Great Lakes Newslinks - Rochester, NY area

RochesterEnvironment.com

These NewsLinks represent a decade of ferreting out local online NewsLinks to the issue of Great Lakes as they affect the Rochester, NY region.

The more recent stories are on the top and oldest at the bottom of this list. Looking for something specific. Use Control + F and search for it on this page.

And, although many of these links no longer work, I believe that it is important to be able to find that these stories have existed for ferreting out existing or impending environmental problems. The repercussions of pollution or overuse of a resource often takes a long time for us to recognize and when we finally do, it is invaluable to be able to track the history of various issues before they found a tipping point and became a crisis. Students, scientists, historians, and citizens alike should benefit from being able to follow the thread of an issue back through time.

2010

Report ranks the water quality of Great Lakes beaches | Great Lakes Echo Great Lakes states placed in the bottom two-thirds of 30 states ranked recently by their 2009 beach water quality by the National Resources Defense Council. Critics say the report doesn’t fairly rank the true quality of Great Lakes beach water. But study co-author Mark Dorfman says focusing on the ranks misses the report’s point – highlighting poor beach water quality. (August 26, 2010) Great Lakes Echo - Environmental news across the basin [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Report slams federal response to raw sewage dumped into Lake Erie CLEVELAND - Ohio environmental groups and sewer district officials Monday criticized federal efforts for failing to prevent raw sewage from being discharged into Lake Erie. In a report issued by the Great Lakes Coalition, Cleveland was one of five Midwestern cities affected by sewage overflows. (August 9, 2010) newsnet5.com | Local News, Weather Sports | Cleveland, Akron, Ohio | NewsChannel5 WEWS-TV [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Turning the Tide is Turning Headlines Around the Region - Healthy Lakes - Healthy Lives Earlier this week, the Healing Our Waters Coalition released a report detailing the sewage crisis that the Great Lakes are facing due to our region’s antiquated sewer infrastructure. The Coalition held release events in five Great Lakes cities to announce the findings of the report, Turning the Tide: Invest in Wastewater Infrastructure to Create Jobs and Solve the Sewage Crisis in the Great Lakes and promote recommendations that would create jobs while making the Great Lakes healthy once more. The report calls on Congress to fund storm and waste water infrastructure improvement projects by investing $2.7 billion in the federal Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Listed below is a digest of news that the report has generated around the region: (August 11, 2010) - Healthy Lakes - Healthy Lives [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Enviros seek $2.7 billion for wastewater infrastructure :: Local News :: Post-Tribune It would cost $1 billion to stop 85 percent of the sewer overflows in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties and reduce the probability of beach closures and flooded basements. But some of that hefty bill can be avoided if stormwater can be managed where it falls rather than discharged to sewers, environmentalists say. (August 10, 2010) Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana [more on Great lakes in our area]
'Enviros seek $2.7 billion for wastewater infrastructure :: Local News :: Post-Tribune It would cost $1 billion to stop 85 percent of the sewer overflows in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties and reduce the probability of beach closures and flooded basements. But some of that hefty bill can be avoided if stormwater can be managed where it falls rather than discharged to sewers, environmentalists say. (August 10, 2010) Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana [more on Great lakes in our area]
Sewage crisis' overtakes the lakes - The Buffalo News They're branding it a "sewage crisis" in the Great Lakes. A new study has found that five cities -- including Buffalo -- dumped 41 billion gallons of untreated sewage and dirty storm water into the Great Lakes last year. How much is 41 billion gallons? That's how much water flows over Niagara Falls in a 15-hour period. (August 9, 2010) The Buffalo News [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Algae bloom grows in Lake Erie | thenews-messenger.com | The News-Messenger Gail Hesse, of the Ohio EPA's task force, presented the findings Thursday at Stone Lab. Marblehead water plant superintendent Bob Biers said even though the bloom, dozens of miles long, was near his location between the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula and Kelleys Island, it had no effect on the drinking water his plant produces. (July 30, 2010) thenews-messenger.com | The News-Messenger | Fremont news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Fremont, Ohio [more on Great Lakes in our area]
NOAA - NOAA Awards $2.5 Million for Research on Invasive Species in the Great Lakes NOAA has awarded $2.5 million to the University of Notre Dame and its partners to predict the next wave of invasive species likely to enter the Great Lakes and to identify cost-effective countermeasures. Invasive species such as zebra mussels are already a large problem, costing the region more than $200 million annually by disrupting Great Lakes fisheries and damaging waterway infrastructure by clogging water intake valves. Information generated by the study will help authorities prepare for new invasions and control current non-native populations. (July 23, 2010) NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Studies show growing amount of phosphorus in rivers feeding Lake Erie | The Columbus Dispatch Researchers have recorded some of the highest phosphorus levels ever in rivers that feed into Lake Erie and cause huge algae blooms and growing oxygen-depleted "dead zones." Samples taken three times a day by Heidelberg University researchers show that the Maumee River has its highest-ever recorded dissolved phosphorus levels in 33 years of testing. (July 26, 2010) Central Ohio News, Sports, Arts & Classifieds | The Columbus Dispatch [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Rising level of Lake Ontario good news for docks, marinas | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle Six weeks ago, experts said the heavens would have to open in order to overcome extreme low water levels in Lake Ontario. Thus it has come to pass: Double the normal rainfall fell in the lake basin in June and early July, causing water levels to shoot up again. (July 22, 2010) Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Great Lakes in our area]
'Alarming' level of waste from Great Lakes: Report Canadians who depend on the Great Lakes for their municipal water supply are wasting staggering amounts of water that could easily be saved, according to a new report from a national environmental advocacy group. The report from the Toronto-based Environmental Defence says that Ontario and Quebec residents who live in the Great Lakes region waste 580 billion litres of water each year — about the equivalent of running a low-flow shower for 110,000 years. (July 3, 2010) Montreal Gazette | Latest Breaking News | Business | Sports | Canada Daily News [more on Great Lakes in our area]
WXXI: New Research Vessel for Lake Ontario (2010-06-29) OSWEGO, NY (WXXI) - A new ship will soon be seen making its way around Lake Ontario. The US Geological Survey's Great Lakes Science Center will be getting two new research vessels--with one of them going to its station at Oswego. The combined cost of the vessels will be $8.2 million. Station Supervisor Brian Lantry says the ship will be used to assess fish populations in deep water. (June 29, 2010) Great Lakes | Rochester, NY Perspective | RochesterEnvironment.com [more on Great Lakes in our area]
WXXI: Cities Organize to Protect Great Lakes (2010-06-18) CHICAGO, IL (WXXI) - A coalition of mayors from the United States and Canada is launching a program designed to help protect and restore the Great Lakes. It's called Cities Transforming Towards Sustainability or C-T-T-S. Leaders from more than seventy cities, including Rochester, will take part in the multi-year effort. (June 18, 2010) WXXI NewsRoom [more on the Great Lakes in our area]
Biologists suspect botulism outbreak » Region » Traverse City Record-Eagle EMPIRE — Two dead birds found along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore beach could signal a toxic outbreak that's claimed thousands of lake-reliant birds in recent years. Park biologists found one dead herring gull and a dead cormorant, along with hundreds of dead invasive goby fish. A cause hasn't been confirmed, but experts suspect it's another Type E botulism outbreak that plagued area beaches the past few years. (June 17, 2010) Home » Traverse City Record-Eagle [more on Great Lakes in our area]
$1.8 million in grants awarded to protect and restore Great Lakes wetlands and wildlife habitat U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius and Northeast Regional Director Marvin Moriarty jointly announced today the approval of $1.8 million in grants aimed at protecting and/or restoring 1,566 acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). "New York - Ducks Unlimited, Inc. was granted $432,865 for the Indian River Lakes Wetland Protection project. It will protect 591 acres which will provide connectivity to existing protected lands, as well as protect 1.75 miles of Oswegatchie River frontage and floodplain grass and scrub. " Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Lake levels are about a foot below normal | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle Water levels in Lake Ontario are about a foot below normal, and 1½ feet lower than they were a year ago, portending a potentially troublesome summer for boaters. Some problems already are cropping up, but the concern is more for what lies ahead. (June 2, 2010) Democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Great Lakes in our area]
WXXI: Lake Orgs Offer Funds for Cleanup (2010-05-24) ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - Two water advocacy groups were in Rochester today to talk to non-profit environmental organizations about a new grant program. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition and Freshwater Future will award $200,000 to help groups across the Great Lakes shore get access to federal funds through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. (May 24, 2010) [more on the Great Lakes in our area]
WXXI: Lake Ontario Low for May (2010-05-25) ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - Water levels on Lake Ontario are down nearly a foot from their average level, and a foot and a half from last year's height. Levels downstream of the lake are at record lows. (May 27,2010) WXXI NewsRoom [more on the Great Lakes in our area]
Lake Erie study: Algal, phosphorus problems start in farm fields A task force studying the migration of phosphorus into streams and rivers and eventually into Lake Erie notes the problem is primarily affecting the lake’s western basin – particularly from the watersheds of the Maumee and Sandusky rivers. (May 14, 2010) The Press [more on the Great Lakes in our area]
Fishery industry in crisis - Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA Lake Erie commercial fishermen were looking for a show of support and they got it here Thursday morning. Approximately 200 people, including municipal politicians, CAW Local 444 members, neighbors and even youngsters who were supposed to be in school turned out to support the local commercial fishery. (May 14, 2010)Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Canada moves to beef up cross-border water laws | Canada | Reuters TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada plans to beef up measures to protect its massive stores of fresh water, unveiling legislation on Thursday that would strengthen prohibitions on bulk water removal, particularly on rivers that cross into the United States. (May 13, 2010) Reuters.com [more on Great Lakes in our area]
MICHIGAN: Reducing Pollution In The Great Lakes (2010-05-11) Michigan farmers are getting $9 million from the federal government to reduce pollution in the Great Lakes. The money is part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. (May 11, 2010) Michigan Radio - Your NPR News Station [more on Great lakes in our area]
Ohio.com - Toxins blooming in lakes High levels of dangerous algae growing worse in Ohio, threaten drinking water, recreation areas The high-altitude photos of western Lake Erie last summer showed it increasingly covered by what looks like a slick of opaque, bright green paint, stretching from Toledo and the Maumee Bay east to the Lake Erie islands. (April 25, 2010)Ohio.com - www.ohio.com [more on Great lakes in our area]
Environmental groups want Great Lakes restoration fund made long-term | Duluth News Tribune | Duluth, Minnesota With $475 million already on the way from Washington, environmental and conservation groups are pressing for billions more over the next five years, asking Congress to list Great Lakes cleanup and restoration as a permanent project approved to receive federal funding. (April 7, 2010) Duluth News Tribune | Duluth, Minnesota [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Bill Wins Environmental Support - Rochester, News, Weather, Sports, and Events - 13WHAM.com WASHINGTON, DC, March 9, 2010 (ENS) - Bipartisan legislation that promises the largest federal investment ever to clean up the Great Lakes - $650 million annually for the next five years - has been introduced in the Senate and in the House to applause from environmental groups. (March 9, 2010) [more on Great Lakes in our area]
ENVIRONMENT: Lake Ontario, on the rebound - News Articles - Rochester City Newspaper About two miles off the shore of Lake Ontario, the water's often so clear that a measuring device submerged 40 feet is visible from the surface. That's a major improvement from the 1970's and 1980's, when "if you could see down 10 feet, you'd be lucky," says Joseph Makarewicz, a SUNY Brockport environmental science and biology professor who studies aspects of the lake's ecosystem. (March 18, 2010) Rochester NY News, Events, Restaurants, Music, Entertainment, Nightlife - Rochester City Newspaper [more on Great Lakes ]
Great Lakes protection bill introduced WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) announced that she introduced H.R. 4755 the Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act which will put the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative into law. In February, the Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with other federal agencies, released the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan, a 40-page document which demonstrated a renewed commitment to the Great Lakes and laid out plans to restore and renew the Lakes. The full report is available here. (March 6, 2010) New York State News on the Net! [more on the Great Lakes in our area]
EPA outlines plan to save Great Lakes | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle The Genesee River watershed is one of five areas singled out for extra attention in a report released Sunday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Obama administration has developed a five-year blueprint for rescuing the Great Lakes, a sprawling ecosystem plagued by toxic contamination, shrinking wildlife habitat and invasive species. democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Feds pass on surest solution to Asian carp advance - washingtonpost.com TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- The surest way to keep rampaging Asian carp from gaining a foothold in the Great Lakes is to sever the link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River basin, created by engineers in Chicago more than a century ago. (February 11, 2010) washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines [more on Invasive Species | Great Lakes]
GoErie.com: Local News - Lake Erie could freeze over entirely for first time in years Frozen water tames lake effect, shipping The power is running out on the Lake Erie snow machine. And more cold weather could just about pull the plug on it. The lake is about 90 to 95 percent ice-covered, and more cold temperatures forecast for the next week or so could freeze the entire lake, National Weather Service meteorologists in Cleveland said. (February 10, 2010) GoErie.com: Local News - Lake Erie could freeze over entirely for first time in years [more on Great Lakes]
US to commit $78.5M to try to halt spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes | News from The Post-Standard - WASHINGTON — Navigational locks and gates in Chicago-area waterways may be opened less frequently than usual in a stepped-up campaign to prevent Asian carp from overrunning the Great Lakes, federal officials said Monday. The plan falls short of closing the navigational structures entirely, as demanded by Michigan and five other Great Lakes states, including New York. They fear the locks will provide an opening to the lakes for the giant carp, which some scientists say could devastate the region’s $7 billion fishing industry. (February 8, 2010) Syracuse NY Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com [more on Great Lakes]
Feds may close locks to stop Asian carp - Chicago Breaking News At a White House meeting today on the Asian carp threat to the Great Lakes, federal officials said they may seek to close navigational locks on Chicago-area waterways for up to three or four days a week, a move that would restrict cargo shipping and recreational boating. (February 8, 20100) Chicago Breaking News [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Lack of snow could cause low lake levels | detnews.com | Detroit -- Several months of sporadic snowfall may cause Great Lakes water levels during the summer boating season to be a bit lower than last year, according to meteorologists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The first decade of the 21st century provided many moments of concern among those who live and play on the lakes. For the first seven years, levels slowly declined in each of the lakes until the summer of 2007, when Lake Superior reached its lowest point on record. (February 4, 2010) The Detroit News | detnews.com | Friday, February 5, 2010 | News, sports, features, blogs, photos and forums from Detroit and Michigan [more on Great Lakes]
Obama's 2011 Budget Trims Environment, Fattens Energy Spending WASHINGTON, DC, February 1, 2010 (ENS) - The Obama Administration today sent to Congress an overall budget of $3.8 trillion in fiscal year 2011 that projects a record budget shortfall of $1.6 trillion. There are 126 terminations, reductions, and other areas of savings identified that will save approximately $23 billion next year, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget. (February 1, 2010) Environment News Service [more on Great Lakes in our area]
www.WHEC.com - Obama seeks $300 million for Great Lakes cleanup President Obama's newly released budget requests $300 million to continue an environmental restoration program for the Great Lakes. The total, announced Monday, is down from the $475 million Obama successfully sought last year. The Environmental Protection Agency blames the reduction on the poor economy but says the president remains committed to the Great Lakes initiative. (February 2, 2010) www.WHEC.com - Rochester, NY News [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Canada and the U.S. Rushing Through Renegotiation of Great Lakes Agreement | Great Lakes United / Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs Accelerated timelines risk stifling public engagement and undermining final Agreement As the United States and Canada work toward a new Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, environmental and conservation groups are telling the governments that their timeline does not allow for proper public consultation, and that this could seriously undermine the final Agreement, its implementation, and ultimately the health of the Great Lakes. (January 28, 2010) Welcome to Great Lakes United | Great Lakes United / Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs [more on Great Lakes in our area}
Watertown Daily Times | State DEC head slated for Save the River event CLAYTON — State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Alexander B. "Pete" Grannis and other speakers will discuss the impact of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes and the latest status of the Asian carp invasion at Save the River's 21st annual Winter Weekend Conference. (January 25, 2010) Watertown Daily Times | Local News, Sports, Features, and Community Information for Jefferson County, St. Lawrence County, and Lewis County in Northern New York [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Asian carp: Legislation would close Chicago-area locks, dams - chicagotribune.com A new threat to Chicago-area locks and dams has surfaced as state lawmakers meet Thursday in Chicago to dissect Illinois' handling of the Asian carp crisis. (January 20, 2010) Chicago Tribune breaking news, sports, weather and traffic in Chicago - chicagotribune.com [more on Great Lakes]
Supreme Court doesn’t take action today on Asian carp | freep.com | Detroit Free Press The U.S. Supreme Court, which met today in a closed conference, took no action on the Michigan attorney general’s request for an injunction to shut down Chicago-area locks to keep Asian carp out. The court is closed Monday. No dates are set for the court to decide on the injunction or even whether to accept the case. (January 15, 2010) freep.com | Detroit Free Press | Detroit news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Detroit, MI [more on Great Lakes}
01/08/2010: EPA Announces More Than $9 Million in Beach Grants To Help Protect Swimmers WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making almost $10 million in grants available to 37 eligible coastal and Great Lakes states, territories and tribes to monitor beach water quality and notify the public of conditions that may be unsafe for swimming. “This funding will help states monitor their beaches and provide beachgoers with critical water quality information,” said Peter Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “Protecting the beach-going public from illness is a national priority and EPA will continue to invest in this type of initiative.” (January 8, 20100 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Stable levels projected for Great Lakes Records indicate last year brought rebound from lows Don't look now, but Great Lakes water levels may be more stable this summer than they've been in recent years. That's uplifting news for the region's $7 billion fishing industry, though hardly enough to make up for the biological train wreck that could be in the making if Asian carp colonize the lakes. Recent DNA evidence suggests they have slipped through a $9 million electrical barrier the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built in Lockport, Ill., 20 miles southwest of Chicago. (January 4, 2010) toledoblade.com -- [more on Great Lakes]
Fight Against Asian Carp Threatens Fragile Great Lakes Unity - NYTimes.com CHICAGO — Asian carp, the voracious, nonnative fish whose arrival near Lake Michigan is threatening to cause havoc in the Great Lakes, are now setting off strife on land as well. (January 2, 2010) The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia [more on Great Lakes]
Illinois Asian carp: New York attorney general to file brief in Supreme Court - chicagotribune.com New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is joining the legal effort to keep Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes because the species could devastate the fishing industry and the environment. (January 4, 2010) Chicago Tribune breaking news, sports, weather and traffic in Chicago - chicagotribune.com [more on Great Lakes]

2009

Regulators shifting course on drugged drinking water | freep.com | Detroit Free Press Federal regulators under President Barack Obama have sharply shifted course on long-standing policy toward pharmaceutical residues in the nation's drinking water, taking a crucial first step toward regulating some of the contaminants and acknowledging they could threaten human health. (December 23, 09) freep.com | Local News | Detroit Free Press [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Don't meddle with lake levels, report says - Parry Sound That’s the continued recommendation of the International Great Lakes Study after peer review and more studying with a look at climate change on the St. Clair River and its connection to the water levels of the Great Lakes. (December 23, 09) Latest News and Features - Parry Sound [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Nuclear plant spills tritium into lake - thestar.com Probe looks at why Darlington workers were filling wrong tank Workers at the Darlington nuclear station filled the wrong tank with a cocktail of water and a radioactive isotope Monday, spilling more than 200,000 litres into Lake Ontario. Ontario Power Generation is investigating how the accident happened and officials say hourly tests of the lake water show that the level of tritium – the radioactive isotope of hydrogen – poses no harm to nearby residents. (December 23, 09) News, Toronto, GTA, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Canada, World, Breaking - thestar.com [more on Great Lakes in our area]
4 of 5 Great Lakes on the rise | detnews.com | The Detroit News Levels rising toward long-term historic averages, reports say (December 19, 09) http://www.detnews.com/[more on Great Lakes]
12/18/2009: EPA Releases First-Ever Baseline Study of U.S. Lakes WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released its most comprehensive study of the nation’s lakes to date. The draft study, which rated the condition of 56 percent of the lakes in the United States as good and the remainder as fair or poor, marked the first time EPA and its partners used a nationally consistent approach to survey the ecological and water quality of lakes. A total of 1,028 lakes were randomly sampled during 2007 by states, tribes and EPA. (December 18, 09) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [more on Great Lakes]
Paterson promises waterfront progress : Home: The Buffalo News Gov. David A. Paterson, surrounded by several area government officials, Saturday promised significant waterfront development within three years as a result of the "creative" use of New York Power Authority money that accelerates investment in the inner and outer harbors areas, including the Canal Side project. (December 13, 09) The Buffalo News [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Municipalities seeking voice in Great Lakes agreement - The Sarnia Observer - Ontario, CA Cities around the Great Lakes and connecting waterways are calling for a spot at the table to renegotiate a more than 20-year-old agreement that governs the use of Earth's largest surface fresh water source. (December 12, 09) The Sarnia Observer - Ontario, CA [more on Great Lakes]
Great expectations for Great Lakes -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY ALBANY -- The possible transformation of the Great Lakes into a major source of wind-generated electricity began Tuesday, when New York became the first state to open its share of the lakes to offers by private wind developers. (December 2, 09) Albany NY News - Times Union - Serving Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Troy [more on Great Lakes ]
Cities, organizations line up for share of stimulus funds :: Local News :: Post-Tribune Up to $475 million available for Great Lakes restoration | MERRILLVILLE -- Several Northwest Indiana cities and organizations are working to get their share of $475 million in federal stimulus funding for Great Lakes restoration. (November 30, 09) Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana [more on Great Lakes]
Asian carp may have breached barrier - JSOnline The decade-old battle to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes might be over. New research shows the fish likely have made it past the $9 million electric fish barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, a source familiar with the situation told the Journal Sentinel late Thursday. The barrier is considered the last chance to stop the super-sized fish that can upend entire ecosystems, and recent environmental DNA tests showed that the carp had advanced to within a mile of the barrier. (November 19, 09) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Breaking news, sports, business, watchdog journalism, multimedia {more on Great Lakes]
» A Date Set for First GLRI RFP’s - Healthy Lakes - Healthy Lives The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was just signed weeks ago, but already the date is set for the RFP’s release: November 20, 2009 – that is this Friday! Folks have two months to respond to the RFP and the powers that be have another month or two to review the proposals before announcing funding decisions. Still, all told, it should be early in 2010 when the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative dollars start going to work. (November 17, 09) - Healthy Lakes - Healthy Lives [more on Great Lakes]
President Obama quietly signs landmark Great Lakes cleanup bill | OPEN: Ohio Politics - cleveland.com - - cleveland.com Without fanfare, President Barack Obama has okayed a large cash infusion to help clean up the Great Lakes, quietly signing a bill that was years in the making and marks a rare bipartisan milestone. (November 2, 09) Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com [more on Great Lakes]
15,000 reasons to worry about state's lakes - JSOnline The natives of the Caspian Sea region first turned up in North America in the summer of 1988, thanks to overseas freighters' longstanding - and ongoing - practice of dumping their contaminated ballast water in the Great Lakes, which are now home to more than 185 non-native species. (November 2, 09) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Breaking news, sports, business, watchdog journalism, multimedia [more on Great Lakes]
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative clears congressional conference committee Great Lakes Commission calls for congressional and presidential approval Ann Arbor, Mich. – One of the most ambitious environmental restoration efforts ever proposed for the Great Lakes appears imminent following the emergence from a House-Senate conference committee of legislation providing $475 million for a comprehensive Great Lakes restoration and protection initiative. (October 2009) Great Lakes Commission | Commission des Grands Lacs [more on Great Lakes]
The state of the Great Lakes : News : WNWO NBC24 (Toledo)--We live and thrive by the way of the Great Lakes. Not to mention Lake Erie is one of the most developed of them all with 80 percent of the watershed used by us. Northwest Ohio's source for Local News, Weather and Sports - Powered by WNWO NBC24 (September 28, 09) [more on the Great Lakes]
Freshwater species making comeback in Great Lakes region | The mighty lake sturgeon - an odd-looking North American fish that has been on Earth no fewer than 150 million years and that coexisted with dinosaurs for at least 85 million years - is making a comeback in the Great Lakes region after nearly going extinct in the early 1900s. (October 26, 09) toledoblade.com -- [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Feds cut cheque for Great Lakes clean-up - St. Catharines Standard - Ontario, CA Niagara’s portion of the Great Lakes got just a bit greater Saturday. The federal government gave a $326,000 financial boost for seven ‘areas of concern’ in Niagara as part of Environment Canada’s Great Lakes Sustainability Fund. The money will go towards habitat improvement, cleaner water, and other issues identified by biologists, technicians and trained volunteers. (October 25, 09) [more on Great Lakes in our area]
WXXI: Stimulus Funds Used to Track Pollution in Lake Ontario (2009-10-22) ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - Federal stimulus funds could eventually help Rochester's beaches stay open longer. Over $250,000 will go toward a study into the origins of phosphorus in the tributaries that feed Lake Ontario. The chemical element can cause algae blooms which close the beaches about half of the time each year. (October 22, 09) WXXI NewsRoom [more on Great Lakes in our area]
ENVIRONMENT-US: Greatest of Lakes Hit by Climate Change - IPS ipsnews.net The five Great Lakes extend across 244,000 square kilometres that straddle the U.S. and Canada, just 2,400 kilometres from the polar ice cap. The lakes support shipping to the Atlantic Ocean, and some of the richest commercial fisheries in the world. About 40 million people take their drinking water from the Great Lakes. At the same time, the lakes are massively polluted with chemicals and heavy metals, particularly the bottom sediment, after hundreds of years of industrialisation. The lakes are closed systems, and they hold onto pollutants. Forty-three Great Lake harbours are considered highly toxic waste sites. (October 22, 09) IPS Inter Press Service [more on Great Lakes]
South Bend Tribune: Safety of eating Great Lakes fish discussed The Great Lakes teem with fish, but anglers looking to them for their next meal should be cautious. The fish contain an array of contaminants, including some known to threaten human health. Methyl mercury inhibits brain development. PCBs can suppress the immune system and thyroid development and may cause cancer. The contaminants have lead to consumption advisories on many popular fish species, such as walleye, lake trout and salmon. (October 21, 09) South Bend Tribune [more on Great Lakes]
Canada quietly asks EPA to weaken anti-pollution measures - The Globe and Mail Embassy in Washington asks agency to alter plan that would force lake freighters to stop burning dirty bunker fuel | The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed tough new measures to reduce the health toll from air pollution around the Great Lakes by forcing lake freighters to stop burning dirty bunker fuel. (October 17, 09) News from Canada and the world - The Globe and Mail [more on the Great Lakes]
All Great Lakes surpass last year's water levels | detnews.com | The Detroit News Water levels in all of the Great Lakes are at least 1 inch higher than year-ago levels, according to a new report. The weekly report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says that Lakes Michigan and Huron are 7 inches above last year's levels, Lake St. Clair is 6 inches higher, and Lake Erie is 4 inches higher than in the same period last year, aided by higher-than-average precipitation across the region. Lakes Superior and Ontario are both 1 inch higher. (October 16, 09) The Detroit News | detnews.com | Saturday, October 17, 2009 | News, sports, features, blogs, photos and forums from Detroit and Michigan [more on Great Lakes]
A Great Help for the Great Lakes - Tonic Communities, elected officials and government agencies concerned about protection and management of the world's largest freshwater lake system are about to receive a very cool new tool to support their efforts. (October 1, 09)Good News at Tonic.com [more on Great Lakes]
More effort needed to control sewer overflow :: Local News :: Post-Tribune MERRILLVILLE -- A large amount of stimulus funding should be spent on improving infrastructure to avoid millions of gallons of sewage overflowing into the Great Lakes, a new report says. (September 29, 09)http://www.post-trib.com/ [more on Great Lakes]
Senate passes $400M Great Lakes bill | detnews.com | The Detroit News Washington -- The Senate easily passed legislation tonight containing $400 million for Great Lakes restoration by deterring invasive species, cleaning up highly polluted sites and expanding wetlands. The funding level for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative falls short of the $475 million passed by the House in June and supported by President Barack Obama. (September 24, 09) The Detroit News | detnews.com | Saturday, September 26, 2009 | News, sports, features, blogs, photos and forums from Detroit and Michigan [more on Great Lakes]
Sometimes crap happens | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun Sewage spills are unavoidable, but we'll learn how to stop them, councillor says |Sewage spills into Lake Ontario -- such as the one that happened in 2006 -- are unavoidable but that will change over time, a prominent city councillor insisted yesterday. "We have a $1-billion plan over the next 25 years which is in the process -- large retention tanks and trunk sewers -- which will over time solve the problem of sewage leaks," said Councillor Adam Giambrone, a member of Toronto's public works committee. (September 21, 09) Toronto Sun [more on Great Lakes]
Households still a source of phosphorus. — Environmental Health News Readers would benefit from knowing Lake Erie's main sources of phosphorus, a nutrient that may be responsible for the recent rash of algal blooms. A September 8th article – “Green gunk bad sign for Lake Erie" – in the Windsor Star describes the algal blooms that have been plaguing Lake Erie. Reporter Craig Pearson explains that excessive nutrients – especially the increasing levels of phosphorus – are most likely feeding the cyanobacteria (called blue-green algae) blooms that are impacting recreation and the overall health of the lake. (September 14, 09) Environmental Health News: Front Page [more on Great Lakes]
The Associated Press: Report: Great Lakes toxic cleanups lagging badly TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Cleanup of the most polluted sites in the Great Lakes is moving so slowly it will take 77 more years to finish the job at the existing pace, according to a federal report. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency still does not know the full extent of the problem even though the highly contaminated spots were identified two decades ago, said the report by the agency's inspector general. (September 16, 09) The Associated Press | The essential global news network [more on Great Lakes]
Toxin-producing green goo returns to plague Lake Erie A mysterious green gunk found in Lake Erie recently may indicate that an explosion of toxic algae is again threatening to suffocate the lake. University of Windsor professor of biological sciences Jan Ciborowski believes the goo is cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, which feed on phosphorus and produce toxins. (September 8, 2009) canada.com – Breaking news‚ Canada‚ World‚ Weather‚ Travel‚ Video & more [more on Great Lakes]
U.S. to spend additional $475 million on Great Lakes WINDSOR, Ont. — Environmentalists and academic researchers on both sides of the border are applauding an Obama administration initiative that will see an added $475 million pumped into Great Lakes restoration and cleanup — the largest-ever single investment of its kind. (September 5, 09) canada.com – Breaking news‚ Canada‚ World‚ Weather‚ Travel‚ Video & more [more on Great Lakes ]
CTV Toronto - Environmentalists protest York's sewer expansion plan - CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television About 100 environmentalists were out Saturday to protest York region's new sewage system project. York is planning to expand an existing sewer pipe into the Pickering region and into Lake Ontario. Environmentalists say the plan has been poorly thought out. (August 29, 09) CTV.ca | CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television
5 targets of Great Lakes cleanup | detnews.com | The Detroit News Five target areas Congress could allocate up to $475 million for Great Lakes cleanup and restoration. A look at how the money would be spent: The Detroit News | detnews.com | Wednesday, September 2, 2009 | News, sports, features, blogs, photos and forums from Detroit and Michigan
London Free Press - Local News- More rain helps lake levels rebound If Southwestern Ontario beaches seem a little narrower this summer, and docks a little nearer the water, it's because the Great Lakes are getting a bit greater than they've been for a couple of years. (August 27, 09) London Free Press | Breaking news - London, Southwestern Ontario and the world
Expert sees potential of Great Lakes | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle Lake Ontario and the other Great Lakes have the power to strengthen regional economies, attract growth and development and make people want to settle along America's "freshwater coast," Brookings Institution senior fellow John C. Austin said Tuesday at a conference in Brockport. (August 26, 09) Democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
www.WHEC.com - Schumer: Rochester beaches can expect federal aid for cleanup More help will be on the way to clean up Lake Ontario in order to keep local beaches open for swimming. (August 24, 09) www.WHEC.com - Rochester, NY News, Weather, Sports, Health, Investigative, Entertainment
Conference on Lake Ontario focuses on environment, economic impact | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle The public is invited to a daylong conference on Lake Ontario, its environmental health and its economic impact that will be held Tuesday in Brockport. (August 22, 09) Democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
More E. coli in sand than water | Study suggests beach sand contains far more E. coli and parasites than beach water does, and could cause gastrointestinal illness (August 13, 09)Home - The Globe and Mail
Wet weather puts Great Lakes levels closer to average | detnews.com | The Detroit News Detroit -- Most of the Great Lakes will start 2010 with higher water levels than they've seen in almost three years. Lake Ontario is the exception, but once the calendar turns, the lakes will be within a few inches of their historical averages. According to the latest statistical estimates from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie will start 2010 with higher levels than in 2009 or 2008 at the same period. (July 31, 09) The Detroit News | detnews.com | Tuesday, August 4, 2009 | News, sports, features, blogs, photos and forums from Detroit and Michigan
Meeting on Great Lakes restoration tonight | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a federally funded effort set to begin later this year, will be the subject of a public meeting in Rochester this evening. Officials of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will explain the initiative, on which the agency proposes to spend $475 million in new funds in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. (July 29, 09) Democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
Meetings on possible $475M in federal funding for Great Lakes projects draws huge crowds MERRILLVILLE | Protection and restoration of the Great Lakes could get a major infusion of new funding if Congress approves President Barack Obama's 2010 federal budget. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants input on what kinds of "on-the-ground" projects that money could fund even before Congress OKs the budget. (July 24, 09 nwi.com
Great Lakes, great wind bring great federal investment | Great Lakes Echo Great Lakes wind power is getting a turbo boost. The Great Lakes region will receive nearly a third of the $8.5 million federal officials recently set aside for wind energy development. (July 02, 09) Great Lakes Echo - Environmental news across the basin
Cleaning up Great Lakes gets new attention - Environment- msnbc.com With $475 million sought, EPA to hold public hearings on priorities TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Federal officials are preparing for a series of public meetings to discuss President Barack Obama's initiative to restore the Great Lakes, an ecosystem battered by invasive species, toxic pollution and other problems. (July 17, 09) Breaking News, Weather, Business, Health, Entertainment, Sports, Politics, Travel, Science, Technology, Local, US & World News- msnbc.com
The State of the Lakes: Still a Bummer - Healthy Lakes - Healthy Lives A new report by the US and Canadian Environmental Agencies finds that the Great Lakes ecosystem continues on a rapid decline due to toxic pollution and invasive species and poor sewage management. And don’t forget, all this is happening within the context of climate change – ARGH! “State of the Great Lakes 2009,” released by the U.S. EPA and Environment Canada, says the overall health of the Great Lakes ecosystem as “mixed” and that means the lakes are still degrading but there is some good news: The prevention of toxic pollution has improved. While that is great, the slow or failed clean up of the existing contaminated sites known as Areas of Concern remain a big problem. (July 14, 09) News & Events - Healthy Lakes - Healthy Lives
Great Lakes scientists seek ways to kill invasives -- chicagotribune.com SUPERIOR, Wis. - The tiny worms, midges and water fleas growing in fish tanks at a university lab represent the invasive organisms that have spread throughout the Great Lakes, often by hitchhiking in the ballast tanks of giant cargo ships. (July 12, 09) http://www.chicagotribune.com/
PCBs, dioxins make Great Lakes fish a risk to eat, conservation group says - The Globe and Mail Anglers may be getting more than a trophy fish when they land a big one from the Great Lakes. They could be catching fish that are so loaded with mercury, PCBs and dioxins that they aren't safe to eat or should be consumed only in moderation, according to a new study being released today by Environmental Defence, a conservation group. (July 13, 09)Latest headlines from the Globe and Mail
U.S. House approves $475M for Great Lakes restoration | detnews.com | The Detroit News Washington -- Efforts to help restore the Great Lakes received a boost on Friday as the U.S. House passed legislation that includes $475 million for cleaning up waterways, fighting invasive species and helping wildlife. (June 27, 09)The Detroit News | detnews.com | Tuesday, June 30, 2009 | News, sports, features, blogs, photos and forums from Detroit and Michigan
Environmental groups want changes in St. Lawrence Seaway MONTREAL —On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, more than 50 environmental groups from Canada and the U.S. say the waterway has taken a “devastating toll” and are calling on the shipping industry to be more environmentally friendly. (June 25, 09) Montreal Gazette - Breaking News, Quebec, Opinion, Multimedia & More
An Erie odyssey - The Whig Standard - Ontario, CA The year 2009 marks two significant anniversaries for the Great Lakes. One hundred years ago, Canada and the United States signed the Boundary Waters Treaty to settle disputes about the lakes, banning diversions and calling for an end to cross-boundary pollution. The International Joint Commission (IJC) was established to oversee the boundary waters. (June 19, 09) The Whig Standard - Ontario, CA
Obama names overseer for Great Lakes - JSOnline A prominent regional conservationist was appointed the first-ever Great Lakes czar Wednesday, making good on President Barack Obama's campaign promise to elevate the health of the Great Lakes as a national issue. (June 4, 09) Milwaukee Journal Sentine
Shippers’ challenge to DEC rule rejected : City & Region : The Buffalo News A shipping coalition’s legal challenge to state efforts to control the discharge of invasive species into New York waterways has been dismissed. State Supreme Court Justice Robert A. Sackett of New York City rejected the shippers’ argument that Department of Environmental Conservation permit requirements prohibiting the dumping of ballast water by large oceangoing ships are illegal. (May 30, 09)The Buffalo News
WXXI: Great Lakes Restoration Discussed (2009-05-27) Local government, business and environmental leaders came to Camp Eastman in Irondequoit on Wednesday to hear from John Austin. He's the author of a report that says investing $26 billion in the 11 states and two Canadian Provinces around the Great Lakes will produce at least $50 billion in long term economic benefit to the region. (May 27, 09)
Troubled Water Canada and the U.S. can no longer afford to take the Great Lakes for granted | Thirty years ago, newspaper headlines declared Lake Erie "dead." It was the kind of news that shocked us into action. Forty areas of concern, were identified around the Great Lakes. These were chronically polluted areas in need of immediate clean up. In the three decades since those headlines appeared, only two of the sites on the Canadian side of the border have been delisted. (May 23, 09)
Fish on drugs | Canada | News | Toronto Sun Discarded pharmaceuticals are threatening health of the Great Lakes | Water, water, everywhere. But is it fit to drink? Trent University professor Tom Whillans still keeps a copy of a newspaper headline from 1978: "Lake Erie dead," it proclaimed. (May 25, 09) Toronto Sun
Great Lakes research, laws are shifting focus Impact on physical, mental health on tap | Though the Great Lakes have been the driving force behind many environmental laws since the early 1970s, they soon may undergo a moderate shift in how they're researched and regulated for future generations. (May 26, 09) toledoblade.com --
Great Lakes scientists soliciting research topics from the public | As last-minute preparations were made at the University of Toledo Monday for one of the largest biennial gatherings of Great Lakes scientists, two federal research agencies tried to get a better handle on what the public expects now that the nation's president is from the Great Lakes region. (May 19, 09) toledoblade.com --
Meeting on lakes spotlights UT's gains Top U.S., Canadian scientists to attend To the layman, a conference being held at the University of Toledo this week may appear to be just the latest in a confusing collection of Great Lakes events. But to those who intimately track the science behind the Earth's largest source of fresh surface water, this week's International Association of Great Lakes Research conference says a lot about UT's ambition to become an academic powerhouse for environmental studies. (May 18, 09) toledoblade.com --
Congress pushed to OK Great Lakes aid Plan has $475M for restoration | Representatives of Great Lakes industry, environment, government, and policy groups yesterday called on Congress to approve President Obama's $3.6 trillion budget plan because it contains a provision to set aside $475 million to restore the lakes, collectively the world's largest source of fresh surface water. (May 15, 09) toledoblade.com --
South Bend Tribune: Ill winds blow no good to Great Lakes, experts say LANSING — As contaminated sediment is cleaned up in the Great Lakes, persistent pollutants continue to blow in, threatening again to poison soil and harm human health, experts say. And that reality has some experts questioning whether it's worthwhile to spend money to remove toxic sediments if they'll become contaminated again in a matter of years. (May 10, 09) http://www.southbendtribune.com/favicon.ico
2-month project to dredge Rochester Harbor begins | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has started a dredging project at the Rochester Harbor, according to the Monroe County Department of Transportation. (May 11, 09) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
EPA Pumps Budget $$ into Water Infrastructure, Great Lakes WASHINGTON, DC, May 7, 2009 (ENS) - For the first time in eight years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency budget has not been cut, it has been increased. Today, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson released the agency's $10.5 billion budget blueprint for fiscal year 2010, which she said, "takes significant strides to ensure that our air, land, and water are safe and clean." (May 7, 09) Environment News Service
EPA elaborates -- a little -- on Great Lakes cleanup plans - OPEN: Ohio politics news, insider views and analysis from The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com WASHINGTON — EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson talked with reporters this afternoon about her agency's 2010 budget plans, and she mentioned the $475 million for Great Lakes cleanup and restoration. (May 7, 09) Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com
International Joint Commission: Review of the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Order of Approval 2009 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Biennial Meeting The IJC's next Biennial Meeting will take place on October 7-8, 2009, at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts in Windsor, Ontario. The IJC holds a Biennial Meeting every two years to hear from scientists and the public about issues relating to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and to assist the Commission with preparing its Biennial Report on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. (May 2, 09) International Joint Commission
Regional emissions inventory documents releases of toxic substances in the Great Lakes region Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission has announced the release of the newest edition of the Great Lakes Regional Toxic Air Emissions Inventory. Based on estimates of 2005 air emissions provided by the eight Great Lakes states and the province of Ontario, the inventory covers emissions from more than 2,500 categories of air pollution sources, including industrial facilities, automobiles, residential energy use and many others. (April 2, 09) Great Lakes Commission | Commission des Grands Lacs
Session summarizes impact of fishing on Lake Ontario : Niagara County : The Buffalo News LOCKPORT - LOCKPORT — Ongoing efforts to improve the state of fishing on Lake Ontario have turned up some mixed results, state and federal regulators said Wednesday evening. (March 19, 09) The Buffalo News
Scientists concerned about Great Lakes levels - 3/16/09 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com March 17, 2009 (CHICAGO) -- Congressman Mark Kirk says climate change and the growing demand for water could dramatically lower the level of the Great Lakes. (March 16, 09) abc7chicago.com: ABC7 Chicago WLS-TV 7
Feathered fiends | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun Dogs get most of the blame, but birds create far more waste on our waterfront The waterfront is a vast toilet that spans 46 km from Mississauga to Pickering. Not to humans maybe. But it may as well be to the thousands of Canada geese who daily dump at least 1,360 kg of droppings along the stretch of shoreline. (March 2, 09) Toronto Sun
Obama proposes $475M for Great Lakes restoration -- chicagotribune.com TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - A plan hatched more than three years ago to heal the battered Great Lakes would get its first big infusion of federal cash under President Barack Obama's proposed budget. The 2010 spending blueprint released Thursday includes a $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative led by the Environmental Protection Agency. It would target problems such as invasive species, runoff pollution, degraded wildlife habitat and contaminated bottomlands. (Feb 26, 09) http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Service awards to fish and wildlife | portclintonnewsherald.com | Port Clinton News Herald The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces $593,089 in federal funding for fish and wildlife restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin. The projects will be matched by $278,810 in partner contributions, and will focus on the rehabilitation of sustainable populations of native fish and wildlife and their habitats. (Feb 25, 09) http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/
EPA chief reconsidering ship ballast permit -- chicagotribune.com TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - The Obama administration will reconsider a federal permit for oceangoing ships that critics say fails to prevent invasive species from entering the Great Lakes, the new chief of the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday. Lisa Jackson also told officials and activists from the region the administration would honor President Barack Obama's campaign pledge to pump more federal money into Great Lakes restoration, despite the staggering budget deficit. (Feb 24, 09) Chicago News, Weather, Sports and Politics -- ChicagoTribune.com -- chicagotribune.com
www.News10NBC.com - Lake Ontario rising, so are high water concerns The level of Lake Ontario is steadily rising as water is entering the lake faster than it is being let out. And that has some residents along the lake's south shore concerned about possible flooding during spring storms known as nor'easters. (Feb 20, 09) www.News10NBC.com - Rochester, NY News, Weather, Sports, Health, Investigative, Entertainment
Great Lakes Commission calls on Congress for long-term investment in Great Lakes protection, restoration Ann Arbor, Mich. – Next week in Washington, D.C., the Great Lakes Commission will present recommendations to Congress to support job creation and stimulate economic development on a long-term basis by investing in Great Lakes protection and restoration. In its list of legislative priorities for fiscal year 2010, the Commission is urging Congress and the Administration to work together to create a sustainable funding mechanism for the Great Lakes and to increase support for several existing programs. (Feb. 19, 09) Great Lakes Commission | Commission des Grands Lacs
Study says Great Lakes don't have enough water to satisfy growing North American thirst - Metro - cleveland.com A review of one-page study in Science, provided to The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com by Ohio researcher Craig E. Williamson, says that "although they make up a small percentage of Earth's surface, lakes and reservoirs act as sentinels by providing signals that reflect the influence of climate change" on a broader scale. (Feb 16, 09) Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com
Great Lakes cleanups hampered by economic woes, bureaucratic hurdles — Environmental Health News A most-wanted list of toxic substances—including PCBs, dioxins, mercury, lead and pesticides—has lingered in western New York’s Eighteenmile Creek for decades, leaving its salmon, trout and other fish unsafe to eat and jeopardizing its wildlife. (Feb 12, 09) Environmental Health News: Front Page
Stimulus bill: $1.45B for Great Lakes wastewater -- chicagotribune.com TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - The Great Lakes region would receive $1.45 billion to modernize wastewater infrastructure under the economic stimulus package moving through Congress. Outdated wastewater systems release more than 23 billion gallons of sewage into the lakes every year. The problem causes beach closures, threatens public health and damages the outdoor recreation economy. (Feb 13, 09) Chicago News, Weather, Sports and Politics -- ChicagoTribune.com -- chicagotribune.com
Great Lakes not enough to quench water shortage: Report Even the Great Lakes aren't great enough to sustain North Americans' reckless water use in the event of a continentwide water shortage, according to a new report. (Feb 13, 09) Montreal Gazette
globeandmail.com: Herring gulls face trans-fat troubles Here's another reason for taking trans fats out of junk food: Scientists studying herring gull eggs collected from around the Great Lakes have found they are becoming more contaminated with the artery-clogging fat. The concentrations in the eggs have risen rapidly, doubling or tripling over the past 25 years depending on location. (Feb 3, 09) globeandmail.com: Canada's National Newspaper
The Associated Press: More species invasions feared for Great Lakes TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Dozens of foreign species could spread across the Great Lakes in coming years despite policies designed to keep them out, causing significant environmental and economic damage, a federal report says. The National Center for Environmental Assessment issued the warning in a study released this week. It identified 30 nonnative species that pose a medium or high risk of reaching the lakes and 28 others that already have a foothold and could disperse widely. (Jan 8, 09) AP Associated Press

2008

Shippers call on Ottawa to more forcefully reject NY ballast rules - Newswatch50.com... We're Always On! Canadian shippers say New York's pending rules governing their ballast water will make shipping in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River impossible. (Nov 29, 08) http://www.newswatch50.com/default.aspx
toledoblade.com -- Info sought on Great Lakes levels' effect Panel wants to hear residents' viewpoints - On Wednesday, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the University of Toledo's Lake Erie Center on Bayshore Road in Oregon, the International Joint Commission wants to hear anecdotes from area residents about how changing water levels have affected their lives. (Nov 18, 08) toledoblade.com --
Like water for gold "...it's hard to convince Torontonians to use water sparingly when there's a giant lake in our front yard." (Nov 08, 08) http://www.nationalpost.com/
Officials: Botulism problem for Great Lakes birds -- chicagotribune.com ERIE, Pa. - Officials at Presque Isle State Park in northwestern Pennsylvania say dead gulls and loons are proof that avian botulism continues to be a problem for Great Lakes shore birds. (Nov 6, 2008) http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Largest ever tagging program in works for Great Lakes | portclintonnewsherald.com | Port Clinton News Herald The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region this October received the first of a series of automated fish tagging trailers -- an initial step in the development of a mass marking program that will eventually mark or tag all salmon and trout stocked into U.S. waters of the Great Lakes. Once implemented, this initiative will become the largest coordinated tagging and recovery program ever envisioned for Great Lakes management agencies. (Nov 6, 08) portclintonnewsherald.com | Port Clinton News Herald | Port Clinton news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Port Clinton, OH
The Canadian Press: NAFTA challenge won't stop Ont. from going ahead with pesticide ban: minister TORONTO — Ontario won't back down from its plan to prohibit the cosmetic use and sale of weed killer 2,4-D despite a NAFTA challenge to Quebec's pesticide ban, Ontario's environment minister said Tuesday. "The NAFTA challenge in and of itself - or potential NAFTA challenge - won't have any effect on whether we think we're doing the right thing," said Environment Minister John Gerretsen. (Oct. 29, 08) The Canadian Press
Risk of Disease Rises With Water Temperatures - washingtonpost.com When a 1991 cholera outbreak that killed thousands in Peru was traced to plankton blooms fueled by warmer-than-usual coastal waters, linking disease outbreaks to epidemics was a new idea. Now, scientists say, it is a near-certainty that global warming will drive significant increases in waterborne diseases around the world. (Oct 20, 08) washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines
Plan in works to cool buildings with Lake Ontario water - NewsChannel 9 WSYR Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - If they can pull it off, supporters say it will be one of the greenest projects we've seen. Researchers from SUNY ESF are in the early stages of a project to pipe the waters of Lake Ontario to cool buildings around central New York. (Oct 17, 08) - NewsChannel 9 WSYR
toledoblade.com -- Warming likely to affect fishing, shipping industries Walleye and yellow perch - the backbone of the Great Lakes region's multibillion dollar recreation and tourism industry - will likely be harder to catch as the lakes warm. (Oct 13, 08) toledoblade.com --
University of Michigan researchers find way to help trace origins of mercury pollution - Ann Arbor News - The Ann Arbor News Online - Michigan Newspaper - MLive.com University of Michigan researchers have figured out a way to help trace the origins of environmental mercury. Using molecular "fingerprints," they've found they can potentially identify the sources of mercury pollution in the environment. If policy makers know where the pollution comes from, they might be better able to figure out how to regulate it. (Oct 10, 08) Michigan News, Sports, Business, Entertainment - MLive.com - Everything Michigan
globeandmail.com: Oil sands will pollute Great Lakes, report warns Massive refinery expansions for processing crude threaten to wipe out clean-up progress around world's largest body of fresh water - The environmental impacts of Alberta's oil sands will not be restricted to Western Canada, researchers say, but will extend thousands of kilometres away to the Great Lakes, threatening water and air quality around the world's largest body of fresh water. In a new report, the University of Toronto's Munk Centre says the massive refinery expansions needed to process tar sands crude, and the new pipeline networks for transporting the fuel, amount to a "pollution delivery system" connecting Alberta to the Great Lakes region of Canada and the U.S. (Oct. 8, 08) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
Lakes Conference Talks Protection - Protecting Lake Ontario and all the Great Lakes needs to continue. That's what advocacy groups are saying. (Oct 4, 08) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
Studies Lift Hopes for Great Lakes Wind Turbine Farms - washingtonpost.com CHICAGO -- Picture 100,000 wind turbines rising from the Great Lakes off Michigan's shores, casting spinning shadows on the water and producing electricity for the entire Upper Midwest. This surreal image is conjured by a study released last Tuesday by the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute. It analyzed wind potential in the Great Lakes and found that 100,000 turbines off Michigan's coasts could produce 321,000 megawatts of energy. (Oct 7, 08) washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines
JS Online: Chicago’s electric carp barrier hits a snag Safety of electrified water for barge operators questioned - It’s supposed to be the last chance to keep the Great Lakes from turning into the Great Carp Ponds, but the federal government’s new electric fish barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is not doing the job. (Oct. 5, 08) JSOnline.com, Web site of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Port of Rochester meeting stresses need to protect Great Lakes | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle While there have been improvements in protecting the Great Lakes, a more strident effort in the state Legislature and federal government is needed, say advocates focused on preserving the waterways. They came together for the third annual Great Lakes Conference, held Saturday at the Port of Rochester. (Oct 5, 08) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
President Bush Signs Great Lakes Compact - WASHINGTON, D.C. – The future of the Great Lakes is secure, with foresighted plans now locked in place to safeguard their waters and health for generations to come. President George Bush today signed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, endorsing sweeping protections for the Great Lakes that culminate a decade’s-worth of work by conservationists, government agencies, businesses, the public, as well as countless local, state and federal leaders. (Oct 3, 08) Alliance for the Great Lakes
Great Lakes ships can keep washing residue overboard Tougher environmental rules may be on the way, though - Great Lakes freight haulers will continue sweeping residues of iron ore, coal, limestone and other cargo overboard under a new federal policy that rejects environmentalists’ pleas to end the practice. (Sept 30, 08) greenbaypressgazette.com Latest News
Cameco resumes production after 14-month shutdown - Cameco Corp. said yesterday it has resumed production of uranium hexafluoride at its conversion facility in Port Hope. The company spent more than $50 million to investigate the possibility that uranium, arsenic and fluorides may have seeped into Lake Ontario, rehabilitate the plant and install a system of wells that collect impacted groundwater. (Oct 1, 08) Peterborough Examiner - Ontario, CA
globeandmail.com: Watershed deal aimed at protecting Great Lakes Compact largely bans massive transfers |The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday approved a historic compact that largely bans major diversions from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, protecting the world's largest body of fresh water from massive transfers. The measure had already been passed by Ontario, Quebec, and the eight states along the water system, and goes into effect on Dec. 8. (Sept 24, 08) globeandmail.com: Canada's National Newspaper
House OKs Great Lakes compact | Bush to sign measure against water diversion | Congress has made the Great Lakes compact official .| The U.S. House of Representatives approved the eight-state agreement, which protects the lakes from diversion, by a vote of 390-25 shortly after noon Tuesday. President George W. Bush has said he will sign it into law. (Sept 24, 08) Freep.com | Detroit Free Press | Detroit news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Detroit, Michigan
Lake is not great | Toronto & GTA | Toronto Sun | Shoreline cleanup needs help | Police divers put on wet suits and dove deep into Lake Ontario yesterday to recover submerged litter in a bid to help ensure it truly deserves to be called a Great Lake. "I found a toilet, kitchen sink, fire extinguisher, scooter, pop cans ... garbage and lots of it," said Const. Steven Balice, who was at the foot of Bathurst St., near the National Yacht Club yesterday. (Sept 19, 08) Toronto Sun
The Columbus Dispatch : Growing list of fish threatened in Ohio, across nation Pollution, habitat loss put 39 species in Great Lakes region at risk - The number of fish species threatened by pollution, invasive species and loss of habitat in Ohio and across North America is growing, according to a new report. This week, the U.S. Geological Survey and American Fisheries Society listed 700 fish species in the United States, Canada and Mexico as vulnerable, threatened or endangered. The list includes 61 species considered extinct.(Sept 12, 08) The Columbus Dispatch
Panel scraps Lake Ontario water-level plans, seeks government input | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle Stringing out an already-lengthy process, the U.S.-Canadian panel that oversees Lake Ontario water levels has pulled the plug on its latest proposal to change the regulations. (Sept 9, 08) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
Feedback: International Joint Commission May Drop Plan 2007 : WWNY TV 7 According to a letter from International Joint Commision U.S. Chairwoman Irene Brooks to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, the IJC is looking to drop its proposed Plan 2007. (Sept 5, 08) WWNY TV 7
Boat tour promotes healthier Great Lakes - The sailboat "Earth Voyager" will conclude its 13-city tour this weekend as it rides off into the sunset from the Port of Rochester. The 60-foot-tall vessel has been used in a summer campaign to bring attention to Great Lakes pollution. (Sept 6, 08) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
Michigan Messenger » Great Lakes dead zone a mystery In the wake of a report in Science two weeks ago that concluded that the number of dead zones — areas of low oxygen that choke off life — in the ocean are doubling every 10 years, renewed attention may be focused on a major dead zone in one of the Great Lakes that continues to be a mystery. (Sept 1, 08) Michigan Messenger
Tiny Invasive Snail Impacts Great Lakes, Alters Ecology MILWAUKEE, WI — Long a problem in the western United States, the New Zealand mud snail currently inhabits four of the five Great Lakes and is spreading into rivers and tributaries, according to a Penn State team of researchers. These tiny creatures out-compete native snails and insects, but are not good fish food replacements for the native species. (Sept 5, 08) GantDaily.com - Local News for Clearfield / State College / Philipsburg / DuBois / And Surrounding Areas
Will Thirsty States Get Great Lakes Water? | Water | AlterNet | A new compact protecting the Great Lakes is set to pass Congress, but there are a few green critics with serious concerns. | For 25 years, residents around the Great Lakes have worried that thirstier regions (or even countries) would make designs on their water. The lakes' bounty as the single largest freshwater source in the world (holding 18 percent of the Earth's available surface freshwater) has inspired the eight surrounding states to try to formulate a legal shield ensuring their water stays in their own backyards. (Aug. 26, 08) AlterNet
Lake Ontario coastal water under siege | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle After the Great Lakes cleanup of the 1970s, pollution levels plummeted, fish began to thrive and algae receded to a minor annoyance. But three decades after that massive, multibillion-dollar cleanup, the waters of four of the five Great Lakes are once again plagued by smelly, slimy algae. (Aug. 24, 08) school, is now considered by the city to be too contaminated to consider buying. (Aug 22, 08) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
CENTRAL LIBRARY PRESENTS "WATER SCARCITY IN THE GREAT LAKES" Wayne Howard will present “Water Scarcity in the Great Lakes--Is the World’s Water Supply a Public Right or a Commodity?” at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County at Noon on Thursday, August 28. The presentation and discussion will be held in the Kate Gleason Auditorium of the Bausch and Lomb Public Library Building at 115 South Avenue. Wayne Howard is both the Sierra Club Great Lakes Committee Chair of the Rochester Regional Group and of the New York State Atlantic Chapter. His local committee has been active working with the Healing Our Waters (HOW) Coalition to help garner support for meaningful Great Lakes legislation. Their focus is legislative advocacy and education on issues including the Great Lakes, water quality and water privatization. Wayne and his wife, Sally, live in Henrietta and operate their own environmental and computer consulting business, Solara Concepts. (8/20/08) Welcome to the City of Rochester
JS Online: Action on protective laws ever likelier Congress, president, candidates pledge support for compact - A seven-year push by the region’s governors to build a legal dike around the world’s largest freshwater system almost died in Madison in February. The Great Lakes Compact to protect the region’s water from being pumped away to thirsty states had passed three state legislatures and the Wisconsin Senate. But a handful of Wisconsin Assembly leaders — fretting that the compact might hamper Wisconsin’s ability to pipe Lake Michigan water to Waukesha County and other booming areas — tried to essentially derail the measure by refusing to bring it to a vote before the Legislature adjourned for the year. (Aug 16, 08) http://www.jsonline.com/
GoErie.com: Lake Drilling Four-dollar-a-gallon gas and the prospects of sky-high winter heating bills made offshore drilling a hot issue in national politics this year. For months, the debate has focused on oil and natural gas reserves under the U.S. continental shelf -- areas off the East and West coasts that have long been off limits to oil and gas exploration. Now that debate is starting to focus on a shoreline closer to home -- Lake Erie's. (Aug 8, 08) GoErie.com
Fox 44 - Burlington and Plattsburgh News, Weather and Sports - Fox44.net | Sen. Charles Schumer discusses issues plaguing Great Lakes SODUS BAY, N.Y. (AP) - Senator Charles Schumer was in central New York yesterday to discuss issues affecting the Great Lakes, including invasive species, water quality problems and boating regulations. In Wayne County, Schumer pledged to assist local communities in their fight against invasive species such as the water chestnut. The pesky weed threatens the area's native species and clogs waterways for recreational boaters. (Aug 6, 08) Fox 44 - Burlington and Plattsburgh News, Weather and Sports - Fox44.net | Home
Researchers say global warming could cost Ohio billions of dollars - Ohio could lose billions of dollars in the shipping, tourism and recreation industries in coming decades if global warming continues unabated, researchers at the University of Maryland contend. (July 25, 08) cleveland.com: Everything Cleveland
ENVIRONMENT: Great Lakes pact advances - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper The State Senate has passed a multi-state, international compact that restricts the transfer of water from the Great Lakes Basin. (Aug 1, 08) Rochester City Newspaper
U.S. and Canada split over Lake Erie drilling Drilling ban for oil, gas likely to remain in effect for portions within U. S. border WASHINGTON — Offshore drilling has become one of the hot political issues in a new era of $4-a-gallon gasoline. But no one is pushing for drilling off the north shore of the United States — except the Canadians. (July 28, 08) Buffalo News
MAYOR APPLAUDS INTRODUCTION OF GREAT LAKES COMPACT RESOLUTION Mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI), a coalition of more than 55 U.S. and Canadian cities, commended members of Congress today for introducing a joint resolution providing consent to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. "Lake Ontario is an incredibly valuable asset for our region,” said Mayor Robert J. Duffy, a member of the GLSLCI Executive Committee. “As a GLSLCI member City, Rochester can be proud of our support of the Compact and the work being done to protect and restore the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence basin. The joint efforts of the mayors with their respective states is to be commended." (July 25, 08) Welcome to the City of Rochester
Great Lakes preservation won - ALBANY - Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Wednesday announced a major victory in his efforts to protect New York State’s Great Lakes from environmental damage caused by the dumping of contaminated ballast water by large commercial ships. (July 24, 08) New York State News on the Net!
ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO ANNOUNCES MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL VICTORY IN PROTECTING NEW YORK’S GREAT LAKES FROM INVASIVE SPECIES New York, other Great Lake border states win case against EPA over ballast water discharge regulations - Cuomo: Decision will Protect NY's Great Lakes from Invasive Fish and Aquatic Species that have devastating affects on environment, economy and human health ALBANY, N.Y. (July 23, 2008) – Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced a major victory today in his efforts to protect New York state’s Great Lakes from environmental damage caused by the dumping of contaminated ballast water by large commercial ships. New York, together with five other Great Lakes states and several environmental groups, won a court decision stipulating that large vessels and other oceangoing freight ships can no longer discharge pollutant-containing ballast water without a permit. (July 23, 08) Office of New York State Attorney General Andrew M Cuomo
Great Lakes' health gets boost in court | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle A push to prevent invasive species from wreaking more havoc in the Great Lakes received a boost Wednesday. A court decision ordering federal regulators to implement rules barring ocean-going freighters from dumping ballast water in the Great Lakes was upheld by an appeals court in California. (July 24, 08) Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
Duluth News Tribune | Congress expected to take action on Great Lakes compact Great Lakes residents have spoken. So have their governor’s and state lawmakers. And now Congress appears poised to make the same claim: Great Lakes water should stay in the Great Lakes region. (July 23, 08) Duluth News Tribune
Ohio.com - Congress asked to stop Great Lakes diversion The movement to protect Great Lakes water is shifting to Congress. In a letter to the eight Great Lakes governors, 53 members of Congress from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and New York pledged to support the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. (July 23, 08) Ohio.com
Large ship takes pulse of Lake Ontario | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle The biggest single participant in a yearlong program of intensive research in Lake Ontario paid a call to Rochester Tuesday — all 180 feet of her. The research vessel Lake Guardian, operated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, spent the morning at the Port of Rochester terminal to highlight ongoing studies of the lake. Those studies, done jointly by academic and government scientists in the United States and Canada, focus on water quality concerns and the health of both tiny creatures and large fish. (July 23, 08) Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
DEC investigating fish and mudpuppy die-offs on lakeshore - Observer Today ALBANY - The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is investigating the deaths of mudpuppies and fish washing up on the shores of Lake Erie. Mudpuppies, an aquatic salamander, along with smallmouth bass, catfish and sheephead are among the species that have been found dead at locations including Point Gratiot, Sunset Bay, Evangola State Park and Sturgeon Point. (July20, 08)Observer Today
TorontoSun.com - Canada- Mayors given a say on Great Lakes issues Municipalities will now be able to weigh in on any funding issues concerning the Great Lakes after signing a pact yesterday with the Ontario government. At the annual meeting of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, 50 mayors and city officials from Canada and the U.S. signed a memorandum of co-operation with the province to protect waterfront areas. (July 18, 08) TorontoSun.com
Ageing pipes raise stink The effects of Tuesday's intense storm are still rippling across Toronto, with six of the city's 11 beaches closed today, four days after the Humber River belched a plume of E. Coli-contaminated water into Lake Ontario on Wednesday afternoon. (July 12, 08) National Post | Canadian News, Financial News And Opinion
toledoblade.com -- New EPA rules to target invasive species Invaders have plagued Great Lakes for years - CLEVELAND - One by one, more than 180 fish, mussels, plants, and other aquatic forms of life that don't belong in the Great Lakes have established a stronghold, messing up the food web for native fish that drive the region's multibillion-dollar tourism industry. The invasive species also have dealt blows to property values - and have helped to increase the cost of treating drinking water for 35 million people who live in the basin. (July 14, 08) http://toledoblade.com/home
POLITICS: Last states pass Great Lakes pact - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper It's now up to Congress to approve a pact that would keep Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes region. All states bordering at least one of the lakes have passed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement. It's a pact that sets limits on taking water from the lakes for use outside the region. (July10, 08) Rochester City Newspaper
Granholm signs water protection pact | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press Lake states unite against diversion demands - With the stroke of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's pen Wednesday at a Saugatuck beach, Michigan, which calls itself the Great Lakes State, became the last of eight states to formally approve a compact to protect the Great Lakes from having their water diverted to other regions. (July 10, 08) Freep.com | Detroit Free Press | Detroit news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Detroit, Michigan
TheVoiceNews.com: Healthy Lakes bring a healthy economy 07/09/08 Earth Voyager tour brings awareness, support to lakes - There's little doubt that when it comes to the economic and cultural identity of southeastern Michigan, the Great Lakes are essential. However, the health of those lakes is seriously being threatened by problems such as untreated sewage and invasive species. Enter Earth Voyager and the Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives tour, which is traveling the Great Lakes to bring awareness to the environmental and economical issues plaguing the waterways today. (July 09, 08) TheVoiceNews.com
Avoid Canadian fines; use artificial baits | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press Ontario regulations make it unlawful to import live minnows into Ontario from any state or province. Ontario is trying to stop new diseases such as viral hemorrhagic septicemia, which first showed up in the Great Lakes about three years ago, from spreading to inland lakes. (July 9, 08) Freep.com | Detroit Free Press | Detroit news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Detroit, Michigan
Invasive Species Threaten Great Lakes : NPR NPR.org, July 7, 2008 · The blue-green waters of the Great Lakes seem cleaner and clearer than ever before — but while cleaner is good, clearer isn't necessarily so. (July 7, 08) NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts
Watertown Daily Times | Lots of letters sent to IJC WATER LEVELS: Catch phrases turn up in missives from opposing sides ( July 6. 08) Watertown Daily Times | Local News, Sports, Features, and Community Information for Jefferson County, St. Lawrence County, and Lewis County in Northern New York
Lake Levels Concern Sodus Point - 13WHAM.com (Sodus Point, N.Y.) -- Concerns over water levels in Lake Ontario are perhaps strongest along Wayne County's shoreline, specifically Sodus Point. (June 28, 08) 13WHAM.com
Watertown Daily Times | IJC implored to use Plan B+ ALEXANDRIA BAY HEARING: Lawmakers, residents, business owners say environment must be protected — A flood of more than 200 lawmakers, residents and business owners from Northern New York confronted the International Joint Commission at a public hearing Wednesday night to deliver a unified message: choose Plan B+. The IJC, an independent, binational organization, controls the water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River via the Moses-Saunders hydroelectric dam in Massena. (June 28, 08) Watertown Daily Times | News for today, history for tomorrow!
Watertown Daily Times | NNY strives to reduce sewage overflows OLD SYSTEMS OVERWHELMED: Combination of wastewater, rainwater too much to handle - Up to 53 times a year, six north country municipalities dump diluted sewage that ends up in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. And it's all legal. (June 22, 08) Watertown Daily Times | News for today, history for tomorrow!
Cameco testing for uranium leak in Lake Ontario - The world's largest uranium producer is looking into whether the element, along with arsenic and fluorides, might have leaked into Lake Ontario from its Port Hope processing plant.A spokesman for Cameco Corp. said that computer modelling in recent weeks shows that "small amounts of contaminated groundwater may be entering the harbour," but it's still unknown whether that is actually the case.(May 5, 08) Latest news from The Globe and Mail in RSS 2.0
GoErie.com: Group pushes for $20B to restore Great Lakes An environmental group wants the country's next president to fully fund Great Lakes restoration efforts -- a cost of more than $20 billion -- within five years. It hopes the Earth Voyager's summerlong tour of the Great Lakes will spur the presidential candidates to commit to doing just that. (June 13, 08) GoErie.com
Hundreds crowd Lake Ontario meeting in Greece | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle About 200 people crowded a Greece meeting hall Wednesday night to revisit a hot argument about what should take precedence — safeguarding Lake Ontario shoreline property, or restoring the lake's ecosystem. ( June 12, 08) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
Lake Ontario Regulators Want Opinons on Water Level Plan ROCHESTER, NY (2008-06-11) The U.S. and Canadian panel that regulates the Great Lakes is holding a public hearing in the Town of Greece Wednesday night on a new plan for water levels in Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River. Frank Bevacqua of the International Joint Commission says "Plan 2007" would replace the existing regulation plan that dates to 1958. It's taken five years to develop because it has to balance so many conflicting interests. (June 11, 08) WXXI NewsRoom
2008 Farm Bill important for the Great Lakes Ann Arbor, Mich. – Passage by Congress of the 2008 Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) means some good news for the Great Lakes. Provisions of the bill will help efforts to control soil erosion in the Great Lakes basin, and support research on a deadly fish virus in the lakes, among other priorities. --from Great Lakes Commission | Commission des Grands Lacs
Warming seen depleting Great Lakes even more | U.S. | Reuters CHICAGO (Reuters) - Global warming will likely drain more water from the Great Lakes and pose added pollution threats to the region's vulnerable ecosystem, environmental groups said in a report issued on Wednesday. (May 29, 08) World News, Business News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com
Uranium Producer Warns of Lake Ontario Pollution - New York Times OTTAWA — Cameco, the world’s largest uranium producer, has told the Canadian nuclear regulator that its refinery might have leaked uranium, arsenic and fluorides into Lake Ontario. Cameco A section of the Port Hope, Ontario, plant of Cameco, the world’s largest uranium producer. The plant at Port Hope, Ontario, across the lake from Rochester and down the shore from Toronto, first refined uranium for the Manhattan Project during World War II. It has been temporarily closed since July to remove contaminated soil. (May 22, 08) The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
Tabled lake-level plan heats debate | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle As public information sessions begin in western New York on a new proposal for regulating Lake Ontario water levels, the point of contention remains a regulatory plan that's officially not even under consideration. A month ago, the international body that oversees regulation of Lake Ontario levels released a new plan offering only modest changes from the current regime, which dates its origins to the 1950s. (April 29, 08) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York
An inside look: Plan 2007 vs. Plan B+ - JEFFERSON COUNTY, N.Y. -- It's called Plan 2007. The International Joint Commission said it's the best way to regulate water levels on the St. Lawrence Seaway and Lake Ontario. The proposed decision comes after nearly five years and $20 million of work. According to the IJC, the plan combines environmental and recreational benefits, while helping erosion. (April 28) News 10 Now | 24 Hour Local News | Watertown/North Country
Ontario rejects IJC plan 2007 on water levels - The Ontario government has joined the ranks of environmentalists and New York State officials in rejecting the International Joint Commission's (IJC) Plan 2007 as a viable option for managing the water levels along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield announced Wednesday at a Great Lakes Conference in Toronto that the provincial government is backing Plan B-plus, one of the first three options presented to the IJC in 2006. (April 25, 08) The Cornwall Standard Freeholder - Ontario, CA
Ont. opposes plan for regulating levels of Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence Ontario has joined environmental groups and New York state officials in opposing a plan that would change how the water levels and flow of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River are regulated. It's been 50 years since changes were made to how the water levels and flows are controlled at the Moses-Saunders Dam at Cornwall, Ont., and Massena, N.Y., and the binational International Joint Commission said it had become "increasingly urgent" that a review be done. (April 24, 08) CBCNews.ca - Breaking News, Canada, World, Health, Business, Entertainment
Government gets green with national initiatives - New initiatives are making it easier to avoid polluting the environment thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Postal Service. The EPA is promoting the Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge this year, which is from April 19th through the 27th, with the goal of collecting one million pounds of electronic waste and one million pills of unwanted medicines to keep them out of the water table and the drinking water of the Great Lakes. E-waste, such as computer hardware, televisions, cell phones and other gadgets, often contain lead and mercury. Cathode ray tube monitors and TVs can contain more than two pounds of lead. (April 11, 08) Medill Reports: Chicago
TheStar.com | Canada | Protect Canada's water, Ottawa urged Groups fear exploitation of country's supplies in face of freshwater crises in U.S. and elsewhere - Warning that most Americans see Canada as that "great green sponge up north," four organizations plan to issue a plea today to the Conservative government to protect the nation's water before it's too late. A study authored by the Polaris Institute, a public policy group, and obtained by the Star challenges "myths" about Canadian abundance and describes how the country lost control of its water to U.S. interests under the terms of binding trade deals, including the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). (April 2, 08) TheStar.com
IJC releases new water regulations proposal JEFFERSON COUNTY, N.Y. -- It's taken over 50 years, but the International Joint Commission is now proposing a new plan to regulate water levels. The current plan, Plan 1958-D, stated that the IJC must respect navigation, domestic and industrial use, irrigation, shorelines and the Montreal Harbor. (March 31, 08) News 10 Now | 24 Hour Local News | TOP STORIES
Sailing far from clear for new lake-level plan | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle An international panel floated a new plan on Friday for regulating water levels in Lake Ontario, but whether the proposal will sink or swim remains very much an open question. The plan, written by the International Joint Commission to replace decades-old rules, would benefit some of the lake's diverse user groups more than others. (March 29, 08) Democrat & Chronicle
Shoreline property owners look to benefit from new water level proposal | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle As details emerged about a new proposal to regulate Lake Ontario water levels, it appeared that shoreline property owners may be clear winners. Under the plan released this morning by the International Joint Commission, a U.S.-Canada treaty organization, levels would be adjusted to provide some benefit to shoreline wetlands, though not nearly as much as environmental advocates would like. (March 28, 08) Democrat & Chronicle
Schumer wants fed funding for Great Lakes invasive species, toxic sediment and industrial pollution WASHINGTON – With the Great Lakes increasingly threatened by invasive species, habitat loss, toxic sediment, and other dangerous conditions, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer Monday announced efforts to get the federal government to do more to ensure that “vital funding” is delivered to local governments currently footing the billion-dollar bill for programs to protect and preserve New York’s most precious natural resource. (March 25, 08) New York State News on the Net!
Plan for lake level raises anxieties - After months of delay and continuing controversy, the international body that oversees the Great Lakes is about to announce a new plan for regulating water levels in Lake Ontario. The announcement will be of intense interest to the thousands of people who live, play or do business along the lake's shoreline, as well as those who boat, fish and use the lake's deep waters for commercial shipping or power generation. ( March 19, 08) Democrat & Chronicle
The Buffalo News: City & Region: Lake Ontario fishery threatened by invasive species LOCKPORT — Invasive species and fluctuating populations of game fish and their prey will continue to keep the Lake Ontario fishery in a state of flux, state officials said at a meeting here Thursday. The Department of Environmental Conservation’s “State of Lake Ontario” session drew about 50 anglers and charter boaters to Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Training Center at the Niagara County Fairgrounds. (March 14, 08) The Buffalo News
New York joins Great Lakes water compact - NewsFlash - mlive.com ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Incoming Governor David Paterson says New York has committed to an interstate treaty designed to keep arid states from pulling water out of the Great Lakes. (March 14, 08) Michigan News, Sports, Business, Entertainment - MLive.com - Everything Michigan
Health Report Raises Dispute Over Great Lakes Pollution - WASHINGTON — Top federal health officials said Wednesday that they had asked the Institute of Medicine, the government’s premier medical adviser, to referee a dispute over a report suggesting that pollution in the Great Lakes region may have serious health consequences for people who live there, including infant mortality and breast cancer. “It’s a good way to get a really high-quality and completely objective scientific review,” said Dr. Henry Falk, who oversees environmental health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (March 13, 08) The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
The Buffalo News: National: Sen. Clinton supports Great Lakes restoration WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday called on the Senate Budget Committee to reject President Bush’s proposed budget cuts in programs to restore the Great Lakes.( March 09, 08) The Buffalo News
Congressional panel calls for release of CDC report about the Great Lakes -- chicagotribune.com A congressional committee said Thursday that it was investigating why the Centers for Disease Control has declined to release a report about health problems near contaminated sites around the Great Lakes. A spokesman for the CDC said the report was held over questions about the data it used because it was presented in a way that may be misinterpreted. Though the report lists contaminant sites and illnesses reported nearby, it does not say the illnesses were caused by toxins at the sites. (Feb 29, 08) Chicago news, sports, photos, video, blogs, Chicago weather, business, travel, tourism, entertainment and jobs -- chicagotribune.com
Great Lakes Officials Seek Aid From U.S. and Canada - New York Times CHICAGO — Regional government agencies around the Great Lakes spend some $15 billion a year to protect the lakes from invasive species, contaminated sediment and sewage overflows, a new study shows. But local officials say that still more protection is needed and that the United States and Canadian governments should pay for it. “They’re saying it’s not a federal problem, but it is,” Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago said of the five lakes, which hold 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. Mr. Daley and other regional leaders say they intend to press for more federal money in light of the study, to be released Wednesday, which for the first time estimates what local governments are devoting to the lakes. (Feb 27, 08) The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
Living on Earth: Toxic Info Withheld The Centers for Disease Control is postponing the release of a report detailing areas of environmental concern and human health problems in the Great Lakes region. Living on Earth host Steve Curwood talks with Christopher De Rosa, who was director of the Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine at the CDC and oversaw the report. De Rosa was demoted when his work on toxins in the Great Lakes, and on formaldehyde in FEMA trailers for Hurricane Katrina survivors, was publicized.Living on Earth: Sound Journalism for the Whole Planet
Delay Of Report Is Blamed On Politics - washingtonpost.com CHICAGO -- The lead author and peer reviewers of a government report raising the possibility of public health threats from industrial contamination throughout the Great Lakes region are charging that the report is being suppressed because of the questions it raises. The author also alleges that he was demoted because of the report. Chris De Rosa, former director of the division of toxicology and environmental medicine at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), charges that the report he wrote was a significant factor in his reassignment to a non-supervisory "special assistant" position last year.(Feb 19, 08) washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines
Leaked Study Says Great Lakes Residents at Greater Health Risk - ROCHESTER, NY (2008-02-19) A study done by the Centers for Disease Control says as many as nine million people living along the U.S. side of the Great Lakes could be at higher risk for health problems because of chemical pollution. More than 300-thousand Rochester-area people fall within that study area. But people living in the Rochester area are better off than most, because the one recognized "Area of Concern" waste site in Monroe County has been cleaned up by the City of Rochester and is no longer leaking pollutants to Lake Ontario. ( Feb 2/19/08) wxxi NewsRoom
Spitzer to Sign Great Lakes Plan - ALBANY (AP) — Governor Eliot Spitzer is expected to sign a measure to protect the Great Lakes. The compact would implement an effective water management plan, provide protection against water diversions out of the basin and promote water conservation measures. (Feb 12, 08) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
Birds dying on Lake Michigan shoreline - mlive.com When loons started to turn up dead all over the northern Lake Michigan shoreline late last summer, citizens began to wonder if something serious was going on. Scientists, who recognized the problem, caught their breath. It was a problem they had seen before and the problem appeared to be spreading. (Feb 16, 08) MLive.com: Everything Michigan
Change sought in lakes pact An eight-state compact designed to protect Great Lakes water from diversions could be delayed and potentially scuttled because of changes proposed in the Ohio and Wisconsin legislatures Thursday. Governors from the eight states signed the Great Lakes Basin Water Resource Compact in 2005, and lawmakers have been working for approval from each state's legislature. The agreement has been ratified in Minnesota and Illinois, is close in Indiana and New York, and is working its way through the legislatures of Michigan and Pennsylvania. (Feb 15, 08) Detroit News Online | Saturday, February 16, 2008
Leaked report on the Great Lakes is a wake-up call High levels of pollution pose a health threat. U.S., Canadian decision-makers keep public in the dark for fear of lawsuits, expensive cleanups, scientist says WILLIAM MARSDEN, The Gazette Published: 12 hours ago At least 9 million people living on the United States side of the Great Lakes basin may be in danger from high levels of chemical pollution, according to a secret study that has been withheld from the public. The study was kept secret from the public for seven months until this week when it was leaked to the Centre for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C. (Feb 14, 08) Montreal Gazette
New York poised to join agreement to protect Great Lakes - News from The Post-Standard on syracuse.com New Yorkers moved one step closer Monday to having our greatest water resource permanently protected. The state Legislature passed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, a comprehensive plan for managing and protecting Lake Ontario and the other Great Lakes. (Feb 11, 08) News, Sports, Entertainment, Video, and Life in Central New York - Syracuse.com
Great Lakes health report withheld by agency Document has 'alarming evidence' of toxic pollutants, group says, but fed agency says it needs some fixes. Gordon Trowbridge / Detroit News Washington Bureau WASHINGTON -- Federal officials are refusing to release a scientific study that contains "alarming evidence" that toxic pollutants threaten the health of residents in Detroit and other Great Lakes cities, a watchdog group alleged Thursday. The Center for Public Integrity released on its Web site excerpts of the report, which includes information on elevated cancer levels in Wayne and Macomb counties and a Detroit landfill site that contains up to 17 tons of toxic PCBs. (February 11, 08) Detroit News Online | Monday, February 11, 2008
The Journal Register (Medina, NY) - ENVIRONMENT: DEC to announce funding for Lake Ontario For years, dangerous chemicals from Occidental Chemical Corp.’s Buffalo Avenue facility were discharged into the Niagara River, causing pollution to the river and Lake Ontario. Among the affected parties were recreational fishermen, who had to deal with advisories because of contaminants in fish in the Lake Ontario system. In June 2006, Oxy agreed to pay the state $12 million over four years as a result of those damages, according to a release from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The money will fund projects to improve recreational fishing along Lake Ontario and its tributaries. (Jan 25, 08) The Journal Register (Medina, NY)
Advocate: Great Lakes are in peril / nwi.com VALPARAISO | Members of the League of Women Voters listened to a guest speaker on a freezing Saturday morning talk about the variety of threats Lake Michigan faces. Jeanette Neagu, co-president of the Lake Michigan Interleague Organization, which is part of the league, presented slides and facts about legislation, economics and the health of the Great Lakes Basin.(Jan 22, 08) nwi.com - The Northwest Indiana and Illinois Times Newspaper

2007

Bills seeking to regulate diversion of Great Lakes water advance Bills seeking to restrict the diversion of Great Lakes water to other regions are moving forward quickly with bi-partisan support in the Indiana Legislature. Last week, the Senate Committee on Energy and Environmental Affairs passed S.B. 45 on a 10-0 vote. The bill now awaits passage by the full Indiana Senate. (Jan 14, 07) Chesterton Tribune: Daily Newspaper for Porter County and Duneland
Botulism takes fatal toll on thousands of Great Lakes birds -- chicagotribune.com The bird die-off was obvious as soon as Gary Rentrop and his English setter turned onto the Lake Michigan shore. The sugar-white sand, long buried in the crushed gray shells of invasive mussels and mats of rotting algae was now, suddenly, littered with dead birds. "It was almost like a war zone of birds," said Rentrop, a Michigan lawyer who recalled his November stroll along a Michigan beach. (Jan 15, 07) Chicago news, sports, photos, video, blogs, Chicago weather, business, travel, tourism, entertainment and jobs -- chicagotribune.com
States eye stricter curbs on Great Lakes water | csmonitor.com Lake levels reached record lows last year, and the region worries that fast-growing states and communities will try to grab its water. (Jan 07, 07) The Christian Science Monitor | csmonitor.com
Duluth News Tribune | Bill would set aside billions for conservation Legislation requiring cuts in global warming greenhouse gases passed a U.S. Senate committee this week with a little-known provision earmarking billions of dollars to conservation and wildlife projects. The new money, more than $175 billion over two decades, would go toward research, buying and managing sensitive habitat and taking additional action to help wildlife survive climate change. (Dec 07, 07) http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/
Great Lakes face trouble on 2 fronts - Global warming and droughts in the U.S. could put a drain on both Erie and Ontario WASHINGTON — If you’re thinking that global warming might make Western New York a more comfortable place to live, think again. Sure, the temperatures would be warmer, but in a mere 23 years, Buffalo could be bordered by a lake that is nearly two feet more shallow, thereby wreaking havoc on the shoreline, recreation and shipping. (Nov 28, 07) The Buffalo News
THE WARNING TO CONGRESS: Legislators: Hands off our water Two House members from Michigan demand no diversion of the Great Lakes to other states (NOV.09,07) Detroit Free Press - www.freep.com - Your local Detroit news source.
Senate overrides Bush's water bill veto - CNN.com The U.S. Senate today handed President Bush his first veto override -- authorizing $23 billion in new water projects that will benefit the Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, Everglades and other areas. (Nov. 8, 07) CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News
Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - Climate change, VHS stress fishery MANITOWOC - Global climate change and a recent influx of a deadly fish virus are stressing the Great Lakes fisheries, said two experts at a lecture on Monday. Climate change, which is caused by too much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, is turning up the heat on Great Lakes waters, lowering water levels and reducing ice coverage in the winter, said Brian Shuter, research scientist at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. (September 25, 07) The Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - Latest Headlines
globeandmail.com: The Great Lakes disappearing act As all five shrink at an alarming pace, some people have begun to fear global warming is the culprit - The Great Lakes, so named because of their immense size and prodigious water content, aren't as great as they used to be. Government forecasters are projecting that Lake Superior, the largest of the five, will fall to its lowest level for September since modern recordkeeping began nearly a century ago. The amount flowing out of the lake at its outlet, the St. Mary's River, has plunged too, and would have to rise by a staggering 50 per cent to reach the average of the past century. (September 24, 07) globeandmail.com: Canada's National Newspaper
STUDY: RESTORING GREAT LAKES WORTH THE COST - A new study says investing in Great Lakes restoration will bring big economic benefits - including increased tourism. (Photo by Andy Brush) A new study released this week (September 5th) says spending money on the Great Lakes will have major economic benefits. (August 7, 07) Environment Report
CTV.ca | Radioactive waste cleanup behind schedule: report PORT HOPE, Ont. -- A planned cleanup of low-level radioactive waste near the shores of Lake Ontario -- the largest project of its kind in North America -- remains years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget, leaving some residents of a picturesque southeastern Ontario town both frightened and angry. The federal government committed in 2001 to remove more than 2 million cubic metres of uranium-and radium-contaminated soil from beneath neighbourhood houses, roads, schoolyards, farm fields and the bottom of the local harbour. (August 19, 2007) CTV.ca | CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television
EPA boss, Walsh: Lake cleanup — WEBSTER — Rep. James Walsh and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson stood along Lake Ontario at Webster Park on Wednesday to promote efforts to protect the Great Lakes. "Our lake, Lake Ontario, is the most stressed of all lakes in the system," said Walsh, R-Onondaga, Onondaga County. Because Lake Ontario is at the lowest elevation, pollution from the other lakes flows into it, harming wildlife and water quality. (August 16, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
Study: Dredging causing 'leaks' in Great Lakes — TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Erosion caused by dredging and other human activities on the St. Clair River is causing Lakes Huron and Michigan to lose 2.5 billion gallons of water daily, a private Canadian study found. Like a bathtub drain, the artificially deepened river is funneling vast amounts of water into Lake Erie, where it flows east to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River before eventually being lost to the Atlantic Ocean, the study released Tuesday said. (August 16, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
GREAT LAKES LOWER LEVELS - Scientific data indicate lower Great Lakes water levels might be because of global warming. But, Lester Graham reports many people believe the lower levels are because of water withdrawals: --from The Environment Report from GLRC
Dirty water... should you eat the fish? - Lake pollutants have dipped, but risks exist - A recent draft report, "State of the Great Lakes 2007," says contaminants of longstanding concern have been markedly reduced but remain a problem. A prime example are PCBs, chemicals once widely used as insulators in transformers until banned from new products in 1977. They continue to be found in offshore Lake Ontario water at levels as much as 140 times higher than the state's strictest guidelines. PCBs have been linked to memory loss, learning and reproductive problems and possibly cancer. (August 12, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
Lake Erie is getting warmer and smaller The lake is in far better shape than it was 20 years ago, but scientists worry it might not stay that way as it deals with new environmental threats - Lake Erie is hot. OK, just slowly warming -- and drawing increasingly heated interest among beaker-bearing scientists, criss-crossing our lake this summer looking for answers to questions about temperature and related matters. Among them: Will Lake Erie continue its 30-year drop in depth and area? Will damaging invasive aquatic species like zebra mussels keep gaining in strength and numbers? Will the harmful algae blooms and no-oxygen "dead zones" keep growing each year? (July 26, 07) cleveland.com: Everything Cleveland
Senate panel approves $600,000 to protect the Great Lakes from soil erosion - Washington -- The full Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies FY08 Appropriations Bill, which includes $600,000 for Great Lakes Basin Soil and Erosion Control. (July 24, 07) New York State News on the Net!
Anderson delivers sobering report; Great Lakes mayors told it will soon be too late to reverse environmental decline - Canadians have just over 12 years left to reverse the damage to our environment if we are to save it, says the mayor of The Blue Mountains. Ellen Anderson made that pessimistic prediction to council Monday night while reporting on the annual meeting of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. (July 19, 07) Osprey Media. - Owen Sound Sun Times - Ontario, CA
State acts to shield water -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY Protection of Great Lakes supply from sale elsewhere is goal of new compact - ALBANY -- New York is poised to join seven states and two Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes to lock up the world's largest source of fresh water from outsiders. The plan, called the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Basin Water Compact, was approved Monday by the state Senate, about two months after the Assembly adopted it as part of an Earth Day environmental package. (July 19, 07) Albany NY News - Times Union - Serving Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Troy
GREAT LAKES AND ST. LAWRENCE CITIES INITIATIVE Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy, the Lower Lakes Regional Director of GLSLCI, said, "We have all worked very hard over the past 30 years to protect and restore the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, and we cannot allow that progress to be reversed with pollution increases like the ones allowed in this permit." (July 18, 07) Welcome to the City of Rochester
On eating fish from the Great Lakes: From Canada, there increasing concern that the sport fish in the Great Lakes may be uneatable in the near future from manmade toxins. Read the report "Up To the Gills" -- "The report examines pollution in Great Lakes fish" by Environmental Defence - Defense Environment
London Free Press - National News - Researchers urge Great Lakes help - Researchers urge Great Lakes help - Ships carrying invasive fish and other species in from the ocean need tougher rules, study says. U.S. and Canadian researchers yesterday urged tougher rules for ships plying the Great Lakes in an effort to reduce the invasion of damaging foreign species. (July 13, 07) London Free Press
The Epoch Times | Pollution Making Great Lakes Fish Inedible Levels of toxic chemicals alarmingly high, states report - Could eating fish from the Great Lakes become a thing of the past? Environmentalists say it's very likely, given the levels of toxins dangerous to both fish and people present in the lakes. A report by the Canadian environmental watchdog group, Environmental Defence, says pollution from industrial, municipal, and agricultural sources poses a serious threat to the ecological health of the Great Lakes. (July 12, 07) The Epoch Times
Botulism blamed in bird die-off - Syracuse.com DEC reports appearance of dozens of dead birds along Lake Ontario shoreline. Water birds, once again, are dying by the hundreds on Lake Ontario. Several hundred dead birds - including numerous Caspian terns, a species of special concern in New York state - have washed up in recent weeks along Little Galloo Island and the eastern coast of Lake Ontario, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Monday. The culprit: Type E avian botulism, a deadly toxin. (July 10, 07) Syracuse.com
Invasive species threaten Great Lakes: report The Great Lakes are home to more than 300 invasive or non-native species, and many threaten the health of the aquatic ecosystem, a new report says. Many of these plants and animals are destructive and parasitic, according to the report issued Monday by Environment Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (June 12, 07) CBC.CA - Canada's News, Money, Sports, Health, Technology & Science, Consumer Life, Arts, and Kids Information Source
toledoblade.com -- Great Lakes restoration effort receives mixed review CHICAGO - Efforts to restore the Great Lakes got mixed reviews in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report released here yesterday. The agency said in its biennial Great Lakes Highlights Report that there is less air pollution and a decline in the lakes' overall abundance of toxins. But smog remains a public health issue in several metropolitan areas, the agency said, and medical waste and harsh chemicals from fire retardants and personal health-care products are being detected more often. (June 8, 07) http://toledoblade.com/home
Scientists see trouble ahead for big lakes - mlive.com STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Great Lakes have made a dramatic recovery since the 1950s but face new, vexing problems that are fundamentally changing the world's largest source of fresh surface water. That was the message delivered Monday by longtime researchers meeting at Penn State University for the International Association for Great Lakes Research Conference. (May 31, 07) http://www.mlive.com/
Great Lakes under siege Lawsuit opens new front in battle against invasive species. - TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Shipping companies, scientists and environmentalists have long debated how to stop the onslaught of exotic species such as zebra mussels in the Great Lakes. Now, lawyers are getting involved. Many of the 183 invasive species known to inhabit the lakes arrived in ballast water dumped by oceangoing ships. A Michigan law that took effect this year requires freighters to sterilize ballast before discharging it into the state's waters. (April 25, 2007) South Bend Tribune
Warming study sees problems for Great Lakes Drop in water quality tied to lower levels - WASHINGTON — Global warming is likely to dramatically alter the Great Lakes region in the coming decades, making the world’s largest body of fresh water shallower and dirtier while hurting the region’s ability to capitalize on its greatest natural resource. That’s the conclusion the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change delivered Monday as it released the North America chapter of its much publicized report on the worldwide impact of higher temperatures. “In the Great Lakes and major river systems, lower levels are likely to exacerbate challenges relating to water quality, navigation, recreation, hydropower generation, water transfers and bi-national relationships,” the report said. (April 23, 07) The Buffalo News
Global warming could pummel Lake Erie economy Lake Erie could suffer the ravages of global warming in the next century, while also buffering Northeast Ohio from the worst effects. That's the opinion of some in response to dire warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which released its fourth report in Brussels last week. In short, the IPCC report claims that if world temperatures rise even slightly, as projected, there will be increased mortality from heat waves, floods and droughts and 30 percent of the world's species will be at risk of extinction. (April 8, 07) cleveland.com: Everything Cleveland
Warming saps Great Lakes Water levels could take big drop as Earth gets hotter WASHINGTON -- Data from a new United Nations report on climate change make it more likely that an increasingly arid American southwest will seek access to Great Lakes water, Michigan's top climate official said Friday. The report also strengthens scientific opinion that Michigan will see other dramatic effects in the coming decades: lower Great Lakes water levels, a dramatically receding Lake St. Clair, and summers by the end of the century that feel more like northern Mississippi than to what Michiganians are now accustomed. And the findings are likely to increase political pressure on the embattled U.S. automakers to increase fuel efficiency, something Detroit's automakers have said will cost money and jobs. (April 10, 07) Detroit News Online
globeandmail.com: Joint pledge to accelerate cleanup of Great Lakes hot spots The Ontario and federal governments say they hope to clean up four of the 15 most polluted sites on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes by 2010. Under a proposed agreement between the two governments, details of which were published in the Canada Gazette on Saturday, Ontario and Ottawa say they intend to remediate Jackfish Bay and Nipigon Bay in Lake Superior, along with Wheatley Harbour on Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall -- sites that have been polluted by decades of abuses, such as the dumping of industrial waste, poorly treated municipal sewage, and agricultural run off. (March, 19 2007) globeandmail.com: National
02/22/07 - In two parts, here’s an excellent set of article about how Global Warming is and will be affecting our Great Lakes. Global warming—first of two parts: Lack of lake ice a harbinger of things to come & Part two of two: Climate change could alter life in and life of lakes -from Sussex Sun
'Fish Ebola virus' threatens lakes A resurgent Lake Michigan salmon fishery that survived a devastating bacterial disease in the 1980s and '90s might soon face its greatest threat: an imported disease that biologists call "Ebola virus for fish." Viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, is sweeping across the Great Lakes, leaving thousands of dead fish in its wake. Like the Ebola virus in humans that has killed thousands in Africa, VHS makes fish bleed to death from their eyes and other orifices. VHS does not affect humans. (Feb 11, 07) MLive.com: Everything Michigan
IJC's 13th Biennial Report Calls for Strong Great Lakes Accountability Framework by the two National Governments - CHICAGO. In its Thirteenth Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality, released today, the International Joint Commission recommends that the governments of Canada and the United States create and apply an uncommonly strong Accountability Framework for Great Lakes restoration and protection under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. (Feb 10, 07) IJC-CMI
Joyous swan song - Centuries of overhunting bled the Atlantic and Midwestern trumpeter swan populations to the point that they were thought extinct in the United States by the 1940s. But since that time, environmentalists and wildlife workers have imported trumpeters back to the eastern United States from areas where they were discovered to still thrive, such as Alaska and the hot springs of Yellowstone Park. Bean has set out to amend a problem that arose from the trumpeters' displacement. The swans now residing in the area outlying Lake Ontario - between 300 and 500, he estimates - do not know to migrate eastward because the instinct was not inherited from their forbears in the western states. The climate does not threaten the swans themselves. (Jan 05, 07) http://www.auburnpub.com/
Foreign Zebra mussels likely harming Canadian drinking water: study - Yahoo! News MONTREAL (AFP) - A European mussel introduced accidentally to North America in the 1980s could be tainting Great Lakes drinking water quality, affecting its taste and causing an explosion of toxic blooms, Canadian researchers said. In tests, zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) changed basin water chemistry, creating favorable conditions for masses of cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae) or blooms to grow, researchers at Ryerson University in Toronto said in a statement. (Jan 23, 07) Yahoo! News - Top Stories
Buffalo News - Shrimp may upset life in lake SYRACUSE - Another invasive species - a half-inch long ravenous shrimp from Eurasia - has been found in Lake Ontario, raising concerns among scientists that the tiny crustacean could mean dire consequences for the lake's food chain. The discovery of bloody red mysid - whose scientific name is Hemimysis anomala - was made in a lake sample taken last spring near Oswego, said Chuck O'Neill Jr., an invasive species specialist with New York Sea Grant. Its only other confirmed appearance in the Great Lakes region was last November in a channel of Muskegon Lake, which empties into Lake Michigan. (January 18, 2007) The Buffalo News

2006

Officials to discuss VHS virus - With all the phenomenal fishing in nearby Great Lakes waters, the biggest fishing story for 2007 begins with a public informational session on Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) to start the new year. The Department of Environmental Conservation has arranged a series of informational meetings statewide, with Western New York sessions to be held for Region 8 in the Holiday Inn at Waterloo on Wednesday and Region 9 at Woodlawn Beach State Park in Hamburg on Jan. 8. Both meetings are set for 7-9 p.m. The Buffalo News
Live-fire plans withdrawn - Coast Guard to review its plans for ammunition training on lakes - — The U.S. Coast Guard has scuttled plans to establish 34 zones in the Great Lakes for live-ammunition training. One of those zones would have sat about six miles north of Irondequoit Bay. The Coast Guard announced Monday that it had decided to withdraw plans it made public in August to establish these training zones. All of the zones would have been at least five miles offshore and periodically closed to private boat traffic, allowing crews to train and get certified in the use of boat-mounted M240 machine guns. The plan generated criticism from a number of boaters, environmentalists and politicians. The Coast Guard hosted a series of public hearings in the Great Lakes region this fall, including one Oct. 30 in Rochester. (December 19, 2006) Democrat & Chronicle:
Big Prices for Small Fish New regulations force minnow costs to rise - ishermen in New York and the rest of the Great Lakes region might want to budget a few extra dollars for bait in 2007. Minnow prices - now as low as $1 a dozen in some Central New York bait shops - are likely to increase as a result of emergency regulations issued by state and federal strictures to slow the spread of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, a disease implicated in recent die-offs of fish in the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario and Conesus Lake. Just how much the cost of bait will go up, and when, isn't yet known. (December 15, 2006) Latest News and More From Syracuse.com
Durand beach fails its health test - As alarming data emerge, second season becomes unlikely — Durand-Eastman beach is unlikely to reopen for a second season in 2007, county health officials said Friday, citing water sampling data they say showed alarming contamination levels after heavy rains. "We've never seen anything like this at Lake Ontario Beach, or in the river," said Dr. Andrew Doniger, the county's public health director. "We were sort of blown away when we saw this. That is why we've been so gun-shy." (December 9, 2006) Democrat & Chronicle:
Great Lakes Groups Take Aim at Coast Guard "Live Fire" Proposal the Coast Guard proposes to establish 34 "live fire" practice zones on the Great Lakes. More than a dozen environmental organizations have joined the Allliance for the Great Lakes in calling on the U.S. Coast Guard to postpone implementation of its live firing plan over the Great Lakes until more research is done. In a Nov. 13 letter to Coast Guard Cmdr. Gustav Wulfkuhle, the organizations also call for substantial changes to the Coast Guard's controversial proposal to establish 34 live fire practice zones on the Great Lakes. --FROM Alliance For The Great Lakes
New Water Diversion Would Derail Great Lakes Protection - More than a dozen lake advocates have joined the Alliance for the Great Lakes in urging the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to reject a Lake Michigan diversion request until adoption of a critical interstate compact that would protect Great Lakes water. New Berlin, a Milwaukee suburb straddling the western boundary of the Great Lakes basin, seeks DNR approval to pump Lake Michigan water to its residents living outside the watershed. --FROM Alliance For The Great Lakes
Grants to protect Lake Ontario — Eight area communities have been awarded grants that may help improve the water quality in and around Lake Ontario. The grants are part of the federal Lake Ontario Coastal Initiative, a 15-year program to help the restoration, conservation and sustainable use of Lake Ontario's coastal region. - (October 12, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
Research grant creating models for air pollution movement in state - Computer models that simulate what happens in real life have become important tools in managing ecological problems and discovering ways to avoid worst-case scenarios. Sherri Mason, chemistry professor at SUNY Fredonia, has funding from the Great Lakes Commission to create a workable atmospheric model that will predict how air pollutants move into New York State from cars, industry, and even Great Lakes evaporation. With a research grant of $80,000 through the Great Lakes Air Deposition (GLAD) program, she is collaborating with the State Department of Environmental Conservation to model the locations of chemicals in the air that are known to be carcinogenic or hazardous to humans. The OBSERVER, Dunkirk, New York
Stresses flood Great Lakes - U.S. weighs massive restoration plan; scientists say the time to act is now - WASHINGTON — The Great Lakes restoration plan before Congress addresses myriad problems that scientists say are threatening the Great Lakes. The lakes, environmentalists say, are showing signs of extreme stress from toxic contaminants, invasive species and development that has destroyed more than half of the wetlands that normally buffer the lakes from pollution. (September 15, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
Great Lakes protection stalling in Congress - (September 15, 2006) — A massive grass-roots plan to safeguard the ecological future of the Great Lakes may be endangered on Capitol Hill. - (September 15, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
Invasive species are lakes' worst enemy — Excerpts of an interview with Donald Scavia, a University of Michigan natural resources professor, on the Great Lakes: (September 15, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
No new money for Great Lakes cleanup WASHINGTON -- Despite calls for federal financial assistance from scientists and state officials, the Bush administration says it won't be investing billions of dollars in new funding for cleaning up the Great Lakes. The admission came Wednesday during a U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing as members of Congress, including Michigan's Rep. Vern Ehlers, quizzed Bush officials about the administration's financial commitment to Great Lakes restoration. (September 14, 2006) MLive.com - Everything Michigan
Pending federal rule may threaten bodies of water - Easing transfer process sparks contamination fears — A pending federal rule could open Lake Ontario to the risk of new invasive species, the nutrient pollution that feeds seasonal algae blooms and the bacteria that can make swimmers sick, according to environmentalists and state attorneys general who have formally opposed the change. "We think it opens up doors for all kinds of mischief," said Jim Tierney, an assistant New York attorney general. Known as the water transfer rule, the change would give businesses and communities the right to shift water from one body to another without taking the cleanliness of the water into account by applying for federal pollution permits. (September 5, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
DEC: Don't transfer fish from lake to lake— State biologists reminded fishermen this week that moving fish and other organisms from one water to another can have serious consequences. Historically, the Adirondacks offered fishermen tens of thousands of acres of lakes and ponds containing native brook trout. Today, just a fraction of these populations remain, driven out by nonnative species like bass and perch. (July 30, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
globeandmail.com : What is killing the fish of the Great Lakes? Researchers at the University of Guelph are processing infected fish tissues and developing diagnostic tests to look at a deadly virus suspected in the deaths of thousands of fish in the Great Lakes basin. It's believed the virus could be spreading from one species to another, even infecting fish farms and hatcheries. (July 28, 2006) globeandmail.com
Progress made in lakes cleanup - Oswego River off problem list, but Genesee remains— The Oswego River was officially removed from a binational list of the Great Lakes' most polluted tributaries Tuesday — the first American site to mark such a milestone. Meanwhile, the Genesee River, which appears on the same list of 43 polluted sites, needs several more years of effort before it can be considered healthy. (July 26, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
Newsday.com: New take on protecting waters Gov. George Pataki is expected to sign a bill today that could shift the state's approach to protecting its bays, harbors, Great Lakes and ocean waters -- as well as the plants, animals and fish that live there. Under the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act, the state would embrace an environmental approach known as ecosystem-based management. It would emphasize the overall health of coastal habitats instead of simply focusing on individual stretches of beach or a specific species of fish. (July 26, 2006) Newsday.com: News, Entertainment and Sports
Scientists use oranges to track blue-green algae - Newsday.com SWANTON, Vt.(AP) _ Scientists studying toxic blue-green algae blooms on lakes Champlain, Erie and Ontario are using a low-tech tool to track the blooms' movements: oranges. Lake researcher Greg Boyer joined two assistants for a boat ride out onto Lake Champlain's Missisquoi Bay on Monday to dump two crates of 25 oranges each overboard. "Oranges are biodegradable and they float right on the surface just like algae, so they are good markers for how the algae travel," Boyer said. (July 25, 2006) Newsday.com: News, Entertainment and Sports
Lake control creates winners, losers - Comments still being taken on three options to manipulate Lake Ontario's water levels — Craig Goodrich looks out the door of his Hamlin home at six feet of fragile Lake Ontario beach that could erode with the floodwaters from just one monstrous storm. About 200 miles to the east, in the Thousands Islands region, Rochesterian Al Fink gazes through the window of his cabin at rocky ledges that would keep his boat out of the lake from August to October if lake levels drop at all. (July 25, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
Deadly fish virus spreads in Northeast - LiveScience - MSNBC.com A deadly virus found in two fish species in the northeastern United States last month appears to have spread to two more species, scientists said today. (July 21, 2006) Today's News from MSNBC - MSNBC.com
DEC urges caution after botulism found in birds - Newsday.com ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The state Department of Environmental Conservation reported Thursday that Type E Botulism was found in gulls and terns collected from Little Galloo Island earlier this month, warning hunters and fishermen to take only waterfowl and fish that appear healthy from along the Lake Ontario shores and St. Lawrence River. The strain of botulism most commonly affects fish-eating birds, causing paralysis and often killing them. If ingested, a toxin produced by the bacteria can harm people. Newsday.com: News, Entertainment and Sports
State Investigates Dead Fish - The state is trying to figure out what is killing thousands of fish washing up on Lake Ontario’s eastern shore. (July 19, 2006) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
Thousands of fish wash up on shore of Lake Ontario - Newsday.com LYME, N.Y. -- With thousands of fish washing up on Lake Ontario's eastern shore, state officials are investigating whether the cause is the virus detected this spring in some species, a botulism outbreak or some other factor. "We're conducting tests to see what the larger die-off occurring in that waterway could be the result of," Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman Maureen Wren said Thursday. "We sent samples of the species that have been affected to Cornell." July 13, 2006 Newsday.com: News, Entertainment and Sports
Trickles of pollution: A path to a clean lake? SUNY effort to locate sources may lead to solutions - — GREECE — Northrup Creek flows wide and lazy along suburban back yards, carrying ducks and fish and the occasional canoe. It's also a conduit for the pollution that sullies Lake Ontario. Every time it rains, water flows across the surface of the land, picking up pesticides, loose soil, motor oil drippings and fertilizers in its path. The little rivulets collect in ditches and small streams, then in creeks like Northrup, eventually making their way into the lake. (August 30, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
Shoreline cleanup coming - Volunteers sought to scour water's edge Sept. 16 New York had been coordinating an annual coastal cleanup for 15 years before the ICC started, an effort that has grown from a handful of volunteers to tens of thousands statewide, said state coordinator Barbara Cohen of the American Littoral Society, a group concerned with the ecology of coastal areas. (August 29, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
WXXI: Area Reps Back Great Lakes Bill (2006-08-24) ROCHESTER, NY (2006-08-24) Congressman James Walsh was in Irondequoit Wednesday to announce his support for a bipartisan bill intended to promote cleanup and preservation of the Geat Lakes. Walsh was joined near the mouth of the Genessee River by representatives of a number of environmental groups to promote the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementaiton Act. (August 24, 2006) Public NewsRoom
Grants to fund water cleanup -$800,000 to cut pollution, restore habitat - — The streams of gray-brown soil and pollution that streak through the Genesee River and its tributaries with every heavy rain keep Rochester from taking full advantage of one of its greatest resources — a river at the heart of the city that could support a substantial ecotourism industry. However, local leaders believe that nearly $800,000 in local water quality preservation grants, announced Tuesday alongside the river at Genesee Valley Park, can make a big difference. (August 16, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
Sierra Club speakers urge change - Fears of global warming prompts call to live within limits — Antarctic ice is melting at an alarming rate, high ocean temperatures are spawning monster storms, and average global temperatures in 2005 were the warmest on record. Climate change is here, said speakers at the eighth annual Sierra Club Environmental Forum. It would be easy to become overwhelmed with hopelessness, facing a challenge with the potential to transform daily life for everyone on Earth — but emerging technology offers hope for the future if we can change our mindset, they said Thursday. (April 22, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
'Gold rush' for biofuel plants beginning upstate - Quest for clean energy gains momentum - If every day is a learning experience, then Jason Masters knows how to pay attention to the lessons that matter most. The native of Livonia, Livingston County, was a greenhouse gas scientist working in the Middle East in the 1990s when he had several chances to speak to Arab sheiks — people whose lives revolve around oil. Not surprisingly, the conversation frequently would turn to energy. But the sheiks didn't want to talk about the commodity that had made them rich and powerful. Instead, they were most interested in alternatives to petroleum. That was enough to get Masters thinking like an entrepreneur. Largely because of the sheiks' interest, the 36-year-old has joined a "gold rush" of entrepreneurs in greater Rochester and across the nation seeking opportunity from the field of alternative energy. (March 26, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
WXXI: U.S. Energy Secretary Tours Fuel Cell Center (2006-02-23) HONEOYE FALLS, NY (2006-02-23) The U.S. Secretary of Energy stood in front of a fuel-cell powered minivan in Honeoye Falls Thursday afternoon and said children born this year should be able to take their drivers' tests in a hydrogen powered car. wxxi NewsRoom
Hybrid vehicles' appeal still growing New tax credits mean that buying a hybrid vehicle this year could save you more than $5,000. And putting that car on the road could keep thousands of pounds of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. Tax credits With the start of 2006, buyers of hybrids became eligible for up to $3,400 in federal tax credits, depending upon the vehicle's emissions and fuel efficiency. However, only 60,000 buyers of each model will receive the credit, so industry analysts predict that the benefit could run out on popular models by midsummer. Gov. George Pataki has also proposed continuing a state tax credit of $2,000 for hybrid owners and offering discounts on tolls and other incentives to drivers of particularly efficient vehicles.- (January 19, 2006) — Democrat and Chronicle
13WHAM-TV || Rochester - Fuel Cell Technology – The Next Big Energy Alternative? Using fuel cells and renewable energy technology, Rochester Institute of Technology researchers are already working on ways to give cars thousands more miles of life. It’s part of their effort to find ways to make fuel cells affordable and make them practical for everyday life. (January 23, 2006) 13WHAM-TV || Rochester
Few attend hearings on nuclear plants The Nuclear Regulatory Commission should consider the environmental impact of Nine Mile Point's nuclear plants on zebra mussels, said one speaker at a meeting Thursday night at Scriba Town Hall. The comment was one of several made by five people who attended public meetings held by the federal nuclear agency to review the environmental impact of renewing Constellation Energy's licenses for its two nuclear plants in Oswego County. (November 18, 2005) Syracuse.com
Is Ethanol New York's Future? - Could ethanol be New York's future cash cow? New York State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan Rudgers said there are about two million acres of former farmland in New York that could be used to grow crops to make ethanol. http://www.rnews.com
WXXI: Groups Want Dirty Power Plants Cleaned Up (2005-07-26) ALBANY, NEW YORK (2005-07-26) Environmental groups say six of the top ten dirtiest power plants in the Northeast are located in New York State. They are urging Governors of Northeastern states, who are working on a pollution reduction pact, to come up with strict new rules to curb emissions. A report, using data from the US Department of Energy, found a small number of dirty power plants in the northeastern United States are responsible for producing over half of the pollution in the region that is associated with global warming. Those plants include Dunkirk and Huntley in Western New York, Northport, on Long Island, and Roseton, in Newburgh, in the Hudson Valley. All of the plants are decades old and were grand fathered in under the federal clean air act. It was assumed at the time that the plants would eventually close, and newer, cleaner plants would take their place. Melinda Sobin, of the New York Public Interest Research Group, says that hasn't happened. She says the result is dirtier air, and inefficient power plants. wxxi NewsRoom
EPA Orders Ethanol Use in Gasoline - Gas prices in New York State could go up as much as eight cents per gallon soon. The federal government ordered New York and two other states to continue using ethanol as a gasoline additive. The additive is made with corn and is designed to reduce air pollution. 06/03/05 R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens

2005

ER Schools Wants to Use Fuel Cell -East Rochester residents learned more about the school district's proposal to use alternative power. The district wants to install a hydrogen fuel cell to produce electricity. (May 10, 2005) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
Renewable Energy Could Bring Jobs - A new report from New York State's comptroller says thousands of jobs could be created if the state were to step up its commitment to generating more electricity through renewable sources. The report calls for the state to expand solar, wind and hydropower, as well as develop crops like corn and soybeans that can be processed into fuel. Comptroller Alan Hevesi says that 43,000 jobs could be created by 2013. There are about 170 renewable energy companies in the state. (March 2005) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
Ethanol Could Boost Area Corn Crop - New York farmers may soon help lower prices at the pump. Ethanol, which is found in gasoline, can be produced from corn. Empire Biofuels is planning on building an ethanol plant in Seneca Falls. The company expects to break ground this September.(March, 2005) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
Holley studies ethanol plant - — HOLLEY — Officials from the village of Holley, the town of Murray and the Orleans County Economic Development Agency visited an ethanol-producing plant in South Dakota late last month to prepare for the possibility that a biofuel manufacturer may want to build at Holley's 95-acre business park. (March 6, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
Tax credits might be available for ethanol operation - SENECA FALLS — Investors in an ethanol plant planned for Seneca Falls believe they may be eligible for new tax credits proposed by Gov. Pataki in his budget address Tuesday. The spending plan calls for offering a tax credit of up to $1 million annually for the next five years for producers of biofuels such as ethanol, which is made from corn and provides a safe, renewable fuel source.(January 22, 2005) Finger Lakes Times Geneva, NY
Jan. 26 conference will examine western N.Y.'s 'air power' future. - Jan. 26 conference will examine western N.Y.'s 'air power' future. — BATAVIA — Wind power is coming to western New York, apparently in a big way. As farmers and other land owners have been asked in recent months to sell, lease or use their land to harness wind energy, a Jan. 26 conference, sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension and Genesee Community College, aims to answer questions about the issue. If you go What: Wind energy conference. When: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26. - Where: Genesee Community College, 1 College Road, Batavia. Registration: Must be made by Jan. 20. Call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County at (585) 343-3040, ext. 112, or visit the extension office at 420 E. Main St., Batavia. Registration also can be done at www.cce.cornell.edu/genesee . (January 17, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle

2004

MSNBC - Corn farmers to build ethanol plant in Seneca County Rochester, NYUSA - SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - A group of New York farmers announced plans Friday to build an $80 million plant in the upstate Finger Lakes region to convert corn to ethanol, a gasoline additive that helps fuel burn cleaner (October 31, 2004) MSNBC - News Front Page
Storm clouds gather over wind power farms - (October 16, 2004) — Just south of Rochester, a fight is brewing that will likely be repeated in New York many times in the next decade. At issue is wind power, a source of renewable energy that now accounts for only 1 percent of electricity used statewide. (October 16, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: 1,000th customer catches the wind RG&E plan brings in power on the breeze. To learn more
For more information on RG&E's Catch the Wind, call (877) 743-9463 or go online to www.rge.com. — The winds of fortune were with Nancy Runser of Fairport this week. The stay-at-home mother of three was named the 1,000th customer for Catch the Wind. The Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. program, announced in April, offers a way for customers to buy wind-generated electricity. Most power is generated from such sources as coal, natural gas and nuclear energy. (October 1, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
An alternative energy source: Newark High gets solar panels - NEWARK — Newark High School will soon become one of the first schools in the region to use solar energy. A series of solar panels was installed on the roof of the Peirson Avenue school this week that will provide electricity to a pair of science classrooms. The school received a $30,000 grant state to complete the project, funded by the New York State Energy Research Development Authority. (September 29, 2004) Finger Lakes Times Geneva, NY
Democrat & Chronicle: RIT gets grant for emissions project — HENRIETTA — Rochester Institute of Technology's Kate Gleason College of Engineering has received $222,612 from the state Energy Research and Development Authority to develop a particulate trap to clean diesel, coal and gasoline engine emissions. (August 14, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
environment: The COST of keeping COOL - We turned to Bob Siegel, chairman of the conservation committee with the Sierra Club of Rochester for some helpful energy saving tips for the summer. First, Siegel recommends that consumers look for “Energy Star” stickers when shopping for air conditioners and other home appliances. Products with these stickers have passed strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy, will conserve energy and save the consumer money. insider - Rochester remixed
Democrat & Chronicle: State's proposal for green energy welcomed here — At a public hearing Thursday, 20 area citizens commented on a state proposal that would require New York to get 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2013. Speaking at Henrietta Town Hall, 19 of the 20 were in favor of the so-called Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, a green-energy requirement already in place with varying required percentages in 13 other states. (June 18, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Beads may one day fuel our cars — ALFRED — Drivers might put a stream of tiny glass beads — instead of a tiger — in their tanks in the not-too-distant future. Two Alfred University professors have received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop technology that would use such beads as a way to store the hydrogen that would power upcoming generations of cars. (June 14, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
Ginna Changes Owners - The Ginna Nuclear Power Plant in Wayne County is now operated by a new company. (June 13, 2004) WOKR-TV 13 || ROCHESTER
Democrat & Chronicle: Deal closes on sale of Ginna — The Robert E. Ginna nuclear power plant in Wayne County has a new owner. Constellation Energy Group Inc. closed on the deal today, according to Constellation and Energy East Inc., parent company of Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. (June 10, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Plan pushes renewable energy A proposal wants 25% of electricity sold to be from green power by 2013.- — By 2013, 25 percent of the electricity sold in New York should come from renewable resources, such as hydropower, wind, solar and biomass. That’s the gist of a recommendation made Thursday by Eleanor Stein, an administrative law judge with the New York state Department of Public Service. (June 4, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
Brooks Announces Bold Energy Initiative - County Executive Maggie Brooks, fulfilling another pledge she made to the community last year, today announced a bold new County initiative designed to reduce Monroe County energy related expenses while fostering greater reliance on homegrown renewable energy. The announcement also establishes an Energy Policy Advisory Team that will develop an overall program to optimize energy management and cost efficiencies... (March 23, 2004) Monroe County
Democrat & Chronicle: Reynolds eyes oil reserves— GREECE — Rep. Thomas Reynolds, expressing concern about rising gasoline prices, called Saturday for the federal government to temporarily halt shipments of crude oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the nation’s emergency store of oil. (March 21, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle

2003

RG&E finds a buyer for Ginna - Nuclear plant being sold for $422.6 million -— Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. has agreed to sell its Robert E. Ginna nuclear power station for $422.6 million to one of the nation’s largest wholesale power suppliers. (November 26, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Study: Natural gas prices could shoot up this winter It could cost some people more to stay warm this winter. The Natural Gas Supply Association blames higher prices for a potential rise in the cost of natural gas. The industry trade group says utilities replenished their supplies this summer, paying about 15 percent more than a year ago. (October 3, 2003) MSNBC Local News
Democrat & Chronicle: RIT researcher envisions an electric-car future — HENRIETTA - It’s the year 2025. Streets and highways are bustling with electric cars. And because less money is being sent to Middle East nations for their oil, Americans have billions more dollars in their pockets. That’s the picture painted by one Rochester Institute of Technology researcher. (June 30, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Pataki proposes changes in siting of power plants — ALBANY — Gov. George Pataki on Friday proposed extensive changes to how power plants are planned and operated in New York with an eye to protecting poor and minority neighborhoods from getting more than their share of facilities. The measure, if approved by the Legislature, could bring needed power to the state to help an economic recovery, Pataki said. (June 7, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Bumpy start to NY fuel additive ban (May 12, 2003) — ALBANY — A New York state Senate committee will question fuel industry officials this week about their apparent unpreparedness to sell gasoline without the additive MTBE in it starting Jan. 1, 2004. (May 12, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle

2002

Democrat & Chronicle: Geneva colleges tap into wind farm electricity (August 7, 2002) — GENEVA — Winds blowing across western New York rustle tree leaves at the Hobart and William Smith Colleges campus and make student Frisbees fly that much farther. They also will help keep the lights burning. (August 7, 2002) Democrat and Chronicle:
WXXI: Schumer Says Keeping Cool Is Paying Off (2002-08-06) The state's "Keep Cool" energy program is getting results according to U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. The program which is designed to save energy, provides consumers with rebates of 75-dollars for turning-in their old air conditioners and purchasing new energy efficient models with the "energy star" label. It is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, also known as (NYSERDA). (August 6, 2002) Public NewsRoom
Democrat & Chronicle: Pataki announces, Dems criticize, NY nuclear review — Gov. George Pataki announced Thursday that a former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been hired to review emergency planning for New York's nuclear power plants, including Rochester Gas & Electric's Gina plant. Since Sept. 11, fear of terrorism at the Indian Point in Buchanan, has turned emergency planning, and especially the adequacy of the evacuation plan, into a hot-button issue in the lower Hudson Valley (August 1, 2002) Democrat and Chronicle:
Democrat & Chronicle: RG&E meets record need on a very hot day — Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. recorded an all-time electricity peak usage at 3 p.m. Monday during one of the hottrest days of the year. (July 223, 2002) DemocratandChronicle.com
Natural gas potential lures firms A West Virginia company is the latest to search for natural gas in the region. GORHAM - Energy companies are rediscovering New York state as a source of natural gas. After hearing how successful other companies were at finding natural gas in western New York, Triana Energy did its own research and decided to set up shop in Gorham. (July 18, 2002) Daily Messenger
GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES NEW BUILDING, ENERGY CODES FOR NEW YORK Governor George E. Pataki has announced that beginning today, builders and developers may now use new comprehensive building and energy codes that will reduce development costs, increase job opportunities and provide a major incentive for new investment, construction and economic development in cities, towns and villages throughout New York State. Today's announcement marks the culmination of a several year project initiated to overhaul New York State's building, fire prevention and energy codes. "The code will encourage both new development and the rehabilitation of existing buildings, which is key to revitalizing our downtowns," Governor Pataki said. "It also provides code enforcement and fire officials, design professionals, builders and contractors with a set of requirements that are consistent with the rest of the country. This updated code will help to ensure that our homes and workplaces are not only safe, but energy efficient as well." (July 10, 2002) Press Releases 2002 from NYS Governor
RG&E Says Ready for Summer AC Demand ROCHESTER, NY (2002-05-28) Rochester Gas and Electric says it won't have any problem meeting electric power demands this summer, even if customers set new records for electricity as they have each August for the past two years. (May 29, 2002) Public NewsRoom
Democrat & Chronicle: Ford displays its fuel cell car — Ford Motor Co. drove an example of its hydrogen fuel cell technology into town Wednesday. The auto maker showed off a Ford Focus powered by hydrogen at Frontier Field. The car is touring the country and was on display at Frontier Field during the Rochester Red Wings' game against the Buffalo Bisons. (May 29, 220) DemocratandChronicle.com
Democrat & Chronicle: Schumer wants oil reserves used to avoid higher gas prices — NEW YORK -- Sen. Charles Schumer is calling on President George Bush to draw from the country's oil reserves to prevent a rise in gas prices and to counter threats from the Middle East. "There's an answer to high gas prices, there's an answer to the production suspensions from Iraq, to the political instability of Venezuela, and to the threats from OPEC -- it's called the Strategic Petroleum Reserve," Schumer said Sunday at a press conference. (April 15, 2002) DemocratandChronicle.com
Nevada governor vetoes Bush on nuclear waste site Congress has 90 days to act In the first-ever veto of a president by a governor, Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn on Monday overturned President Bush’s decision to designate a Nevada mountain bunker as the nation’s nuclear waste repository. But the veto doesn’t end the debate — in fact, it now means that Congress must approve or reject the Yucca Mountain site within 90 days. (April 7, 2002) Environment Front Page 3:15 PM ET Tuesday, April 09, 2002
Democrat & Chronicle: School's heat well grounded — When the Densmore Road Middle School opens in 2003, students there will bask in the comfort of heat drawn from deep underground. The school will be one of only three in the area that harnesses the Earth's relatively constant underground temperature with geothermal heating and cooling as a way to provide efficient, inexpensive climate control. (April 5, 2002) DemocratandChronicle.com
Democrat & Chronicle: Gas prices on the rise Gasoline prices have started to climb in recent weeks, and the spike is being blamed on rising crude oil prices and shrinking gasoline supplies. Locally, the average price of self-regular unleaded was $1.32 on Thursday, up 12 cents from two weeks ago. (March 22, 2002) DemocratandChronicle.com
Feds: Ship nuclear waste down the Hudson Highly radioactive nuclear waste would be shipped over several years from the nuclear plants in Buchanan down the Hudson River through the Port of New York en route to Nevada, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's national waste-storage plan. The shipments are detailed in a proposal to be considered in the spring when Congress votes on President Bush's plan to open a national repository for nuclear waste under Nevada's Yucca Mountain in 2010. The Energy Department's environmental impact report states that thousands of shipments of radioactive fuel would go through 15 commercial ports during a 38-year period. (March 19, 2002) THE JOURNAL NEWS: A Gannett Suburban webpaper
Senate Running On Empty on Fuel Economy -- Press Release from Alliance to Save Energy The Alliance to Save Energy today slammed the Senate's 62 to 38 vote today stripping major energy legislation of meaningful fuel economy standards and demanded that the bill (S. 517) not leave the Senate without addressing America's oil dependence. (March 14, 2002) Alliance to Save Energy--Third Decade of Leadership
Senator Clinton proposes legislation to improve security at nuclear power plants - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, (D) New York, is calling for immediate legislation and a budget increase to improve security at nuclear power plants (February 20, 2002) MSNBC Local News
Ginna Back Up And Running A problem with a water pump prompted RG&E to shut down the plant Tuesday as a precaution (Thursday, February 07, 2002) iKnowRochester.com
Shutdown at Ginna — Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. has shut down its Robert E. Ginna nuclear power station in Ontario, Wayne County because of a problem with a circulating water pump. (February 6, 2002) DemocratandChronicle.com
Canada's nuclear security questioned The reactors on Lake Ontario could tempt terrorists, critics say - There are signs that security at nuclear reactors across the border in Canada is not as strict as the measures at the 103 U.S. reactors. (Wednesday, January 2, 2002) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE

2001

Help with Heating Bills With winter weather on the way, many homeowners are worried about paying more money on their heating bill. But there is help from New York state(Saturday, December 22, 2001) RNews.com
No drilling in Finger Lakes forest HECTOR -- The U.S. Forest Service yesterday turned down a bid by drilling companies from Texas and West Virginia to tap a rich natural gas reservoir beneath the Finger Lakes National Forest, the only national forest in New York. (Thursday, December 20, 2001) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
N.Y. Senators Propose Ban On Finger Lakes Drilling Rochester, NY - US Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton have introduced legislation to institute a permanent ban on drilling in the Finger Lakes National Forest, the only national forest in New York State and the smallest in the country. (Wednesday, December 19, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
Report Says Good Things Will Come From Renewable Fuels Standard WASHINGTON, December 10, 2001 - A new report that focuses on the impacts to the US if a renewable fuels standard is implemented says energy security would increase, the economy would feel a boost, and farmers would benefit from selling their crops to make fuel. Fuels Association (RFA), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and provides an analysis of a renewable fuels standard (RFS) of 6.6 billion gallons by 2011, continuing to 8.8 billion gallons by 2016. (Tuesday, December 11, 2001) Yahoo News.
Senator Clinton Calls For Tighter Security At Nuclear Power Plants Washington, DC - In the wake of the terrorist attacks, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is calling for tighter security at the nation's nuclear power plants. (Friday, November 30, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
RG&E's Ginna nuke plant beefs up security force -- Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. has hired additional security staff and purchased equipment since Sept. 11 to help protect its Ginna nuclear power plant, company officials said yesterday. (Thursday, November 29, 2001) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
PSC Approves Niagara Mohawk, National Grid Merger Albany, NY - State regulators have approved a $3 billion merger between Niagara Mohawk and National Grid USA. The state Public Service Commission today gave its stamp of approval to a deal that the utility companies say will save upstate New York consumers up to $1 billion on delivery charges over the next 10 years. (Wednesday, November 28, 2001)iKnowRochester.com
Energy Department Backs Wind Effort WASHINGTON, November 16, 2001 - The US Department of Energy's Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is backing the largest wind project in the state of Oregon by agreeing to purchase the entire output of the initiative. The project, which is already under construction, will by the middle of next year see the installation of 83 wind turbines at a site near Condon, Oregon. --Yahoo Environment News
Company Searches For Natural Gas In Yates County Rochester, NY - In a community that is known for farming, a fuel company hopes to harvest more than just crops. (Thursday, November 8, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
Government to Roll Out New Technologies for Coal Fired Power Plants WASHINGTON, November 7, 2001 - In an effort to improve both the reliability and environmental performance of US coal-burning power plants, the US Department of Energy is providing $51 million in backing to new projects that are worth more than $110 million. (Thursday, November 8, 2001) Yahoo News
Gas prices fall Nov. 5 - Gas industry analysts say gas prices have fallen almost seven cents a gallon over the past two weeks. (Monday, November 5, 2001) WHEC
Gas sought under Middlesex A West Virgina-based company plans to drill more than 6,000 feet into the ground in search of natural gas. MIDDLESEX - Contractors have been drilling night and day for about two weeks on the Button farm on North Vine Valley Road. Their goal: A 6,500-foot deep shaft reaching into a geologic formation some 500 million years old. And if they're right, it'll be full of natural gas. (Sunday, November 4, 2001) Daily Messenger
Merger Possible Between RG&E and NYSEG Rochester, NY - We have already had a taste of cold weather and this is nothing compared to what we will feel in the next few months. (Tuesday, October 30, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
Heat on the Cheap Waste oil fuels furnace in Caledonia This weekend you probably had to give in and finally turn on the heater. But what if there was a cheaper way to stay warm this winter? (Monday, October 29, 2001) RNews
Fairport Electric encourages cooking with gas Increased demand is forcing up the public utility's price for electricity. About 50 Fairport Electric customers have signed up to receive natural gas from Rochester Gas & Electric Corp. in the past two years, and Fairport Electric couldn't be happier. (Tuesday, October 16, 2001) Perinton-Fairport Post
New York governor orders National Guard to nuclear power plants Oct. 14 - The other big safety concerns in New York State are the nuclear power plants. On Saturday, the governor ordered the National Guard to patrol all of them including the Ginna power plant. (Sunday, October 14, 2001) WHEC
Drilling for gas uncaps worries - With the war on terrorism reviving a push in Congress to increase domestic energy supplies in the name of national security, New York lawmakers are scurrying to protect the Finger Lakes National Forest from natural gas drilling. (Tuesday, October 9, 2001) - -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Several homes are going solar A Penfield home with low or no utility bills will welcome visitors. Despite addresses far from America's sunbelt, a few area homeowners are using the latest solar technology to shrink their utility bills, or avoid them altogether. On Oct. 13 homeowners from Monroe County to the Finger Lakes will open their state-of-the-art solar homes to the public, part of the 2001 National Tour of Solar Homes. (Friday, October 5, 2001) Penfield Post
Winter gas-heat bills to fall 19%, RG&E says -- A pleasant surprise awaits Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. customers: They can expect a 19 percent drop in winter heating costs. (Thursday, September 27, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL SPITZER REGARDING THE SALE OF THE NINE MILE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS I have filed comments prepared by my Telecommunications and Energy Bureau with the New York State Public Service Commission regarding settlement proposals offered by the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation, Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation, and Central Hudson Power Company to sell their respective interests in the Nine Mile Point power plants. (Wednesday, September 26, 2001) NYS Attorney General.
Ginna reactor on highest security alert -- The Ginna nuclear power plant in western Wayne County, mindful of potential terrorist strikes, is at its highest level of security alert ever. Officials at Rochester Gas and Electric Corp., which owns and operates the plant, declined to discuss the extra security measures in detail, other than to say that all nonessential visitors have been barred. (Wednesday, September 19, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Professor advocates building a better light bulb - The days seem numbered for the light bulb you're using to read this story. Corporations and universities worldwide are racing to develop light-emitting diodes as a cheap, energy-efficient replacement for the incandescent and fluorescent bulbs that light most rooms now. (Tuesday, August 14, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Running AC Overnight Can Cut a Building's Electricity Bills WEST LAFAYETTE, IN, - Although on the surface it might seem counterintuitive that running a building's air conditioning overnight could cut the cooling costs, this is exactly what research engineers have found. In fact, the Purdue researchers have shown the cost savings can reach 40 percent. August 10, 2001 Yahoo Environment.
Beat The Heat; RG&E Asks Customers To Conserve Energy Rochester, NY - It's hot and humid, and there won't be any relief for a while. Several days of 90-degree weather can be dangerous, and it's forcing people to find new ways to stay cool. (Wednesday, August 8, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
City part of natural gas effort Sixteen natural gas fueling stations will go up in N.Y. Canandaigua is among several Department of Transpor-tation locations throughout the state that are now dispensing compressed natural gas as a fuel source for vehicles. Gov. George Pataki announced yesterday that 16 new high-volume compressed natural gas fueling stations will be developed across the state. (Wednesday, August 1, 2001) Daily Messenger
Save Energy, Save Laundry from Consumer Reports "Newer washers save in energy costs." Looking for ways to cut your energy bill? Consumer Reports says check your laundry room. On average 12% of a household's energy use goes to washing and drying clothes. (Thursday, July 26, 2001) RNews
RG&E Faces Decisions Over Ginna Power Plant Plentiful Power Keeps Rochester From Energy Emergencies For Now Rochester, NY - As the nation struggles with an energy policy, some tough decisions are on the horizon for Rochester, including the future of the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant. The operating license for Ginna expires in 2009, and at stake is half the electricity that powers Rochester. (Tuesday, July 10, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
Rush adopts lighting ordinance Businesses will have until January 2003 to make sure outside lighting is up to code. It's lights out for Rush merchants who use bright bulbs to light the areas outside their businesses. (Tuesday, July 3, 2001) Greece Post
Group: Speed power-plant approvals ALBANY-- While assuring the public that power shortages this summer are only a remote possibility, an official of a generators' group said yesterday the state must streamline its process of approving new plants to head off future shortages. (Tuesday, July 3, 2001) - DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Stronger Emissions Regulations Eyed In New York Albany, NY - The Pataki administration is reviewing new regulations that would require state power plants to cut emissions in half by 2008 to help reduce acid rain. (7/02/01) iKnowRochester.com
STATES SUE TO REVERSE BUSH POLICY ON APPLIANCE REGS Air Conditioner Efficiency Standard Called Key to Easing Energy Crisis New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other national environmental and consumer groups today filed a lawsuit against the Bush Administration over its decision to significantly weaken and delay a high energy efficiency standard for large residential air conditioning systems. (Thursday, June 21, 2001) NYS Attorney General.
RGS And Energy East Merger Approved Rochester, NY - RGS and Energy East shareholders have approved a merger between the two energy providers. (6/15/01) iKnowRochester.com
Farmers Look At New Fuels Gasoline prices are on the rise. And it's a situation that has some people looking closer at fuel alternatives. (Wednesday, June 6, 2001) RNews
NYSEG, RG&E want rates frozen until 2008 The parent companies of both utilities have planned a merger.
The heads of two regional energy giants have asked the state for a rate freeze until 2008. (Tuesday, June 5, 2001) Daily Messenger
Energy tour is promoting efficiency Agency has $750 million fund for money-saving programs - Over the next five years, New York businesses, municipalities and households can tap an estimated $750 million fund dedicated to energy efficiency. (Tuesday, June 5, 2001) --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Get A New Air Conditioner, Get $75 From The State Rochester, NY - If you're in the market to buy an air conditioner this summer, you should know about an energy plan that could save you money. (Monday, June 4, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
N.Y. urged to expand AC rebates -- To help deal with the energy crisis, the state should spend $19 million to give rebates to people who replace old air conditioners with more efficient new ones, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said yesterday. (May 30, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
New York showcases clean-air electric vehicles This year's American Tour de Sol - an eight day road rally of green vehicles - gave the New York Power Authority an opportunity to highlight its progress in encouraging green transportation in the state. (May 30, 2001) Yahoo Environment News
F retting over fuel Many say they'll make changes at home and in their businesses if prices rise much higher.
All eyes are on the gas pumps from now through Memorial Day. If prices rise through the weekend - when AAA estimates 34.2 million people nationally will be on the road, they could be even higher by the Fourth of July, said Gary Tschaepe, spokesman at AAA's Rochester office. (Wednesday, May 23, 2001) Daily Messenger
Bush Energy Plan Warns Of Possible Blackouts In New York Washington, DC - President Bush's energy report warns of possible summertime blackouts in New York City. But Democratic lawmakers said today that it does nothing to help the city cope with the problem (Friday, May 18, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
The Search For Natural Gas In Steuben County Rochester, NY - President George Bush unveiled his highly anticipated energy proposal Thursday, calling for building more coal and nuclear power plants, and building more pipelines to help distribute natural gas. Some of those new pipelines may soon spring up right in our own backyard. (Friday, May 18, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
Zone pricing of gas called unfair - If lawmakers approve a bill sponsored by a Rochester state lawmaker, the government would either protect the gasoline consumer or limit motorists' choices at the pump -- depending on who is asked. (Friday, May 18, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL ELIOT SPITZER REGARDING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S ENERGY PLAN There is a critical need for our nation to develop an energy policy that is balanced and forward-looking, but the Bush Administration’s energy plan falls far short of this mark. The key problem with the plan is that it seems to conclude that because we have energy problems, we cannot continue to make progress in improving the environment. (Thursday, May 17, 2001) Office of NYS Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.
Niagara Mohawk wants ratepayers to help with nuclear plant sale - SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Consumers would pay $1.1 billion to cover the shortfall from the pending sale of Niagara Mohawk's two Lake Ontario nuclear plants under a plan proposed by the utility. (Wednesday, May 9, 2001) 10NBC/WHEC TV-10
Car pool service offered in Finger Lakes region Commuters looking for an alternative to high gas prices and parking fees are invited to check out the Ride Share Program. This service offers free ride-matching services and information on inexpensive environmentally friendly transportation options to commuters traveling in the Rochester-Genesee and Finger Lakes region, including Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties. ( April 18, 2001) Finger Lakes Times
Niagara Mohawk says summer demand for power shouldn't be a problem - Niagara Mohawk says they can provide enough power this summer in upstate New York to prevent the kinds of rolling blackouts and skyrocketing electricity rates that have plagued California (March 29, 2001) WHEC
AG OFFERS BLUEPRINT FOR INCREASING ENERGY SUPPLY WHILE PROTECTING ENVIRONMENT Spitzer to Convene Business and Environmental Leaders to Solve New York’s Energy Problems Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today released a report designed to serve as a blueprint for teaming business and environmental interests to help solve the state’s energy problems. (March 20, 2001) Office of the NYS Attorney General
Schools spend less on natural gas by buying in bulk -- About this time each year, Bill Baker sits in front of several computers, his eyes darting about, trying to keep up with numbers flitting across the screens. (February 26, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
GOVERNOR PATAKI'S ENERGY EFFICIENCY EFFORTS RECOGNIZED National Association of Government Communicators Award New York Energy Efforts Governor George E. Pataki announced today that his efforts to raise public awareness about the benefits of energy efficiency are being honored by the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) as part of their 2000 Blue Pencil/Gold Screen Awards competition. The 1st place Gold Screen Award is for a public service television spot featuring Governor Pataki promoting the benefits of Energy Star products. (February 14, 2001) Office of the Governor Press Releases -- Press Releases 2001
Senator Schumer pushing for low income heating relief. The high cost of natural gas this winter is still on the mind of New York lawmakers. (February 6, 2001) 10NBC/WHEC TV-10
Sludge turning into energy County will soon produce electricity from solid waste. -- The steel centrifuges thickening the sludge at the Frank E. VanLare Treatment Plant are a sign of a minor waste revolution under way in Monroe County. (February 5,2001) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Firewood shortage The high cost of heating fuel has many people turning to wood stoves for heat this winter. RG&E says customers will pay about 300 dollars more for heat this winter. (January 23, 2001) WHEC
Deregulation: It isn't a copy of California's Officials outline how it works. California began deregulating its energy industry in 1996, and Californians are now suffering brown-outs and paying higher bills. Energy experts say that won't happen here. (January 9, 2001) Perinton-Fairport Post.
Shopping for power Energy deregulation has led to savings and opened opportunities for some to form utilities. (January 9, 2001) Perinton-Fairport Post.
Emergency heat fund opens High energy costs mean Red Cross, RG&E effort starts early -- Hoping to ease the pain of higher natural gas bills for some people, Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. and the local Red Cross will open their heating fund to qualified applicants beginning Tuesday -- more than a month earlier than usual. (November 27, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
An environmentally friendly way of living Through the use of sun and wind, local families reduce their dependence on utility-generated power. With natural gas prices expected to cause customers' heating costs to rise by 20 percent this winter and oil prices escalating just as fast, apartment dwellers and homeowners may feel at a loss for alternatives. (October 14, 2000) Penfield Post
S olar homes open for tour A Middlesex man featured on the tour uses both solar and wind energy to power his home. (October 5, 2000) Canandaigua.com

Polluted lakes turning turtles into turtlettes - researchers studying wildlife on the Great Lakes have found sexual abnormalities in male snapping turtles, with penis size diminished and some males able to produce egg yolk protein, a capability normally found only in females. The research, conducted by biologists with the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada, is part of a growing body of international evidence indicating that many species are suffering from exposure to so-called gender-bending chemicals, industrial pollutants that have been found to mimic sex hormones. (April 28, 2004) globeandmail.com - Canada's best source for news continuously updated from The Globe and Mail
Duluth News Tribune | 03/26/2004 | Great Lakes advocates push for stricter water ballast rules Great Lakes advocates told lawmakers Thursday that international standards designed to stop ships from carrying invasive species into U.S. waters will take too long to implement and aren't strict enough. (March 26, 2004) DuluthNewsTribune.com: Your guide to news, jobs, homes, cars
New invader may infest Great Lakes - So-called ?killer shrimp' from Caspian Sea area could arrive in ships' ballast - Scientists worry a small crustacean that's spreading in Europe and killing off other aquatic species could hitch a ride in ballast water to the Great Lakes and mess with the food chain here. The latest potential Great Lakes invader is a crustacean called Dikero-gammarus villosus. Scientists in Europe dubbed it the killer shrimp for its penchant for taking a bite out of other species. The ones it doesn't eat end up dying from their wounds. (March 19, 2004) canada.com
Buffalo News - Reynolds makes appeal for lakes cleanup WASHINGTON - Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-Clarence, appealed to a Great Lakes Commission conference Wednesday to support a $4 billion plan to clean up the lakes. Reynolds and Democratic Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois have proposed creating a Great Lakes trust fund modeled after a federal trust fund that is being used to restore the Florida Everglades. "With $7 billion being spent to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, $8 billion to save the Everglades and $2 billion to restore San Francisco Bay," Reynolds said, "the Great Lakes deserve that same level of commitment." (March 4, 2004) The Buffalo News
ICE COVERAGE GREATER ON GREAT LAKES - During the past several years, ice coverage on the Lakes has been below normal. Now, for the second year in a row...ice coverage is up: The Great Lakes Radio Consortium
Democrat & Chronicle: 2004 could be Year of the Lakes Friends of Great Lakes hope for preservation efforts next year At an Albany news conference Tuesday, a coalition of state and national environmental groups said that 2004 will be the most important year for the Great Lakes since the 1972 passage of the Clean Water Act. Coming within the year is a fight in Congress over billions of dollars in funds for Great Lakes cleanup. One bill in the House of Representatives, the Great Lakes Restoration Financing Act of 2003 (H.R. 2720), is co-sponsored by Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-Clarence, Erie County. It calls for funding of up to $4 billion from 2004 through 2008. A Senate counterpart (S. 1398) would provide $6 billion over 10 years. (December 17, 2003) — Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Floating guardian assays lake — ABOARD THE LAKE GUARDIAN — From two miles out in Lake Ontario, Charlotte looks like a thin gray stripe painted between wide water and big sky. But for the scientists aboard this federal research vessel — the largest one plying the Great Lakes — miles out in the lake is the place to be. The Environmental Protection Agency by Friday will wrap up an 8-day “analysis cruise” of Lake Ontario, the last in the chain of five Great Lakes, the smallest and, by some measures, the most polluted. (September 25, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Lake experts to visit Greece They seek public comment about Ontario's water levels.— Water levels in Lake Ontario, often a source of seasonal debate among coastal homeowners and recreational boaters, are being intensively studied by a binational board of scientists. (August 6, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
REP. SLAUGHTER INTRODUCES GREAT LAKES BILL- Bipartisan Legislation Will Create Trust Fund to Restore Great Lakes - Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY28), a member of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force, today joined her colleagues in introducing the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act. The bipartisan bill will establish a $4 billion Great Lakes Trust Fund and coordinate efforts to clean up the Great Lakes. --from http://www.house.gov/slaughter
Democrat & Chronicle: Bacteria level closes beach— Wet, chilly weather wasn’t the only thing that kept people out of the water at Ontario Beach Park Saturday. The beach was closed for swimming because of a high bacteria level in the water. Saturday was supposed to be the first day of the swimming season at the park, and Monroe County officials were very disappointed. (June 22, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: New plan to clean Great Lakes — WASHINGTON — The United States and Canada now have a comprehensive plan for cleaning up the Great Lakes, according to the environmentalists who devised it. A coalition of about 30 U.S. and Canadian environmental groups released their agenda for the project Monday, calling for specific cleanup plans, funding increases and regulatory changes. (June 3, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: No easy solution for slimy algae mess at Ontario Beach The buildup of algae -- typically microscopic green plants that, upon decay, breed bacteria and emit a foul smell -- is one of the indicators that Knauf is looking for in determining whether the beach should be open for swimming on any given day. (May 30, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: GAO calls for unified approach to cleanup of Great Lakes— WASHINGTON — Federal and state agencies, joint U.S.-Canadian programs and private groups need a unified, coordinated strategy to clean up and protect the Great Lakes, according to a new report. The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, also recommended last week that the interested groups create a joint decision-making body to prioritize cleanup and restoration projects. The report is the result of a two-year study. (May 27, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Great Lakes scientists push for lab at Hamlin Ontario lacks research sites, they say, and U.S. might help — Brockport fisheries biologist Joe Makarewicz has his own field of dreams: A corner of Hamlin Beach State Park that could in five years be a new Great Lakes research facility. (May 19, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Great Lakes chemical hot spots go Online — As of today, Web users will be able to dial up a comprehensive look at 43 chemical hot spots that dot the Great Lakes basin. The International Joint Commission, a U.S.-Canadian Great Lakes advisory group, this morning released its first status report in 10 years on these so-called “areas of concern,” which are marked by extensive contaminated chemical sediments that may date back 90 years. (May 1, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
Nearly 19,000 gallons of crude oil spills into tributary of Lake Superior SUPERIOR, Wis. -- A pipeline carrying crude oil ruptured, dumping nearly 19,000 gallons (71,900 liters) onto the frozen Nemadji River, a tributary of Lake Superior. At least 100,000 gallons (378,500 liters) spilled at Enbridge Energy Terminal, about two miles (three kilometers) from the lake, but most of it was contained within the terminal's ditches and retention ponds, company officials said. (January 29, 2003) Environmental News Network - ENN.com
Democrat & Chronicle: Great Lakes water levels falling again — DETROIT — Great Lakes water levels are dropping again, thanks to months of relatively dry weather that has encouraged evaporation, experts say. “Levels will be down a bit from last year,” said Marie Strum, water resources engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit. “It’s been very dry in the (lakes) Michigan-Huron basin the past six months.” (January 23, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
WXXI: Push Begins for Comprehensive Lakes Plan (2003-01-02) ROCHESTER, NY (2003-01-02) Several environmental groups around the Great Lakes region want to start the new year with a comprehensive plan to preserve the lakes for the future. Buffalo-based Great Lakes United and several other groups say both climate and the way people live around the Great Lakes Basin are changing, posing new challenges. (January 4, 2003) Public NewsRoom
WXXI: Researchers Study Pharmaceuticals in Water (2002-12-16) ROCHESTER, NY (2002-12-16) Studies by researchers in the United States and Canada have found that the Great Lakes and many other bodies of water are contaminated with pharmaceutical compounds. Nobody is sure whether this poses any sort of health risk, but some scientists are worried about what might happen if the drug contamination is also getting into drinking water. Public NewsRoom
EMC Learns about Lake Ontario Air Pollution Study According to ongoing research at SUNY Oswego, it appears that levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are higher in the air along the southern shore of Lake Ontario than in other rural areas measured near the Great Lakes. These preliminary findings were presented by SUNY Oswego researcher Jim Pagano at a recent meeting of the Oswego County Environmental Management Council meeting. (December 15, 2002) Fulton's Only Daily News, Sports & Weather Source -- Fulton Daily News.com
Democrat & Chronicle: Bush signs bill providing $250M to clean Great Lakes — WASHINGTON — President Bush signed legislation on Wednesday that will provide $250 million over five years to clean up pollution at the bottom of the Great Lakes. The money would be given to local governments, states and American Indian tribes to clean, monitor and prevent contaminated sediment in the Great Lakes basin. The local partner would be required to match 35 percent of the grant amount. (November 27, 2002) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Great Lakes pollution fight gets $250M — WASHINGTON — Legislation authorizing $250 million over five years to help clean up pollution at the bottom of the Great Lakes was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday. The Great Lakes Legacy Act now will go to President George W. Bush to be signed into law. (November 13, 2002) Democrat and Chronicle
House Passes Great Lakes Legacy Act U.S. House Passes Legislation To Address Great Lakes Sediment Contamination Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today approved legislation to provide $260 million over the next five years for the monitoring, remediation and prevention of sediment contamination in the Great Lakes. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure -- Press
Democrat & Chronicle: States prod EPA to act against Great Lakes exotics — ALBANY — Attorneys general from four states on Wednesday tried to force the federal government to protect the Great Lakes from harmful, foreign species discharged in ballast of oceangoing ships. Zebra mussels, spiny water fleas, sea lamprey and other species of fish and insects disgorged from ships have caused millions of dollars in damage to Great Lakes businesses and the environment, the attorneys said in court filings Wednesday. (November 14, 2002) Democrat and Chronicle
Brockport Students Board Boat Brockport High School students completed a little work for the federal government Tuesday.
More than 50 environmental science students boarded the "Spirit of Rochester" to take water samples of the Genesee River and Lake Ontario.(October 16, 2002) R News: Your NewsChannel
Democrat & Chronicle: Botulism deadly to wildlife perils lake Parts of Lake Erie are a wildlife charnel house. Fish and bird corpses by the thousands have been bobbing in the shallows of the lake's east end and washing ashore since 1999. The killer is a poison, called type E avian botulism. And its next victim, many predict, is Lake Ontario. (August 14, 2002) Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat & Chronicle: Mussels blamed for Lake Erie's growing 'dead zones' — CLEVELAND — A cousin to the better-known zebra mussel may be the main reason oxygen levels are dropping in Lake Erie. Researchers said the quagga -- thumbnail-size clams -- and zebra mussels are causing high phosphorus levels that are creating a low-oxygen "dead zone" in the center of the lake. Both mussels release phosphorus as a waste, but the quagga releases more. (August 6, 2002) Democrat and Chronicle:
Sandbar project opens up possibilities The waterfront area could undergo major changes after sewers are installed. Proposals to develop Webster's sandbar area have come and gone over the years like the tide on Lake Ontario. (August 1, 2002) Webster Post
Lake Ontario levels higher than normal More water may mean better boating, but it also raises caution for the future.
You might think that with all the hot, humid weather this summer, water levels at local lakes, ponds and streams would be pretty low (July 25, 2002) Greece Post
Niagara - Lake Ontario Cleanup Hailed The international body that helps regulate the Great Lakes says a milestone has been reached in keeping chemical pollution out of Lake Ontario. The International Joint Commission says the potential release of toxic chemicals into the Niagara River has been cut by approximately 90 percent from 1989 levels. (June 20, 2002) Public NewsRoom
Doyle Announces Opening of Ontario Beach for Swimming (June 20, 2002) Monroe County: Press Release Area
Statement of Rep. Louise Slaughter SLAUGHTER, BOEHLERT RELEASE A GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE STUDY THAT DEMONSTRATES EPA LACKING IN GREAT LAKES CLEANUP Washington, D.C. – Two New York Members of Congress, Louise M. Slaughter (D-Rochester), whose district borders Lake Ontario and Sherwood Boehlert (R- ), Chairman of the House Science Committee, today released a General Accounting Office (GAO) report that demonstrates the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not cleaning up contaminated sites around the Great Lakes. The GAO’s nine-month study states that the EPA is not effectively fulfilling the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1978 to ensure that remedial actions plans (RAPs) are developed and implemented in the contaminated areas In fact, the EPA has cut funding and staffing for the RAP process.(June 5, 2002) Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter - Home Page
Alage Conference ROCHESTER, NEW YORK (2002-05-30) Efforts to clean up the water of Lake Ontario may be at least partly responsible for masses of green algae that form along the shore, because more sunlight penetrates the clearer water. But scientists and government officials from the U.S. and Canadian shores of Lake Ontario say there may not be that much they can do to stop it. About a hundred of them gathered in the Town of Greece today for a seminar on the algae problem, which affects shoreline homeowners, businesses and parks. (May 30, 2202) Public NewsRoom
Democrat & Chronicle: Beach algae battle to be ramped up this summer — Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, and officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Monroe County government on Wednesday gave an update on efforts to control algae at Ontario Beach Park. The beach has typically been closed for swimming about a third of the time over the summer because the long pier at east end of the beach traps algae, which in turn breeds bacteria. (May 29, 220) DemocratandChronicle.com
Democrat & Chronicle: Seminar updates woes plaguing Ontario (May 4, 2002) — Although industrial waste and untreated sewage entering Lake Ontario have been dramatically reduced in the past 20 years, the effects of that pollution -- and new threats to the lake -- continue. More than 175 people interested in the lake's health and the quality of its water along the 300-mile New York shoreline attended the Center for Environmental Information's North Coast conference on Friday in Perinton. (May 4, 2002) DemocratandChronicle.com
Scientists Board Lake Ontario's ''Guardian'' Rochester, NY - For the next week, Lane Ontario will be patrolled by its ''Guardian.''
The EPA and state environmental officials are testing the lake to see how air pollution affects both water and fish.(April 15, 2002) iKnowRochester.com
Democrat & Chronicle: Great Lakes clean up proposed by EPA chief -- Christie Whitman, head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on Tuesday unveiled a plan that she says will help protect and restore the Great Lakes. After touring the EPA research vessel Lake Guardian, which will visit Rochester on April 12, Whitman discussed "Great Lakes Strategy 2002 -- A Plan for the New Millennium." It was created by the Great Lakes U.S. Policy Committee, a partnership of senior environmental officials from federal, state and tribal agencies.(April 3, 2002) "It's a nice gesture, but without any funds nothing is going to change or happen," said Lake Ontario fisheries expert Joseph C. Makarewicz, professor of biology at the State University College at Brockport. DemocratandChronicle.com
Democrat & Chronicle: Lake Ontario water level higher than normal Water levels on the Great Lakes this year might be higher than average, reversing conditions in 2001 that left docks bone dry and harbors shallow, according to a new assessment by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (March 13, 2002) DemocratandChronicle.com
Lake level study funded again -- Congress Is Providing $3.4 Million for the Second Year of a Five-Year Study on How to Stabilize Water Levels on Lake Ontario. (Thursday, November 15, 2001) - -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Great Lakes plan comes ashore -- Pollution, alien species, coastal habitat, global climate change and water levels are among the challenges facing the Great Lakes, the world's greatest repository of fresh surface water. (Tuesday, October 23, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
2-step process may curb beach algae - Stinky summertime algae at Ontario Beach Park might be reduced by a device that scoops it up and pumps it into the nearby Genesee River. Two other methods tested in August -- a pump and a special culvert -- would not work as well, according to a new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report. (Sunday, October 14, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Corps picks option to fix algae problem Ontario Beach Park's algae problems could be best addressed by pumping combined with mechanical assistance, according to preliminary study results released yesterday by Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted the project between Aug. 20 and 31 in an effort to find ways to keep the city-operated beach open more frequently in the summer. Algae buildup often has closed the beach to swimmers. (Friday, October 12, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Ontario concerns aired Meeting in Greece focuses on lake and river water levels, silt, erosion - Low water levels, high amounts of silt and beach erosion were among concerns raised last night during a public meeting about Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. (Friday, October 12, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Level of Lake Ontario to be discussed tonight - The water level of Lake Ontario will be discussed at a public meeting tonight. The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 at Apollo Middle School, 750 Maiden Lane in Greece. It is intended to gain input and information for a study that the International Joint Commission is doing on Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River water levels and flow variations; the commission also will determine if better regulation is possible. (Thursday, October 11, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Lake Erie Beach Park swimming with issues Dead fish aren't the only mess on the beach in Evans; the town has come under fire for its handling of its Lake Erie Beach Park. While the dead fish on the beach - the victims of what biologists have identified as botulism - may smell and eventually go away, the town's handling of the park could have long-term ramifications, according to Edward Schneider III, a town gadfly who is embroiled in two controversies regarding the beach. (Wednesday, September 19, 2001) Buffalo News
Algae-busters to fix shoreline - A final plan to rid Ontario Beach Park of smelly algae is two to six months away. But it likely will include steps to restore shoreline habitat, officials said yesterday. (Thursday, August 23, 2001) - -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Smelly algae face salvo Testing begins tomorrow on ways to cleanse Charlotte beach The installation of equipment has begun at Charlotte pier in preparation for a testing of alternatives for clearing the beach of algae. The 2-week project came about after three years of studying the problem.- By tomorrow, federal and Monroe County experts -- after three years of work on paper -- will begin testing ways to get rid of odorous algae at Ontario Beach in Charlotte. (Wednesday, August 22, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Charlotte Pier closed temporarily Update: The Army Corps of Engineers will begin testing options to combat continuing algae problems at Ontario Beach Park, closing the Charlotte pier Tuesday and Wednesday. The Corps of Engineers will spend two weeks and $200,000 to study how to deal with the mess -- and stink -- for good. (Tuesday, August 21, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Algae problem along lake clogs senses Lake Ontario spots see large amounts of Cladophora, a mostly aesthetic concern. A vile-smelling algae is raising a stink along the Lake Ontario shoreline from Niagara County to Oswego County. The gag-inducing culprit is Cladophora, a threadlike algae that grows on rocks on the lake bottom. (Sunday, August 19, 2001) Syracuse.com News
Ontario gets new lake intake -- Workers have started a $1.9 million municipal project that most town residents probably will never see. That's because this project is under Lake Ontario. (Saturday, July 21, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Help sought on lake invaders U.S., Canada urged to stop alien organisms in Great Lakes -- Two Great Lakes watchdog groups are urging U.S. and Canadian officials to act immediately to stop the introduction of alien species into lake waters. (Saturday, July 21, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Bill might float Great Lakes cleanup House weighs plan on sediment contamination - A federal bill under consideration would provide $250 million over the next five years for prevention of Great Lakes pollution. (Saturday, July 14, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
New idea to battle beach algae County considers pumping it under lake pier. Cost: $2 million (Friday, July 13, 2001) -- Pumping water under the long pier at Ontario Beach Park might be the best bet to prevent the buildup of algae that has often caused the closing of the beach for swimming, Monroe County's chief engineer said yesterday. (Friday, July 13, 2001) --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Doyle unveils new plan to control Ontario Beach algae Monroe County Executive Jack Doyle has asked the Army Corps of Engineers to consider installing three large pumps near the Ontario Beach pier to help move algae that now builds up along the pier and beach. (July 12, 2001) --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
U.S., Canada to guard Great Lakes Pataki joins the list of leaders working on a water export ban NIAGARA FALLS -- New York Gov. George Pataki joined seven other governors yesterday in signing an agreement aimed at conserving and improving the water in the Great Lakes. (Tuesday, June 19, 2001) - DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Ecology, economy feel impact as species invade Great Lakes With each passing day, the onslaught of invasive species in the Great Lakes grows, and with it the ecological and economic costs mount -- and we have only ourselves to blame, say scientists and naturalists. (June 3, 2001) The Ithaca Journal
Eye-in-sky to scan lake pest RIT images of algae growth may clarify problem-- Rochester Institute of Technology imaging experts have received funding to photograph Lake Ontario algae from the sky -- and hopefully determine from where the slimy, often stinky organisms are originating. (Friday, April 20, 2001) --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
RIT experts to study lake algae Rochester Institute of Technology imaging experts have received funding to photograph Lake Ontario algae from the sky -- and hopefully determine the origin of the slimy, often stinky stuff. (Thursday, April 19, 2001) --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
RIT experts to photograph Lake Ontario algae Rochester Institute of Technology imaging experts have received funding to photograph Lake Ontario algae from the sky. They hope to determine where the slimy, often stinky goo originates. The more difficult task, however, is figuring out how to get rid of it. (Tuesday, April 17, 2001) --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Low Lake Levels Expected This Summer AP Burlington, Ontario - Water levels on the Great Lakes could be dangerously low again this summer, Canadian environmental officials say. Boaters are being warned to watch for uncharted rocks and shoals. ( April 16, 2001) iKnowRochester.com
ENERGY COSTS REVIVE PUSH TO DRILL UNDER GREAT LAKES - Soaring energy prices have renewed interest in oil and natural gas reserves beneath the Great Lakes, rekindling debate over whether one of the world's largest sources of fresh water should also be a source of cheap energy. ( March 15, 2001) Chicago Tribune.
Guard lake water, officials told AMHERST, N.Y. (February 22, 2001) -- Protecting Great Lakes water from thirsty onlookers requires a much more aggressive stance than what is being proposed, Great Lakes advocates and residents told Great Lakes officials Wednesday night. The first of two public hearings in New York about a proposed change to an international agreement covering the Great Lakes brought resounding agreement among the more than 50 people who attended: Lawmakers must more aggressively protect one of the area's most important assets. (February 22, 2001) -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
States working to shore up lake water- Governors of the eight Great Lakes states are considering what could be the first step to prevent bulk removal of water from the lakes. (February 9, 2001) - DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Donald Zelazny Appointed New DEC Great Lakes Coordinator New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner John P. Cahill today announced that Donald Zelazny has been appointed as the agency's new Great Lakes Programs Coordinator. (January 14, 2001) DEC News

2002

IJC establishes International Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Study Board
The International Joint Commission (IJC) announced today that it has established an International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study Board and appointed 11 of its proposed 14 members. The IJC instructed its new board to undertake the studies required to evaluate options for regulating levels and flows in the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River system. The Study Board will have seven U.S. and seven Canadian members. --International Joint Commission.
Group to Study Lake Flooding A new group made up of some local residents is helping solve flooding problems along Lake Ontario. (December 24, 2000) RNews.
New accord floated for lake water -- Governors of the eight Great Lakes states Thursday released a draft of what could be the basis for the first international binding agreement to prevent the bulk removal of water from the lakes. (December 15, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Groups unveil report on protection of lake waters -- It has been a year since the eight Great Lakes governors pledged to better protect the lakes from future water removals. Five Great Lakes environmental and community groups yesterday released their united view of what that protection should entail and also urged that it happen soon. (December 6, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Changes ahead for Great Lakes A new report says global warming could mean big changes for the Great Lakes region. TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Lagging water levels and disappearing pine trees are among possible results of climate change in the Great Lakes region by the end of the century, scientists say. (December 5, 2000) Daily Messenger
The Great Lakes Regional Assessment Team announces the release of their summary report for the Great Lakes region: Preparing for a Changing Climate: The Potential Consequences of Climate variability and Change
Act stiffens Great Lakes shield Legislation gives governors power to stymie water exports -- Legislation passed by Congress yesterday would give governors of Great Lakes states the power to prevent water exportation from those lakes. (November 4, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Beachcombers clean up Several hundred volunteers collect, literally, a ton of trash -- Hundreds of volunteers swarmed over Lake Ontario beaches Saturday, picking up litter as part of the 15th annual International Coastal Cleanup. (September 17, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Teleconference on lake levels The International St. Lawrence River Board of Control will have its second public teleconference on Lake Ontario water levels from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
SLAUGHTER WINS APPROVAL FOR LAKE ONTARIO STUDY WASHINGTON. Last night the House of Representatives approved funding for a study of water regulations in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. (September 01, 2000) News Release from Representative Louise Slaughter
Researchers Hope To Solve Lake Algae Problem You may not be able to see it, but you are bound to smell the algae along the Lake Ontario shoreline. (August 16, 2000) RochesterToday
Raising a stink over lake algae Officials want to pinpoint sources, then decide on a plan (August 10, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Ontario water level raises flood of worry But a member of the board of control says relief is in sight (August 5, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Beaches turn cold shoulder But with half the summer gone, the longtime lakeside resident hasn't been swimming yet. (August 5, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Lake cleanup not done yet, report says -- A report released Wednesday criticizes the Canadian and U.S. governments for not acting on warnings two years ago about the Great Lakes' poor water quality. (July 26, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Lake level will be examined in study $2.2 million in federal funding will help begin 5-year search for better controls. (July 16, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Great Lakes debate: Where did water go? Falling water levels have meant that shippers are leaving cargo behind and boaters are left high and dry. 6/28/00-ChristianScienceMonitor
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is saved! The Great Lakes community won a major victory this spring when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency informed us that they will not proceed with revising the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, but instead focus on implementing it. 6/06/00-- Great Lakes United.
Great Lakes seek cash flow Congressional delegation pushes for more federal dollars to clean up fourth seacoast (April 29, 2000) --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Ontario expected to rise Lake's level is about 7 inches lower than normal but forecast to top last year's mark (April 8, 2000) ----DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Lake panel tackles concerns Forum tries to appease fearful property owners and cities that seek higher levels -- (March 23, 2000)--DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Report: Be cautious about removing Great Lakes water A blueprint for protecting Great Lakes water was released Wednesday by the International Joint Commission, an independent, binational organization that aims to help prevent and resolve disputes relating to the use and quality of boundary waters. (March 15, 2000)--DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Students survive virtual voyage Science center program teaches kids how to run an underwater biological lab (March 10, 2000)--DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE-
NVASIVE SPECIES: Fishhook Fleas Plaguing Lakes One of the latest species to invade U.S. waters, fishhook fleas, are infesting New York's Finger Lakes and the Great Lakes, the Washington Post reports. Like zebra mussels, fishhook fleas are native to the Black, Caspian, Azov and Aral seas and were likely brought to the United States in illegally discharged ballast water of ships coming from Central Asia. The fleas were introduced into Lake Ontario around August 1998 and have since multiplied and spread to adjacent waters.--from GreenWire.
Lake Ontario low for the year Lake Ontario is low, and could be even lower come summer. If the lake area doesn’t see some big rains, boaters could be in trouble.--2/09/00--TOP NEWS From WHEC, and MSNBC
Global needs put Great Lakes at risk As an increasingly thirsty world talks of tapping this freshwater resource, caretakers rally to its defense --2/06/00--DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Region banking on Lake Ontario Demand from parched states and nations adds urgency to local efforts to tap lake's great potential --2/07/00--DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Ontario links various cities and visions Communities on sides of the lake may be making different plans, but they share a common destiny --2/07/00--DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Thirst for water to shape future Growing population, shift to desert Southwest bring pressure to share freshwater resources --2/08/00--DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Follow these this comprehensive series about Lake Ontario, by --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
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