threatens Traverse City Residents’ Wells and Well-Being

November 5, 2020

News has just broken that drinking water wells in East Bay Township, just a few blocks from Traverse City’s eastern edge and just across US-31 from East Grand Traverse Bay, may be contaminated by PFAS — what is being called, the “forever chemical.” My well. My neighbors’ wells. Our wells… our water… the water that many in my neighborhood use for drinking and cooking; the water that our households consume, writes FLOW special contributor Holly Wright.

A Matter of Reverence

November 4, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic that has so overwhelmed us all for these past many months has made me draw inward, wanting to protect the waters and all things of natural beauty just for myself, writes FLOW supporter and author Jerry Beasley in his essay, “A Matter of Reverence.”

Line 5 Oil Tunnel in the Great Lakes: Is the Die Cast for the Next 99 Years?

October 28, 2020

There was good news and bad news in a state administrative law judge’s October 23 ruling that addressed legal arguments over what the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) can and cannot evaluate when deciding whether to permit the siting of Enbridge’s proposed oil pipeline tunnel project under the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron. 

Pandemic PPE Poses Environmental Threat

October 26, 2020

Face masks, gloves, eye protection, and other forms of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have become a part of our daily life during the Coronavirus pandemic. But as states have reopened and people ventured outside more, their improper disposal of this protective gear has threatened the environment.

The High Cost of Short-Sighted Water Pricing

October 21, 2020

Water is becoming unaffordable in communities across the state and the nation. The village of Beulah is one of many places across Michigan and the United States where residential water rates have skyrocketed. In fact, water bills have risen by 80 percent in the past decade for millions of Americans. This water affordability crisis is especially acute and painful during the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires frequent washing.

Bottled water

Evart’s White Pine Springs Takes Center Stage in North America’s Water Wars

October 20, 2020

Evart is taking center stage in North America’s “water wars” as local advocates demand that Nestlé Waters North America revert its claimed rights to the White Pine Springs back to the public trust. These springs, a source for Ice Mountain’s bottled water brand, have long been subject to community opposition due to the company’s legacy of broken promises, ecological harm, and removal of our most precious public resource: our water.