Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
In this edition: Controversial open-pit sulfide mine in UP faces major delays due to COVID-19, utility companies in Ohio and Illinois set to resume disconnections after pandemic-induced moratorium lapses, and Enbridge completes replacement work on Line 5 under St. Clair River.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
Illinois utility companies and state Attorney General Kwame Raoul came to an agreement establishing a utility shutoff moratorium that ended on Aug. 1. While the state’s eviction moratorium was extended until Aug. 22, utility companies have already begun threatening shutoffs as Illinois moves into phase four of its five-stage reopening process.
Michigan:
- Enbridge: Line 5 replacement work completed under St. Clair River in Marysville – Port Huron Times Herald
The work was initiated as part of a November 2017 agreement between Enbridge and the state of Michigan requiring Enbridge to improve environmental protections in the Great Lakes and other waterways. The new section of pipeline was placed into service on July 30 and is now operational, Duffy said in an email.
Line 5 begins in Superior, Wisconsin, and ends in Sarnia, Ontario.
Ohio:
- Tens of Thousands of Ohioans Face Potential Water, Power Shutoffs – Cincinnati Enquirer
Duke Energy, a utility that provides power for up to 860,000 customers in southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky, could potentially resume disconnections for customers who are behind on their bills as early as August 10, pending a review from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. If Duke Energy receives the approval, over 45,000 Ohioans could see their water or power discontinued, as many face financial hardships due to job loss and national economic downturn due to COVID-19.
Wisconsin:
- Controversial Mine in Michigan’s UP Faces Financial Setbacks – Urban Milwaukee
The Back Forty Mine, a planned open-pit copper and zinc mine located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula along the Menominee River, is facing significant financial setbacks due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Even before COVID-19, Back Forty’s parent company Aquila Resources faced strong pushback from local environmentalist groups and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, who hold a sacred connection to the Menominee River. Their concerns are that the tailings dam, a waste storage facility attached to the Back Forty project, would cause irreparable damage to local wetlands and the Menominee River – which drains into Lake Michigan – should the dam fail.
Catch up on other Great Lakes energy headlines here:
Great Lakes Energy News Roundup: Ohio pipeline, Indiana rejects rate increase
In a time of COVID-19, millions of Americans are plagued by water debt
Featured image: $9,000 DWSD water bill. (Courtesy of Bill Kubota)
