For June 10, 2016 –

[audio https://dl.dropbox.com/s/j5nvyaecp37es6w/6-9-16-mr-great-lakes-cleanup-criteria-turtles-wetlands.mp3]

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1 – The state is proposing new cleanup criteria rules for contaminated sites.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is holding a series of informational meetings throughout the state on the newly proposed generic cleanup criteria rules.

Such rules are used to evaluate risks to public health, safety, welfare and the environment from regulated hazardous substances at sites of environmental contamination.

The update of the cleanup criteria includes 304 regulated hazardous substances. The criteria is used to evaluate exposure pathways such as drinking water and direct contact.

Meetings are planned for June 16 in Gaylord and June 28 in Bay City.

A formal public comment period runs from June 17-July 26.

Pre-registration for the meetings is requested.

 

2 – You’ve heard of the canary in the coal mine. How about the turtle in the wetland?

Just like canaries were once used to test the safety of air in coal mines, turtles can be used to measure pollution in wetlands.

Researchers from the University of Notre Dame report that painted and snapping turtles could be a useful source for measuring pollution in the Great Lakes from the historical dumping of industrial waste.

During work on a federal project to monitor coastal wetlands, researchers tested painted turtles, which can live up to 20 years, and snapping turtles, which live up to 50 years.

They analyzed the muscle, liver, shell and claws of captured turtles in four wetland locations in Lake Michigan for various metals.

They found that concentrations broadly correlated with assessments of metals in the soil of the wetlands.

Because turtles live longer than fish and are relatively high on the food chain, they can be a useful source for measuring wetland pollution.

A paper describing the research was published in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 9 a.m. Fridays in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR.

Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes