Overview:

-Michigan's environmental regulator opens public comment period on Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel surface facilities permit application.
-Draft EPA rule would repeal the finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health.
-NOAA budget cuts threaten Great Lakes monitoring that ship captains rely on for safe navigation.

🎣 East side residents fed up with years of street flooding Detroit east side residents on Cadillac Avenue between Shoemaker and Edsel Ford have endured years of flooding after rainfall due to blocked catch basins. Mario White tells WXYZ:
“It just looks like a body of water. Like you’re standing on Jefferson or something. Like you can just come on your porch and just fish.” Residents suspect the city paved over a sewage drain during road repaving. Detroit Water and Sewerage Department officials say sediment accumulated in the basins, acknowledging residents called at least six times since 2022. After WXYZ investigated, city crews cleaned both basins Tuesday, with officials promising to prevent similar problems citywide. 📌 Source: WXYZ

🚧 EGLE opens public comment period for Line 5 tunnel surface facilities The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy opened a public comment period through Aug. 29 for Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 tunnel surface facilities permit application under the Straits of Mackinac. The review covers wetlands protection and Great Lakes submerged lands regulations. Due to high public interest, EGLE will host two virtual meetings: an informational session August 12 and formal public hearing August 19. The proposed tunnel would replace existing Line 5 pipelines operating for over 70 years, with EGLE conducting comprehensive review including tribal consultations. 📌 Source: Cheboygan Daily Tribune

🏭 EPA draft rule would eliminate foundation for US climate regulations The Trump administration has drafted an EPA rule to repeal the 2009 “endangerment finding” that establishes greenhouse gases endanger human health, The New York Times reported, citing sources familiar with the plan. This scientific declaration is the foundation for federal climate regulations on vehicles, power plants, and industries. The proposal also would rescind tailpipe emission limits encouraging electric vehicles. Repealing the finding would eliminate current greenhouse gas pollution limits and prevent future administrations from tackling climate change through regulation. 📌 Source: The New York Times

🚽 Salem-Canton sewer line standoff threatens Fellows Creek water quality A sewage disposal dispute between Washtenaw County’s Salem Township and Wayne County’s Canton Township threatens construction of an unwanted wastewater treatment plant near Canton. Salem needs sewage solutions for a 1,400-acre development but faces Canton’s demand that Salem pay to connect Canton residents to the sewer line. Salem calls this “extortion” while Canton defends requiring infrastructure benefits. State regulators prefer the sewer line alternative, warning a treatment plant would degrade Fellows Creek water quality despite meeting legal standards. 📌 Source: Detroit Free Press

🚢 NOAA funding cuts could eliminate vital Great Lakes weather monitoring The Trump administration’s proposed NOAA budget cuts threaten Great Lakes monitoring programs that ship captains rely on for safe navigation. The budget would eliminate funding for the Great Lakes Observing System, which operates 200 buoy stations tracking wave height and weather data, and an Ann Arbor lab researching ice cover. Commercial shippers and researchers warn these cuts could endanger maritime safety on the unpredictable Great Lakes, where dangerous weather conditions develop rapidly compared to ocean environments. 📌 Source: The Detroit News

⛏️ Trump administration grants pollution waivers to Upper Peninsula mines, Midland facility Two Michigan iron ore mines and a Midland manufacturing plant received two-year exemptions from stricter air pollution rules through Trump administration proclamations. The Empire and Tilden mines in the Upper Peninsula, plus a Trinseo thermoplastics plant, are among over 100 facilities nationwide exempted from tightened emissions controls. The administration said the required technology isn’t commercially ready and cites national security concerns. Environmental groups criticized the exemptions as harmful to public health, particularly regarding mercury exposure risks. 📌 Source: MLive



Dustin Blitchok brings extensive editorial leadership experience, having served as an editor at Benzinga and Metro Times, and got his start in journalism at The Oakland Press. As a longtime Detroit resident and journalist, he has covered a wide range of public interest stories, including criminal justice and government accountability.