GOOD: Water deal paves way to outlaw Great Lakes diversions
Michigan moved one step closer Monday to signing on to a multi-state compact to keep Great Lakes water from being piped to the thirsty Southwest or elsewhere outside the region.
The Great Lakes Basin Compact had widespread support in Michigan all along but it was a connected issue - regulating water use within the state - that delayed movement.
Now with a bipartisan agreement on in-state water use, lawmakers could approve the compact quickly.
The in-state use deal would mean farmers or businesses seeking to drill new wells pumping 100,000 gallons of water or more per day will have to register with the state, but won't need approval. Those planning to pump 1 million gallons or more per day will need a permit.
The Great Lakes are crucial, not only to Michigan but to the US and North America in general. A balance needs to be struck between growth and the environment, and this seems like a reasonable attempt.
WHY: Government Suppresses Major Public Health Report
A CDC study of environmental and health data in eight Great Lakes states has not been released as scheduled. The story is on Alternet, but still worth a look.
IN GREAT LAKES FOR ALL: Bush budget shortchanges Great Lakes
President Bush's recently unveiled 2009 budget shortchanges the Great Lakes, according to an AP report. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition analyzed the budget proposal and concluded that the presidents request of about $300 million for Great Lakes programs was a reduction of over $50 million from what was appropriated for 2008. That means less money for sewage upgrades and the ongoing battle against invasive species.
But he also notes that a lot is probably going to change by the time the 2009 budget comes up for a vote.
Laugh if you want, but if the U.S. is ever going to invade Canada, it is going to be to gain access to our fresh water supplies. California, Arizona and New Mexico are just three of the states in desperate need of fresh water to grow their crops that feed the U.S. consumer and large portions of the world.
I have followed this situation for 48 years in the world of media, and if you don't think this scenario has any chance of playing out, I would ask you to try pouring oil on your pancakes and try to make coffee and tea by boiling oil.
I'm a proponent of protecting our water supply and aware of water's importance, but I also think we'll be building desalination plants by the dozens before we invade someone to steal their water.
Via Great Lakes Blogger.
SPINVILLE: NESTLE'S HOME TOWN. Great Lakes Blogger notes that Nestle seems to be living by rules where taking water out of a stream doesn't lessen the amount of water in that stream.
At the next hearing, we may hear that the more water Nestle pumps, the more there is in the stream.
There are so many things that threaten Michigan's water a little here and a little there. This plan seems set to take more than a little.
GREAT LAKES FOR ALL: Hands off our water!
Tempers flared when the House subcommittee on water resources and environment began discussing a seemingly innocuous proposal to study US water use and availability. As reported in the Detroit Free Press, Michigan Representatives Candice Miller and Vern Ehlers vigorously opposed the legislation.
Ehlers said Michigan would probably "call up the militia and take up arms" over this. Seriously.
WATER LEVELS PLUS WIND: Wind drives the water away:
During March, April, May and June, water levels rise because ice is thawing. By the middle of July, water levels peak and begin to decline again because of evaporation.
The area is also going through what experts call a seiche, when wind blows water to one end of the lake...
"This is not something that doesn't happen on a frequent basis," he said. "It happens, just a lot of times we don't notice because it's not as obvious as it is now."
The U.S. Coast Guard, however, had to move two of its boats from Marblehead to the Jackson Street Pier in Sandusky, something they haven't had to do in years. Also in the bay, a wrecked freighter whose frame has remained where it was since it burned to the waterline in the 1930s was revealed as water levels dropped.
Via Great Lakes Ship Watchers.
I've changed the 'Lake Michigan' category on MichiBlogger to 'Great Lakes', which is what it probably should have been all along. I live in West Michigan and I suspect that the majority of big lake news will still involve Lake Michigan, but our state includes all of them and they're all very closely linked, so I finally made the switch.
Don't be confused that the actual hyperlink still says 'lake_michigan'. Once a category name is assigned it sticks. Rest assured that all five great lakes, plus probably even all the smaller lakes (which are great in their own right) will be covered.
Fresh water is one of Michigan's greatest natural resources and deserves to be watched a lot more closely than it usually is.
GOOD LINKS: Word of the Week: Freighter
November 10th, 1975.
For more Edmund Fitzgerald videos, see last year's post.
BOTTLED WATER IN THE NEWS AGAIN: Evart, Michigan declares Great Lakes Basin water a commodity. Says Dave at Great Lakes Blogger:
With friends like this, the Great Lakes are in trouble.
As I've said many times previously, I'm no enviro-whackjob. But there has to be common sense and there have to be limits.
GO FIGURE: Shippers fight Michigan law regulating ballast water
Shipping interests in the U.S. and Canada have banded together to try to strike down a Michigan law that attempts to stop the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels into the Great Lakes.
Four shipping companies, four shipping associations and one dock company filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Detroit asking a judge to declare the Michigan Ballast Water Act unconstitutional.
As I've said previously, I'm not a big one for environmental regulations. But again, this one seems reasonable and not too difficult to comply with.
The shippers are complaining that the regulations are wrong because only a tiny fraction of the ships that visit Michigan ports actually dump their ballast water.
So, um, why's it such a hardship, then?
State Sen. Patty Birkholz, R-Saugatuck, said she introduced her legislation after the federal government failed to act against the obvious source for invasive species entering the Great Lakes.
"I am just shocked," Birkholz said of the suit by the shippers. "If anything, we ought to be suing them."
THE SALMON CATCH WAS UP IN MICHIGAN in 2006, but only 18 made the Department of Natural Resources Master Angler list.
"Numberswise, the Lake Michigan fishery was phenomenal in 2006. It's the best I've seen," Tom Rozich, the DNR's Cadillac district fisheries supervisor, said. Rozich tracks how many big salmon, steelhead and brown trout turn up at Lake Michigan ports and tributaries.
"Weightwise, they were all three to five pounds heavier than in 2005.
"But the number of Master Angler fish we get depends on the amount of forage we have out there."
And those numbers have been down in recent years, according to Rozich.
I didn't get out on the big lake this past summer, though maybe I'll give it a go again this year.
LAST MONTH I NOTED A FREE LAKE MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSE GUIDE. Well, my wife saw the post and ordered one, and she loves it. Plus, you can't beat the price. Highly recommended.
AND THE PRICE IS RIGHT:
The free 2007 guide to the Lake Michigan Circle Tour is now available.
The free 19th edition of the guide was produced as a partnership between the West Michigan Tourist Association and Trails Media Group of Wisconsin, and includes coverage of all four Lake Michigan shoreline states — Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
The publication features a lighthouse map and index, which identifies over 90 beacons and the 1,100-mile Circle Tour route. Grids for each region list structural details, accessibility information and special features of each guiding light.
Regional features for each state include dozens of ideas for dining, lodging, events and attractions, plus maps and trip planning.
"This guide is a must for lighthouse buffs and maritime historians," said Sarah Crapo, director of marketing for the West Michigan Tourist Association. "The tales of yore that bring the Lake Michigan lighthouses to life will fascinate all readers."
The guide can be ordered online at www.wmta.org/pubs.shtml, or by calling the association at (800) 442-2084.
From the Grand Haven Tribune.
GREAT NEWS: Lake trout showing signs of a comeback.
Not so great news:
Scientists who discovered lake trout eggs hatching on a reef 30 miles offshore of Grand Haven found no evidence the fish were living long enough to become juveniles or mature fish.
Hat tip to Dave's Blog.
THE COAST GUARD HAS CANCELLED ITS PLANS FOR MACHINE GUN RANGES ON THE GREAT LAKES. FOR NOW. MichiBlogger noted the plans last month, including the proposed ranges for Lake Michigan.
Though the plan is cancelled, it seems clear that the issue is not gone despite many leaders and politicians in both the US and Canada who opposed the firing ranges:
U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, had also expressed reservations about how the Coast Guard went about its proposal.
"I earlier stated my reservations about the Coast Guard failing to effectively communicate to the public its initial plans," Hoekstra said in a statement. "The Coast Guard's decision to cancel ... such exercises reflects an understanding that a thorough vetting process is essential to ensure a minimal environmental, recreational and commercial impact on the region."
Like Hoekstra, the Coast Guard itself seems to be focusing more on the way the plan was put into motion and the specifics rather than the general idea of machine gun training ranges:
"The Coast Guard appreciates the thoughtful comments we received and we will work with the public to ensure the Coast Guard can meet any threat to public safety or security. We are committed to addressing the concerns that training be safe, preserve the diverse uses of the Lakes, and protect the environment," said Rear Adm. John E. Crowley, Jr., commander of the Ninth Coast Guard District.
"As a native son of the region I take the Coast Guard's role as guardians of the Great Lakes very seriously. The Great Lakes are one of the nation's most precious resources. The current NPRM is unsatisfactory and I will take the time to get this right. We will not conduct live-fire training on the Great Lakes to satisfy non-emergency training requirements unless we publish a rule, and I intend to reconsider the number, frequency of use, and location of water training areas as well as other concerns raised by the public. I am also committed to pursuing environmentally-friendly alternatives to the lead ammunition we currently use."
Sounds like a new proposal won't be long in coming. As long as they go about it the right way and maybe consider fewer and/or smaller designated ranges, I see no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to train with their weapons on the Lakes. If they ever need them, we want them to be proficient with them.
THE H2O PODCAST: "A central location where you can hear Audio Files on Water and other Environmental Issues." Hopefully we'll be able to find good stuff on the Great Lakes once it ramps up. (Hat Tip to Dave's Blog)
HOVERCRAFT FROM GARY, INDIANA, TO CHICAGO'S NAVY PIER? Could be: Hoosier-craft Lake Michigan vehicle could travel from Gary to Chicago in 15 minutes.
At only $7 per person, I can see this getting some serious business. Especially during heavy road contstruction season. It could be up and running by June if everything goes quickly. Or it could be just another idea that goes nowhere. We'll see.
FRANKFORT IS TALKING ABOUT ADDING ANOTHER FERRY ON LAKE MICHIGAN. It would run to Algoma, Wisconsin.
RACINE, WISCONSIN, IS GOING TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT CLADOPHORA ALGAE. The algae is making a comeback in Lake Michigan even though the phosphorous levels which previously fed the stuff are down.
The goal of the study isn't to cut down on the stuff, though, but to determine whether the mats of it can carry dangerous amounts of bacteria.
Here's a cool map showing the bathymetry of Lake Michigan:
Click for a better look. From the NOAA, which has posters, CD-ROMs, and more available.
I remember the night I first heard Gordon Lightfoot's 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'. It was after bed time and I was lying awake, listening to that transistor radio my grandpa and grandma had given me for Christmas.
November 10th was the thirty-first anniversary of the loss of the ship and her crew. Here is a great video put together by Stonewall Studios:
More videos below.
Continue reading "Edmund Fitzgerald videos" »
I HAPPENED TO NOTICE Mayors blast Coast Guard today:
A group of mayors from 80 Great Lakes cities in the U.S. and Canada called on the Coast Guard Monday to drop plans for offshore weapons training on the lakes.
Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy declined to join the effort, instead offering his support of the Coast Guard plan to create 34 machine-gun ranges on the Great Lakes.
The Coast Guard released the proposal in August. The firing ranges would be designed for a weapon that can shoot 10 lead bullets a second. The agency has said it must train its crews to handle new, more powerful M240-B machine guns.
I hadn't heard of this plan before, but a quick google turned up a fair amount of zaniness. Here's a sample (all emphasis is mine):
CBC News in Canada:
Politicians representing Canadian cities bordering the Great Lakes have complained that they cannot participate in the public hearings, even though they are near some of the proposed firing ranges.
One site is within 40 kilometres of Kingston, Ont...
[Sarnia, Ont., Mayor Mike Bradley] said the new firing ranges are a huge backward step.
"They effectively have now made the Great Lakes a military zone," he said, adding that the Canada-U.S. border used to be the longest undefended border in the world, and that claim to fame is now a myth.
Then there's Reuters with Guns on U.S. Coast Guard vessels trigger protest:
"This is just boys with guns wanting to have fun on the Great Lakes," Bradley said. "Government agencies on both sides of the border are obtaining more money and, of more concern, more power by using the word 'terrorism' or the words 'homeland security."'...
Passing boats or planes could be endangered if bullets are fired into the air from pitching boats in the famously rough lake waters, [Jennifer Nalbone of the environmental group Great Lakes United] said. She suggested the Coast Guard could train on simulators.
A Coast Guard spokesman, Chief Robert Lanier, said seamen needed to train on the lakes to get the feel of firing from a moving vessel.
"We have done everything we can to make it as safe as possible," Lanier said, including having a safety officer on hand to halt the exercise if necessary and broadcasts on marine band radio for boaters to steer clear.
Great Lakes fishermen say few use their marine radios anymore -- mobile phones have a longer range -- but find it ironic that the agency they have relied on to rescue them could soon be a hidden danger.
As for training on simulators, I'm sure that the Coasties will get plenty of that, as well. But nothing replaces practicing with the real thing. Maybe, if the lead threatens to kill all the marine life in the Lakes, Ms. Nalbone could just watch television shows about fish instead of seeing real ones.
And it's pretty clear that Reuters doesn't support the plan. They seem to think that the Coast Guard will suddenly become a 'hidden danger' because they want to practice with the weapons they're going to use to do the unsavory parts of their job.
But the Gun Guys take the cake:
Using firearms is never safe, no matter what precautions are taken
Hmmm. That pretty much ends any chance of honest and meaningful discussion right there, doesn't it?
Now, is this a major reason to fight for laws against guns and gun violence? Not at all. There are plenty more persuasive reasons to fight for stronger gun laws, not least of which is that guns are, in fact, physically dangerous.
This is the sort of simpleton rhetoric that dooms the anti-gun crowd. Guns are, in fact, "physically dangerous"? I hear this quite a bit, but no one has explained to me yet what's dangerous about guns. (Yes, yes, a PERSON with a gun might be dangerous, but that's something else entirely...)
Really, go read the whole thing. It's amazing.
Anyway, I don't necessarily support all these firing ranges. I haven't thought about it until today. In fact, I guess I probably would have assumed that the Coast Guard had firing ranges all along. How are they supposed to do their jobs? With a nightstick? If it's with firearms of any sort, they need to practice on the waters of the big lakes.
Maybe the number of ranges or their locations can be negotiated. But the need for the Coast Guard to be able to train with its weapons should not be up for discussion.
UPDATE: I found some great maps of the proposed ranges (made using Chart Navigator) at Great-Lakes.org. I posted the Lake Michigan maps, and check out the site for the rest of ranges.
ONTARIO, CANADA, PLANS TO BUILD NORTH AMERICA'S FIRST "DEEP-ROCK" NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP. About a half mile from the shore of Lake Huron.
The dump would carve out 38 huge caverns 700 yards underground in limestone and shale that supposedly has remained geologically stable for the past 450 million years. Low-level waste such as mops, clothing and floor sweepings and intermediate-level waste such as used reactor parts, would be stored there.
Construction would start in 2013, with the first waste - which is already stored at the Kincardine facility - being buried in 2017.
Congressman Bart Stupak, D-Menominee is leading American opposition to the plan. And the protest is gathering steam.
Meanwhile, in the US: Reid and Ensign Expected to Stop President Bush's Yucca Mountain Plan. Nobody wants this in their backyard.
(via Dig Michigan)
