Healing Our Waters Coalition » In the News

Settlement will bolster Chicago River restoration

Jeff Alexander — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:58:08 +0000

Efforts to clean up the Chicago River took a huge step forward this week, when the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago settled a Clean Water Act lawsuit that will end its longstanding habit of using the river as a sewer.

The settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to complete a deep tunnel storage system and a massive reservoir that will reduce sewer overflows by capturing more stormwater. The district, which agreed to pay a $675,000 fine, also must install additional green infrastructure — living roofs, rain gardens and pervious pavement — to soak up stormwater.

The Chicago River in downtown Chicago. (Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Sea Grant)

Chicago, like many Great Lakes cities, captures stormwater and sanitary sewage in combined pipes. Storms often overwhelm Chicago’s combined sewer system, which results in discharges of untreated sewage into the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.

“These much needed upgrades to Chicago’s sewer infrastructure will reduce combined sewage overflows and the public’s exposure to harmful pathogens,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “The use of innovative green infrastructure in the city’s urban core will reduce runoff and flooding, and improve the quality of the environment where people live.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the settlement “another important step toward cleaning up the river and restoring it as a recreational frontier for Chicago families.” Read the complete settlement here.

Areas in pink show which segments of the Chicago River have the worst water quality.

Earlier this year, the EPA set new water quality standards that require the Chicago River to be clean enough for swimming. The Chicago Tribune had a fine summary of those regulations.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District treats stormwater and sewage in Chicago and 51 surrounding communities.

Earlier this year, the conservation group American Rivers declared the Chicago River America’s 4^th most endangered river, due to chronic bacterial pollution. American Rivers said metropolitan Chicago discharges 1.2 billion gallons of non-disinfected sewage into the Chicago River each day.

“This wastewater comprises 70 percent of the water in the Chicago River, and threatens the health of area residents,” the group said in a May 2011 report. “Nearly all other U.S. cities disinfect their wastewater before dumping it into their rivers.”

Cleaning up the river would not only improve conditions for aquatic life and people who use the river; it would also strengthen Chicago’s economy.

According to American Rivers, a study by the Illinois Attorney General’s office concluded that restoring water quality in the Chicago River could provide a $1 billion boost to the economy — from recreation alone — in the next 20 years.

Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley wanted to make Chicago the greenest city in America and there has been considerable progress on that front. The city has an outstanding mass transit system, a thriving downtown, a vast network of green spaces that includes the spectacular Millennium Park, and has invested in a considerable number of green infrastructure projects in recent years.

The Chicago River, on the other hand, has long been the Windy City’s dirty little secret.

Transforming the river from an open sewer to a thriving urban river that is safe for fishing, boating and swimming should do wonders for Chicago and strengthen its claim of being a green city.

Newspapers calling for faster action on Asian carp

Jeff Alexander — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:31:23 +0000

The rally cry for faster action on Asian carp continues to grow, with more newspapers calling on federal officials to speed up efforts to keep the menacing fish from invading the Great Lakes.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, has introduced a federal budget amendment that would force the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete, within 18 months, a study of how best to halt the movement of Asian carp and other invasive species between the Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins.

The problem is that Congress can’t agree on a 2012 federal budget. As a result, the fate of Sen. Stabenow’s Stop Asian Carp Amendment is uncertain.

An employee with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service holds a bighead carp. (USFWS photo)

Sen. Stabenow’s amendment warrants immediate approval. It’s the only way the Army Corps will speed up its Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS), which is currently slated for completion in mid-2015.

The Great Lakes can’t wait four years for the Army Corps to figure out how to solve the Asian carp crisis. The ravenous fish are on the verge of invading Lake Michigan.

Newspapers around the region have been publishing editorials recently calling on Congress to take the Asian carp threat seriously and act accordingly.

The Buffalo News said the Stabenow amendment “could go a long way toward protecting the lakes from this destructive fish … the Asian carp isn’t waiting for the corps to act, as it chews its way closer to the Great Lakes and an ecosystem supporting an annual $7 billion sport fishing industry. Read the complete editorial here.

The Battle Creek Enquirer said Congress should take up the Stabenow amendment, regardless of whether it’s part of the federal budget debate. “We agree with the amendment’s 18-month deadline, and hope that all senators in the Great Lakes region, regardless of party, will help put pressure on the Army Corps to press ahead with efforts to protect this valuable water system as quickly as possible,” the newspaper said in an editorial. Read the rest of the editorial here.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer said the Stabenow amendment would put the Army Corps of Engineers “on notice that carp take precedence over complacency. Her proposed Stop Asian Carp amendment to the omnibus spending bill would deliver the boot to that indolent bureaucracy.” Read the complete editorial here.

Army Corps officials have repeatedly said that they take their marching orders from Congress. It’s time for Congress to tell the Army Corps to march in double time to complete the Asian carp study.

Michigan city sets sights on transforming its shoreline

Jeff Alexander — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:30:35 +0000

A $250,000 federal grant and a generous philanthropist will help a community foundation in Port Huron, Michigan transform a former industrial site into mile-long boardwalk along the St. Clair River.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Great Lakes Coastal Program recently awarded a $250,000 grant to the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to advance efforts to develop the Blue Water River Walk.

The river walk will be located on the south side of Port Huron, just south of where Lake Huron funnels into the St. Clair River. Work on the project could begin in 2012.

The Blue Water River Walk will be located near the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan.

In addition to increasing public access to the St. Clair River, the project will create a more natural shoreline that provides habitat for fish and wildlife.

The project, located in the Congressional district of U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, may have never gotten off the ground were it not for the generosity of Jim Acheson. He is a local developer who has transformed a former industrial area known as Desmond Landing into an assortment of community-oriented structures, including the Blue Water YMCA and an office complex.

Port Huron’s Blue Water River Walk was inspired in part by the Detroit Riverwalk, which has transformed the Motor City’s waterfront and served as a catalyst for growth in the economically distressed city.

The Detroit Riverwalk project has demonstrated the economic value of restoring Great Lakes shorelines. The Detroit River waterfront, which was dominated for more than a century by industrial facilities, is now a magnet for local residents and tourists.

The Blue Water River Walk could produce similar results: The project is located at one of the best spots in the Great lakes to watch massive freighters traverse North America’s freshwater seas.

U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy Named as Great Lakes Task Force Co-chair

Jordan Lubetkin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:52:41 +0000

This week the Northeast-Midwest Institute named U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) a co-chair of the Great Lakes Congressional Task Force, a bi-partisan, bicameral group that works to enhance the economic and environmental well-being of the Great Lakes.

Rep. Duffy will serve as co-chair with Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), and Candice Miller (R-Mich.) In a statement on the announcement, Rep. Miller said:

“I am very proud to welcome Congressman Sean Duffy and thank him for joining as the fourth co-chair on this bipartisan group of members who are dedicated to protecting our nation’s national treasure, the Great Lakes. I look forward to serving with him in this task force.”

The Great Lakes Task Force Senate co-chairs are Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).

The Great Lakes Task Force has been a leader in galvanizing support from the region’s Congressional delegation from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin for programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Sustain Our Great Lakes Program Awards $8.5 Million in Restoration Grants

Jennifer Hill — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:40:12 +0000

Today the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced 30 Great Lakes restoration grant awards through its Sustain Our Great Lakes Program. The projects are being funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which provided $8.5 million to the Sustain Our Great Lakes Program in 2011 for improving the quality and connectivity of tributary, wetland and coastal habitats in the Great Lakes basin.

Projects are being funded in the Great Lakes states of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, and Ohio as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. See the full list of projects here. The projects will put people to work and benefit communities by producing the short-term results of restoring fish and wildlife habitat, controlling invasive species, updating stream crossings, and improving fish passage.

Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) said in a press release on the grant awards:

“We have made great strides in protecting our Great Lakes, but we still have much to do. This funding from the Sustain Our Great Lakes program is an investment that will continue the progress that we have made so far, and will ensure this natural resource is available for future generations to enjoy.”

In the long run, these projects will help sustain the tourism, hunting, angling and recreational opportunities that people cherish in the Great Lakes region. We know that spending money on restoration is one of the best returns in the federal budget. Just this spring, economists found a 6-to-1 return in investment for restoration dollars going to clean up of Muskegon Lake, an area of concern in Southwest Michigan.

The longer we wait, the more it will cost to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Today’s announcement by Sustain Our Great Lakes illustrates that there are groups in the region ready and able to do the work needed to clean up the Lakes. Congress and the Administration should continue to support this important work by restoring funding for Great Lakes programs in the 2012 budget and providing $475 million in the 2013 federal budget for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Cleveland Plain Dealer Urges Congress to Beat Back Cuts to Restoration Funds

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:13:24 +0000

The Plain Dealer editorial board grows the growing list of newspapers in the region to throw its support behind the national effort to restore the Great Lakes. In an editorial on Sunday, the paper urges Congress to support funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The paper writes:

“The House needs to bump up that funding to $350 million — the amount President Barack Obama requested. His restoration initiative targets threats such as invasive species and toxic blue-green algae blooms that endanger a $7.5 billion commercial fishing industry, 800,000 jobs and the drinking water of 30 million people.”

The paper urges Ohio’s Congressional delegation to step up to the plate to support Great Lakes program. The paper deservedly gives credit to Ohio Reps. Steve LaTourette (R-Bainbridge Township) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo), both of whom sit on the House Appropriations Committee and, in the words of the paper, “have been instrumental in keeping the initiative afloat.”

That’s the kind of bi-partisan support that is needed—in the House and Senate. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman have the opportunity to lead on this issue and help restore funding to essential programs that citizens in Ohio and the region rely on for their drinking water, jobs, and way of life.

The Politics of Fishing: Blue or Red?

tpache — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:03:20 +0000

Fishing doesn’t belong to the red states or the blue sates, it is a true purple state issue and it is unconscionable that some are attempting to turn fishing into a partisan issue. An ESPN columnist and a couple conservative talk show hosts have been repeating a false rumor that President Obama wants to ban fishing in the United States.

Hitler’s propaganda genius Joseph Geobbels once said, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” And this is one big fish tale that people are starting to believe because of a lie being spread through the entertainment media. It started with a rumor that ESPN opinion writer Robert Montgomery printed and then talk show hosts Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck took the unsubstantiated claim and ran with it – surely it boosted ratings, but at what cost to the fishing public?

Jeffrey Weeks of the Charlotte Examiner who has spent column after column been trying to dispel the mythical policy statements believes that more harm than good will come from encouraging this falsehood. After explaining the lie, he wrote:

“There are huge dangers in what is happening for the American recreational angler. If we allow extreme right-wing conservatives to become the national spokesmen for us as fishermen against the Obama Administration and environmental groups, we run the risk of actually encouraging the over-regulation of fishing in the USA. The truth of the matter, as I have repeatedly stated since ESPN started the Obama fishing ban myth earlier this week, is that the administration Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force is likely to recommend broad potential regulations on some ocean fishing which will not affect average recreational fishermen at all.”

But if you read the comments on Weeks column it is as if the Limbaugh and Beck fans just don’t want to believe the truth. That is why it is so significant that on March 10, NOAH’s Eric Schwaab released the following statement on NOAH letterhead:

“The Ocean Policy Task Force has not recommended a ban on recreational
fishing.

The draft reports by the Ocean Policy Task Force do not contain a zoning map
and do not establish any restrictions on recreational fishing, nor make any
judgments about whether one ocean activity or use is better than another.
Instead, the reports set up a policy and framework for effectively managing the
many sustainable uses of the ocean while upholding our responsibility to be
stewards of our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.

As a member of the task force, NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, has
said, and I echo her on this, that saltwater recreational fishing is vital to this
nation and NOAA is committed to building a strong partnership with America’s
saltwater anglers to ensure that Americans have opportunities to fish sustainably
for generations to come.

Saltwater recreational fishing matters to me on a personal level as a recreational
fisherman, it matters to millions of Americans who enjoy this great sport and it
matters to our economy.”

The letter goes on to say that the Task Force will work closely with anglers to ensure future generations of enjoyment for the fishing community.

So there you have it. Good for you Weeks for shouting truth from the proverbial mountain tops. You are not alone – we hear you and we agree. Fishing is not a partisan issue and should never be treated as such.

Halloween Land Carp Attack

tpache — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:32:13 +0000

Des Plaines, Illinois – A Des Plaines resident was dragged from her house and brutally chomped upon by a large Asian Carp on Halloween night.

“It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me,” said the frightened and wet resident. “I had heard the Jaws Theme playing in the back ground, but thought it was part of a child’s Halloween costume.”

Apparently, the unidentified young woman opened the door to the words trick-or-treat and then was pounced upon by the hefty Asian Carp. Experts speculate that the land carp escaped from the Des Plaines River during recent flooding.

“It was only a matter of time before this happened,” explained David Greene, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Michigan. “Climate change is going to give the land carp more of an advantage with harsh fast rains and increased flooding. These creatures adapt very quickly to their new ecosystems and it isn’t surprising that they’ve recently been able to transit land.”

Since this news broke, two more houses have been attacked. “The land carp came to my door on Sunday night, but I had heard about the Halloween attack from a neighbor at church,” said another female victim. “When I came to the door, he said he had a candygram for me, but I didn’t buy it. I said you’re that terrible land carp I’ve heard about aren’t you? I threatened to call the police and then he became very quiet. It was then that he told me he was only a catfish and I, sniff, I, well, I opened the door,” she said while she rubbed her bruised shoulder.

The Asian Carp grew bolder at the next house, according to the resident who said that she asked who it was and the fish responded, “Land Carp.” The resident opened the door as she had not read the newspaper all week, but she walked away with just a few bruises.

Police report that there have been several other sightings. The sizeable land carp was last seen heading for Lake Michigan.

Clean Water Act Revamp?

tpache — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:47:56 +0000

After what is likely to become an award winning series on the failure of the Clean Water Act to meet its goals, the New York Times produced an editorial calling for some significant changes to the nearly 40-year-old act.

The editorial calls on the Environmental Protection Agency to better police the states. The states have the primary role to issue permits and enforce the law, but many appear to fail to take their job seriously. For instance, as one commenter writes, cities and towns are rarely held accountable for dumping tons of sewage into the Great Lakes and their tributaries. “Milwaukee for instance, dumps billions of gallons of sewer (sic) annually into Lake Michigan. Why? Because only private individuals and businesses are pursued by the EPA. Municipalities nearly always get a warning to do “something”, but are never in any danger of being forced to change. So the biggest water pollution problem facing our nation will continue while we crush the guy who accidentally dumps 100 gallons of pollution from his farm into a nearby river,” writes Guy Thompto, of Cedarburg, Wisc.

The Editorial then proposes that lawmakers close the loopholes that allow pollution from large animal feeding operations and power plants. “What utilities put into the air is regulated. Not so the toxics — arsenic, lead, cadmium — they discharge into the water. The agency was supposed to have set limits on these pollutants in the 1980s, and never has. That’s disgraceful,” the New York Times states.

Another reader points out that willing polluters are much more likely to spend money on lawyers and lobbyists to avoid complying with the law arguing that compliance will ruin their business. Jack Teague of Alabama argues that we need a paradigm shift and perhaps this NYT series will begin to create a new mindset, he writes: “Until the American mindset changes to value public health above, or at least equal to, unfettered capitalism, any reinvigorated efforts at the Clean Water Act will be short-lived.” Another thing we old Rust Belters know a thing or two about – how quickly profits subsume any care for public health.

The New York Times editorial recommends fixing the Clean Water Act to include direct discharges from large point sources. The law should be rewritten to give higher priority to toxins that flow into our waters via farms, suburban lawns and city streets.

Paul Freedman of the Water Environment Federation writes on his blog that the majority of our dirty damaged waters is caused by nonpoint sources of pollution but our regulatory system fails to address these problems. As we well know in the Great Lakes region the ancient state of our infrastructure needs not just repair but in many places wholesale replacement.

The point is that the Clean Water Act is getting old and may need a bit more of a facelift to deal with more modern issues that are vexing our waters. Such a review would also allow us to include green innovations as solutions that didn’t exist in the early ‘70s. Freedman writes, “Basically today we have a regulatory tool kit that is designed to address problems that no longer exist and doesn’t give us the tools to address our new problems and potential solutions. And we don’t have integrated water programs that allow us to focus on high-priority needs and practical effective solutions. These problems will become even more challenging with population growth and climate change.”

Finally, the New York Times editorial calls for more funding for understaffed state agencies and better data collection across the board, but increasing enforcement efforts, improving the law and increasing financial aid is a lot to think about – seems some are asking if the Clean Water Restoration Act will be enough?

Great Lakes Play Big Role in Second City’s Revival

tpache — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:00:52 +0000

Ohio Street Beach

Chicago’s amazing architecture and waterfront vistas are attracting second home buyers from around the country and around the world. It appears that when Chicago showcased the city’s perch upon Lake Michigan it made it one of the most sought after locations for second home buyers from New York City to Switzerland!

“Chicago’s waterfront is a major driving force behind Chicago’s emergence as a second home and vacation destination, “said local realtor Kathleen Malone. “The preservation of Chicago’s waterfront is a major priority to Chicago’s residents and also a major draw for tourists and potential out-of-town buyers,” she added.

According to a recent New York Times story, Chicago is becoming a destination for people seeking a second home. Malone told HOW that she has clients from New York, San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles as well as London and Tokyo! She says the lakefront offers clients venues for outdoor fun such as sailing, kayaking, swimming and biking. There are 31 beaches and 15 beach walks along Chicago’s lakefront.

But Chicago’s renaissance didn’t happen overnight. Once upon a time, city planners envisioned an attractive waterfront that would boost the Chicago’s image. Mayor Daly agreed with them and was determined to make Chicago’s old rail yard into Millennium Park extending Grant Park and the green space between the city’s skyscrapers and the beaches of Lake Michigan. Not only does the venue draw tourists to the city, and place it as a contender for the Summer Olympics of 2016, but the property values have improved along the Lake’s coastline as well.

A report by the Brookings Institute endorses such investments in the northern coastline along with cleaning up and fully restoring the Great Lakes to a healthy condition. The report found that by investing $26 billion in the eight-state region to overhaul sewer systems, clean up toxic pollution and conserve the area, the entire region would benefit economically. Companies would want to relocate to these attractive areas and green collar industries could replace the old rust belt companies. Not only does the Great Lakes region offer the beauty and advantages of vast fresh water resources but it also offers up some of the best educational institutions in the world.

The federal government has not committed to investing $26 billion in Great Lakes restoration yet, but it is considering spending $475 million on restoration efforts this year. It has also invested more money in the state revolving fund to fix up sewers and waste water treatment in the stimulus package. In addition, the US House has approved tripling the spending on the clean-up of toxic pollution in the Great Lakes Legacy Act, but the Senate has yet to act on this initiative.

The point is that Chicago may be our first shining example of what can happen in the Great Lakes states and cities when we invest in Great Lakes restoration. We have only just begun and this city is already attracting residents from around the nation and the world. “Any investment in Chicago’s lake front and preservation will play a major role in Chicago’s future,” Malone said before adding that out-of-towners are often commenting on how clean Lake Michigan and the city appear to be.

“Preservation of the Great Lakes is vital not only to the environment but also to the health of the cities that benefit from the waterfront,” Malone said.

Not only will Chicago continue to benefit from restoration, but Detroit, Toledo, Buffalo and many other Great Lakes cities could find business and residents flocking back to our shores.