Threats

Clean Up the Murky Waters with the Clean Water Restoration Act

[caption id="attachment_3599" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="A stream runs through it"][/caption]While Congress debates whether or not to pass the Clean Water Restoration Act, millions of Americans are getting their drinking water from streams that could lose protection under the current interpretation of the Clean Water Act because agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency may no longer have the authority to stop polluters. The EPA just released an alarming analysis of the sources of the public water supplies – alarming because many of these sources may no longer fall Read More » »

IJC meeting to focus on sewage overflows and other water quality problems affecting the Great Lakes

Fish on pharmaceuticals, alien invaders and poo in the Great Lakes will be on the agenda  Wednesday and Thursday (Oct. 7-8) when the International Joint Commission hold its  biennial meeting in Windsor, Ontario.

The commission, which mediates Great Lakes and other border issues between the U.S.  and Canada, will discuss several weighty issues facing the lakes, including: Invasive  species, chemicals of emerging concern (fish on Prozac and other drugs), sewage  overflows and water quality.

The commission’s meeting will focus largely on its 14th Biennial report on Great Lakes Water Quality.

It was fitting that a photo of a sewage treatment plant graced the Read More » »

Indiana Dunes Among US Parks Threatened by Climate Change

A new report shows that Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is among the 25 National Parks that will be most devastated by climate change. The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization just released a report “National Parks in Peril: The Threat of Climate Disruption” outlining the impacts of global warming on our national parks.

Unfortunately, Indiana Dunes is expected to continue to suffer from a loss of snow and ice, harsh downpours and flooding, damaged plant and wildlife, a loss of fishing and increased air pollution. Each of the 25 parks found to be in serious danger have a fact sheet Read More » »

Better late than never: Coast Guard gets serious about attacking invasive species, regulating ballast water

After years of failing to stem the tide of invasive species entering the Great Lakes via ocean freighters, the U.S. Coast Guard will begin a series of public hearings Friday on proposed ballast water discharge regulations.

The proposed regulations would govern the amount of organisms that ships could pump into the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters when discharging ballast water.

This could be a groundbreaking regulation that the lakes have needed for over a decade. The problem is that the regulations, as proposed, wouldn’t cover all ships operating on the Great Lake for more than a decade.

The proposed rule isn’t strong Read More » »

Coast Guard Releases Draft Ballast Plan

Last week, the Coast Guard offered up standards for ballast water that would initially use those set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and eventually ratchet the standard up to meet California and New York’s standard. The regulations would apply in phases so that feasibility studies can take place to make sure ships can meet the tougher requirements.
“That loophole could swallow the law,” HOW’s Andy Buchsbaum told the Washington Post. The fear is that we Read More » »

Save the Loon and the Great Lakes Too!

Climate change is here to stay and our national parks are showing signs of its affects, according to a report by the National Parks Conservation Association.

Climate Change: A Survival Guide for a Warming World urges the Federal Government to begin to address the affects of climate change in order to mitigate the damage to our landscape and preserve wildlife.

The Great Lakes have begun to show signs of suffering as well a prime example is the die off of massive death toll of the loons.  The birds consume a toxic cocktail each time they eat the gobi Read More » »

Good Vibrations

Good vibrations are rolling across Capitol Hill as the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee prepares to take up the reauthorization of the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000 tomorrow. HOW and the NRDC are collecting signatures on a letter regarding this legislation until noon today so sign on if you have time.

The legislation funds beach water monitoring programs that update the public on health issues associated with beach activities. We support the legislation and hope no amendments weaken it. Beach tourism is big business in the Great Lakes States during the summer months and provides numerous Read More » »

Water pollution in Michigan City explored by News-Dispatch Series

Indiana’s News-Dispatch has published the first in a six-part series on water pollution and beach closures in their area. The stories will run every Monday and detail problems facing the Great Lakes.

Spring Cleaning?

It has been almost a year since we talked about the Areas of Concern that dot our Great Lakes with toxic sediments. It’s been half-a-year since the US House approved triple funding for the Great Lakes Legacy Act the federal program that helps states and localities clean up these dangerous pollutants. And it has been about the same amount of time since one Senator from Oklahoma shot down the increased funding and put us right back where we started. But the US House has just passed another water bill that would triple the authorization for this clean up Read More » »

A Global Perspective

The world water forum opened today in Istanbul, Turkey amid a growing global fresh water and clean water crisis. Not only is demand higher today because of population growth, but also because of an increased need for energy production.

China, a nation with an enormous population and an intense appetite for energy has been using the world economic downturn to buy up natural resources at an alarming rate. They are also known as great polluters leaving rivers, lakes and underground aquifers littered with industrial pollution. Nearly a quarter of the rural population lives with unsafe drinking water and many Read More » »