For Friday, Nov. 12, 2021

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1 – U.S. and Canadian agencies will host a public webinar on chemical contamination in Lake Huron. 

The event is being put on by the Lake Huron Partnership, co-led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The webinar is on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 11 a.m. Eastern and goes for one hour. 

Topics to be discussed include chemical contaminants in Lake Huron, their impact on human and ecosystem health and what is being done about them. 

A University of Toronto professor will discuss PFAS, a group of human-made chemicals found in many consumer products, and how they end up in the water.

There also will be time for questions. 

Let’s Talk Lake Huron fall webinar: Chemical contaminants

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2- A RenewMI Project Viewer provides an easy way to view cleanup and redevelopment projects in Michigan.

The state’s environmental agency says the web application is new and improved. The latest version features current and completed projects, a search feature to find projects near you and a user-friendly interface. 

It also allows a user to scroll through project histories and photographs of remediation and redevelopment project sites.

The tool doesn’t include every site, but officials say the project viewer is being regularly updated. 

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3 – The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition applauds the recent passage of a U.S. House bill with funding for Great Lakes water infrastructure and restoration. 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed the Senate in August. 

Once signed into law, the bill will invest $1.2 trillion for infrastructure work.

See an EPA fact sheet.

This act will address:

• aging and crumbling drinking water and wastewater infrastructure
• replacement of harmful lead service lines 
• action on emerging contaminants like PFAS.

It also advances ecosystem restoration efforts, including:  

• $1 billion for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore habitat, clean up toxic pollution, reduce runoff pollution and manage invasive species 
• $1.9 billion for aquatic restoration projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition encourages federal lawmakers to use the bill’s passage as momentum to act on climate change.

The coalition includes more than 170 groups representing millions of people.

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM (listen). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

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