Blog Posts

Blog posts by FLOW team and guest writers

Environmental Protection Must Not be Sacrificed During Pandemic

June 18, 2020

Using the current COVID-19 situation as a pretense, the Trump Administration has stopped enforcing many Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safeguards. This has left individual states with the additional responsibility to sustain environmental protection. Many companies and corporations have recently requested that state regulators be lenient on environmental regulations that require them to test and monitor pollution, claiming that the pandemic has interfered with their ability to comply with preexisting regulations.

State Points to Fatal Flaw in ‘Line 5’ Tunnel Law

June 8, 2020

What may seem like dry legal arguments over the interpretation of a few words sometimes can have ripple effects on people, health, safety, and the environment. Such is the case with arguments heard June 3 before the Michigan Court of Appeals over the fate of the proposed Enbridge oil pipeline tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac, which promises to leave a lasting mark on the future of the Straits and the people of the Upper Great Lakes.

Racial Equity and Clean Water for All Now!

June 5, 2020

Dear Friends, We need racial equity and access to clean water for all now. The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and continuing protests across the country and globe require each of us to re-examine our basic principles and to envision anew the diverse, inclusive, equitable, and just society we must seek together. This is… Read more »

Exploring the Spirituality of the Great Lakes

June 3, 2020

Billed as “stories, reflections and conversations around a spirituality of the Great Lakes Basin,” the Great Lakes Spirituality Project is intended “to further develop a spirituality of the Lakes that values and protects the Great Lakes Basin and the life that depends on these waters.”

enbridges-line-5-under-the-straits-of-mackinac

Decision Time Coming on Line 5 Oil Tunnel

May 28, 2020

During a three-week comment period that ended in mid-May, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) received a flood of more than 3,100 public comments, with a strong majority firmly opposed, on Enbridge’s request to bypass the legal review process and plow forward with other permitting required to replace and relocate the decaying Line 5 oil pipelines crossing the Straits of Mackinac with a proposed 18- to 21-foot tall tunnel housing a new pipeline.

Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation Calls on Governor, EGLE Director to Withdraw Permit for Nestlé’s Water Grab

May 27, 2020

Rarely does a ruling by a state Administrative Law Judge overturn a permit issued by a state agency. In the contested case hearing on the Nestlé permit to withdraw more than 500,000 gallons of water per day from a White Pine Springs well near Evart, MCWC and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians had hoped the administrative law judge would reverse the Snyder administration’s unwarranted permission for Nestlé’s permit, writes Peggy Case, Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC) president.

Engaging Young People to Continue the Milliken Legacy

May 27, 2020

Protecting our precious waters is a multigenerational mission. At FLOW, we put that mission into practice not only by pursuing solutions to water problems that will pay off for generations to come, but also by engaging young people who will carry forward the work as part of a rising generation. Each summer, we seek out bright, talented youth to assist us with communications, policy and legal research tasks. FLOW’s internships have taken on a new significance this year. We’re excited to work with Emma Moulton and Zoe Gum as our Milliken For Love of Water interns.

Drink Short’s Beer, “Share the Light” with FLOW

May 18, 2020

Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire, Michigan, is stepping up to protect North America’s fresh water—85% of which is held within our Great Lakes. FLOW is one of three nonprofits you can support with each purchase of Local’s Light, as part of the “Share the Light” campaign. Just upload your proof-of-purchase to FLOW’s website. Feel good about what you drink.

FLOW Urges MPSC to Deny Enbridge’s Request for a Free Pass on Siting a ‘Line 5’ Oil Tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac

May 15, 2020

Photo of the Mackinac Bridge and Straits of Mackinac by Kathryn DePauw. The Michigan Public Service Commission should reject Enbridge’s attempt to dodge the legal review process required to replace and relocate the segment of the Line 5 oil pipeline crossing the Straits of Mackinac into a $500 million proposed tunnel pipeline project, according to… Read more »