For Friday, June 22, 2018

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1 – The US Environmental Protection Agency will host a public engagement session in Saginaw on Tuesday, July 24.

The agency is hosting sessions throughout the basin to update the public on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and seek input on future priorities.

The first engagement session was held on June 13 in Toledo.

The Saginaw session is Tuesday, July 24, from 6-8 p.m. at Curtiss Hall on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University.

The EPA and partners are developing an Action Plan to outline priorities and goals for upcoming years. The 2020-2024 plan will identify five focus areas for environmental progress and is expected to be available for formal public comment this fall.

For more information, see glri.us.

2-  A disease is turning Michigan wildlife into zombies.

That’s how the National Wildlife Federation puts it when referring to chronic wasting disease.

The disease turns deer, elk, and moose into wandering, listless, zombie-like versions of themselves, the federation says. And it’s spreading.

Symptoms of the incurable, fatal disorder include drastic weight loss, stumbling, drooling and teeth grinding and other neurological symptoms.

The disease is caused the same agent that causes mad cow disease, though the origin remains unknown. The disease has been confirmed in 25 states, including Michigan.

The National Wildlife Federation says there’s an immediate need for federal investment to control the spread. They’ve submitted more than 15,000 comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are calling on members of Congress to take action.

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 9:30 a.m. Fridays in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR. Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes