Great Lakes Law

Enbridge pipeline spills over a million gallons of crude oil into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River

Here are the facts: On Monday July 26, a 30-inch pipeline in Marshall, Michigan belonging to Enbridge Inc. burst. The U.S. EPA estimates over 1 million gallons (over 23,000 barrels) of crude oil spilled into Talmadge Creek, a waterway which feeds into the Kalamazoo River. On July 28, the U.S. EPA assumed the role of Federal On-Scene Coordinator pursuant to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which gives EPA responsibility for inland (rather than offshore)... Read more →

Five states file new lawsuit against federal government to protect Great Lakes from Asian carp

After the Supreme Court refused to hear the Great Lakes states’ dispute regarding Asian carp, the states have moved ahead with “Plan B” in the legal battle to protect the lakes from the invasive species threat – a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in federal district court. Five states - Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania – filed their joint complaint today in the... Read more →

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center and NRDC file petition to close loophole on pharmaceutical drugs in drinking water

Pharmaceutical drugs in drinking water are a growing concern for both aquatic and human health. Water samples from the Great Lakes and other waterbodies often reveal potentially harmful levels of many drugs, including antibiotics, steroids and other hormones, cancer therapies, lipid regulators and anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs may get into our water supply from direct disposal or through human waste, since the body does not fully break down all drugs taken in. Unfortunately, our wastewater... Read more →

The PACE has stopped - federal agency makes short-sighted decision to halt common sense clean energy policy

Guest post by Eric Jamison, Clean Energy Fellow with the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) just halted residential PACE programs around the country by issuing a letter stating that PACE programs present “significant safety and soundness concerns” to the lending community. The residential programs that were emerging have all stopped operating their programs. PACE programs provide a voluntary tool for municipalities to promote the adoption of renewable energy (RE)... Read more →