Michigan Environmental Issues

Cannon Township group gathers to discuss anti-fracking ordinance

2013-05-22T16:45:50Z

"We will develop a package that is ready to turn over to your planner and your attorney," environmental lawyer Jim Olson told the group at the outset of the two-hour meeting.

Column: In Jackson and across the nation, we need to take note of climate change milestone

2013-05-22T12:00:00Z

Hopefully, a national energy policy and rules to reduce carbon dioxide will come before it is too late for the world as we know it.

Letter to the editor: Apple, cherry grower complains Senators voting for more government involvement

2013-05-21T21:14:44Z

Every two and four years in this state we are subjected to candidates running for office. They spend millions to tell us what we want to hear: they'll cut taxes, reduce regulations and reform government. All, empty promises when it...

Bailey Hoophouse at MSU: Participants in the food system feeding the living soil

2013-05-21T18:01:15Z

"As an environmentalist a key piece of our effort is making that connection to the land, soil and food that we grow. We're not just consumers; we're participants in a food system," Thorp says.

Natalie Burg: Michigan's detours into social issues won’t help attract young talent

2013-05-19T12:15:00Z

By Natalie Burg KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER: Millennials appreciate Michigan's place-making efforts, writers Natalie Burg, but the state won't have much success selling itself to young talent with outdated attitudes on social issues such as gay marriage. (courtesy photo)I was pretty...

Work done at ex-brownfield site on Detroit River

2013-05-18T19:34:46Z

Major environmental restoration work has been completed on a former industrial site along the Detroit River, officials announced Saturday.

From Refuse to Economic Resource: The Recycling Industry is Reshaping Traditional Perceptions of Waste

2013-05-17T14:26:16Z

Perhaps the most compelling "take home" message from our visit to Bay City, and one that we heard from everyone we talked to, is the need for a paradigm shift in our notion of "waste." Once we understand that things we have traditionally thought of as throw aways are actually income-generating resources that are not only good environmentally, but also economically.

April's heavy rains pushed billions of gallons of sewage into Michigan waterways

2013-05-16T14:31:28Z

April’s torrential rainfall led to the release of an estimated 1.5 billion gallons of tainted water from Michigan sewer systems. State and local officials have been working for years to upgrade aging sewers, with some success, but some experts say billions of dollars are needed to resolve the problem.

'Let's move some dirt': Developer wins incentive package for Muskegon Lake's Terrace Point Landing

2013-05-16T12:25:48Z

West Michigan developer Jon Rooks was granted an environmental cleanup and property tax abatement incentive from the city of Muskegon for Terrace Point Landng -- a 70-lot, $12 million residential development planned for Muskegon Lake.

GVSU energy center to use state grant to study solar energy installations in the Muskegon area

2013-05-15T18:02:57Z

The $44,000 from the Michigan Energy Office will allow Grand Valley State University to study the solar installations placed on 75 Muskegon and Oceana county low-income homes and to address solar panel angles and snow issues in West Michigan solar installations.

State: Controversial White River Township dune 'driveway' would harm dunes, isn't a driveway

2013-05-15T11:16:31Z

The state’s rejection of an application to build a “driveway” across a protected dune sanctuary agrees with many of the opponents’ arguments – including their contention that it isn’t a driveway at all.

Thousands of failed septic tanks across the state threaten Michigan's waters

2013-05-14T13:11:46Z

In a year, nearly 10 billion gallons of untreated wastewater flows out of failed septic systems and into the surrounding Michigan soils and waters. The state has no uniform code for regulating septic systems, which have become common in suburban communities, and few county health departments regularly inspect them, a Bridge investigation found.

Plans to export US natural gas stir debate

2013-05-12T18:34:13Z

A domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers are poised to ship vast quantities of gas overseas as energy companies seek permits for proposed export projects that could set off a renewed frenzy of fracking.

Michigan has nation's weakest regulations on septic systems

2013-05-12T13:20:16Z

Michigan has the weakest statewide regulation of septic systems in the country – a fact that has withstood repeated efforts by organizations to enact improvements. Advocates are rallying for another go in Lansing and officials .

Former Shell Oil President, Top Gov. Snyder Staff Share Vision for American Energy Renaissance at Major Detroit-Area Forum

2013-05-10T14:11:07Z

“What I learned when I was Shell president, was that one of the issues facing us and the energy future of this country,” he says, “was the awareness, or the amount of knowledge, that people carry around in their heads about energy.”

Pink Seagull? Petoskey resident snaps picture of unusual bird

2013-05-08T21:55:54Z

About two weeks ago, Fochtman was starting her daily routine and looked through her kitchen window to find a bright pink seagull.

West Michigan students observe National Bike to School Day

2013-05-08T11:53:00Z

Eight West Michigan schools in Kent, Ottawa, and Ionia counties are participating.

Radioactive water was released into Lake Michigan before Palisades nuclear plant shutdown Sunday

2013-05-06T19:05:50Z

'The leakage has increased for unknown reasons to a calculated value of approximately 90 gallons per day,' Palisades noted in its event report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

GVSU wind buoy launched for third year of research on Lake Michigan northwest of Muskegon pierhead

2013-05-04T10:47:44Z

Andrie Inc. crews set the Grand Valley State University wind research platform 10 miles northwest of the Muskegon Lighthouse Lake Michigan.

Environmentally Feted Michigan Company Builds “Final Four” Basketball Courts the "Green" Way

2013-05-03T16:38:54Z

Connor is also the only independently certified “Zero Waste” sports flooring manufacturer in the U.S. And, the last time I checked, maple trees are a renewable resource. Just one more example of how an entrepreneurial management team can achieve profitability while embracing environmental stewardship.