Great Lakes Blogger

A footnote on the $475M for the Lakes

The good news first, the questions second.

Most everyone agrees the Great Lakes are in sore need of more federal attention, but some have criticized the restoration movement's focus on dollars without a parallel focus on laws and regulations to protect the world's largest freshwater system from ongoing pollution problems.

For example, the plan calls for spending more than $60 million to combat invasive species, but it does not demand that the oceangoing vessels that are responsible for most of the new species introductions stop dumping their contaminated ballast.

And some have complained that the plan calls for spending more money on evaluating its own effectiveness than fighting the invasive species problem.

Yes, what were they thinking?

When our Great Lakes-loving Congressional delegation pandered to the shipping industry and its polluting ways this week.

Those are some tough words, but they reflect what a lot of people are thinking after Great Lakes shippers sailed through a loophole that allows them to avoid complying with new air pollution standards. Navigating the way for them was our very own Congressional Delegation who evidently held meetings with the EPA and refused to talk publicly about the summits. We, the constituents, were able to get glimpses of the debate from a staffer who- in the press – alluded to cost-benefit analysis that would prove the shippers cause, but when we asked to see such studies they could not be unearthed (in fact, the EPA didn’t know to what the staffer was referring!).

Lost the Spin War

Here's another illustration of how the Great Lakes shipping industry, in a little more than two weeks, completely stole the public framing of the clean air rule fight. Environmental objections and just plain countering facts have merited a paragraph in most stories.

And so much for industry-environmental partnerships. They happen only when it's in industry's interest.

Money for the Great Lakes

$475 million for the Lakes as a whole (great), a little pork for Michigan besides. And another unchallenged, false claim about the effect of EPA rules on archaic, dirty Great Lakes vessels. Details here.

Great Lakes Restoration and Climate Change

Interesting thoughts from federal Great Lakes 'czar' Cam Davis.

"I look at the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as a climate change adaptation effort," Davis said in Cleveland this afternoon at a press briefing at the Great Lakes Science Center prior to the final public hearing of the a federal task force on oceans and the Great Lakes. "Everything that we're trying to do -- we, meaning the EPA and its 15 federal partners -- is designed to address the kind of stressors that we're likely to see coming to the Great Lakes as a result of climate change."

Fair and Balanced

Ugh, what reporting. It's based on exaggerated or false claims by shippers; just trot out the word "job-killer" and there's a knee jerk reaction among politicians without fact checking.

One obvious misleading assertion in the story is that "the rule was to take effect in mid-December." Yes, but ships had until 2015 to comply.

It's cash for lake clunkers. Only the owners get to keep them too.

An alternative view was available to the Free Press with a click of the mouse.

Obvious Answers to Simple Questions

"Is the Left Now Wary of EPA's Power?"  No -- read the first line of the article you're quoting..."several moderate Democrats expressed concerns that the EPA is jumping the gun..."

Is marketing about substance?  No, says an official of the company that has contaminated wide portions of Midland, Bay and Saginaw Counties in Michigan. To compete in the new economy, says Matt Davis, Dow Chemical's vice president of executive communications, government affairs and community relations, Midland, Bay and Saginaw counties must join forces and market itself as a unified, diverse region.

Does Waukesha, Wisconsin really want input into its precedent-setting proposal to divert Lake Michigan water?  No.

(Ship) Smoke and Mirrors

As the U.S. Congress intervenes to weaken a new rule proposed by the  EPA to regulate exhaust emissions from ships in the Great Lakes and ocean ports, Great Lakes United and the Ohio Environmental Council have released two factsheets to better explain the rule and clear up misconceptions.

The first factsheet provides an overview of the standard, while the second counters dire claims being made by the Great Lakes shipping industry in an effort to exempt them from the rule.

Smoggy Politics

At present it appears a couple of Great Lakes region members of Congress will succeed in tacking an amendment onto a spending bill to block clean air rules applying to "lakers." No other industry but the GL shipping industry gets away with so many false environmental claims to block protective standards -- ballast water, cargo 'sweepings,' and now this. A full rebuttal to the industry misrepresentation on the clean air rules should be available by tomorrow.

Saving Saugatuck Dunes on Lake Michigan

Why?  See photo below.

The Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance needs your immediate help.

I'm writing to ask you for your support and immediate action on the R-4 zoning issue facing Saugatuck Township this coming week.

On Wednesday, October 28 at five o'clock the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commissioners will hold a joint meeting to discuss the proposed Zoning Text Amendment Ordinance that Stephen Neumer (Aubrey McClendon) has put forward on behalf of Singapore Dunes LLC to subvert the R-4 zoning district governing some of their holdings.  The area in question is situated between the Saugatuck Dunes State Park Natural Area to the north and to the south the 171 acres parcel the Land Conservancy of West Michigan is trying to set aside as a natural area -- The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is considering a $12.6 million grant to help in that acquisition. Due to the radical changes proposed and their potentially devastating community impact and on the advice of multiple legal experts, the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance is launching a petition drive aimed at getting thousands of signatures from Michigan residents to urge Township officials to promptly reject this proposal.  The petition can be signed on-line and is easy to complete.