Michigan Environmental Report
News from Michigan Environmental Council on public policies affecting the health of Michigan's people and environment
TRIVIA TIME: Test your knowledge of Michigan’s State Parks
How much do you know about Michigan's State Parks? Test your knowledge here!
Asian carp expert: Great Lakes tributaries may be more at risk than the lakes themselves
Google “Asian carp,” and you’ll return 348,000 hits. Not as many as Lindsay Lohan (21.3 million) but still plenty of choices from which to glean information on the voracious fish knocking on the door of the Great Lakes.
Smoking ban becomes law May 1; here’s what you’ll need to know
A new Michigan law banning smoking at bars, restaurants, and all other worksites, with the exception of the gaming floors of the three Detroit casinos and existing cigar bars and tobacco specialty stores, will become effective on May 1 of this year.
Lake Michigan wind farm plan generates angst, highlights work of Wind Council
Norwegian developers are proposing the state’s first offshore wind farm in Lake Michigan near Pentwater. The plan, for up to 200 turbines within two miles of Silver Lake sand dunes, has generated controversy statewide. Developer Scandia Wind Offshore LLC recently announced it was cutting the project size in half and moving it farther offshore in response to criticism.
Pact reached: Nestlé agrees to reduced water taking in Mecosta County
Citizen group MCWC declares victory in case that changed state law
A grassroots Michigan group declared victory on behalf of the state’s water resources in July after a protracted nine-year battle with an international corporation’s water bottling operation in West Michigan.
Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation continues fight for water rights; Nestlé asks for court do-over
The legal battle of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC) v Nestlé has taken another turn. Nestlé has filed legal arguments to retry a water law case it lost in the trial court and Court of Appeals based on fact and judgment against Nestlé for violation of groundwater law. A three-month trial in 2003 determined that proposed Nestlé withdrawals near Big Rapids would unreasonably drop stream and wetland water levels.
Changing of the guard: Chris Kolb hired to lead MEC into new era
Former State Representative Chris Kolb—an environmental champion in the legislature and a veteran of the environmental management field, has been hired as the new president of the Michigan Environmental Council.
Michigan’s offshore winds harbor vast potential for energy, economic development
MEC committed to helping lay the groundwork for new era of renewable power
Our beloved Great Lakes are our nation’s most valuable fresh water haven. But in the age of peak oil, renewable energy standards and grandiose ‘Pickens like’ energy plans, our lakes’ second most plentiful resource lies hundreds of feet above the waters. That resource is offshore wind energy.