IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode of Great Lakes Now, a look at the state of Lake Erie algal blooms 10 years after the Toledo Water Crisis, the past and present of Flint’s Water Crisis, and understanding what EPA regulation means for coal ash ponds along the Great Lakes.

When to Watch?

Check your local station for when Great Lakes Now is on in your area.

Watch The Feature

Are we any closer to solving Lake Erie’s toxic blooms?

SEGMENT 1 | Toledo, Ohio

In 2014, a toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie left nearly half a million people in and around Toledo without clean drinking water. The algae bloom was caused by phosphorus from agricultural manure and fertilizer flowing into the lake. In the decade since the Toledo water crisis, little has been done to prevent algae blooms on Lake Erie. A new lawsuit against the EPA seeks to change that.

Watch The Feature

The Catch: News about the Lakes You Love

SEGMENT 2 | Waukegan, Illinois

New rules imposed by the Federal EPA are offering some hope to residents living near coal fired power plants across the Great Lakes Region. While dozens of these plants are no longer burning coal, what’s left behind is a toxic mess in the form of Coal Ash. Often the coal ash is stored in ponds that could pose a danger to groundwater.

Residents in Waukegan, Illinois are especially worried about coal ash ponds located just yards away from Lake Michigan, a source of drinking water for millions of people. The power plant operated by NRG maintains there’s nothing to worry about and wants to cap those ponds and just walk away. Residents and environmentalists say that’s not good enough.

Under the new EPA rules, power plant operators nationwide have until 2028 to start cleaning up the coal ash ponds. There are nearly 100 of them around the Great Lakes. “If you look at the states that have lots of coal ash, it’s Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, to some extent Pennsylvania,” said Gavin Kearney, an attorney with the environmental group EarthJustice. “They created the mess. They have to clean it up. They have to pay the dime for cleaning it up.”

Watch The Feature

Were Flint kids hurt by lead? Or something else?

SEGMENT 3 | Flint, Michigan

Researcher Marc Edwards was among the first scientists to discover Flint’s water was contaminated with lead over a decade ago. Now research is showing that the long term health effects associated with elevated lead levels may have bene overblown. The harm from the messaging around long term impacts is itself now a very real issue for the people of Flint.

Detroit reporter Bryce Huffman talks with researcher Marc Edwards about the way the narrative surrounding Flint’s water has become a problem for the young people of Flint.