Pollution

Michigan and Ohio are both struggling to reduce the fertilizer runoff getting into Lake Erie which feeds cyanobacterial blooms, also called harmful algal blooms. Those toxic blooms can be hazardous to people and animals. Both states are working toward a 40% reduction goal set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Canada is working toward that same amount of reduction. So far, the efforts are not meeting the goals.

The report found that polluters underestimate the long-term costs of these control methods. But it's still cheaper for polluters to implement band-aid fixes on contaminated sites.

The state estimates more than 330,000 septic systems are failing in Michigan. A new loan program aims to make it more affordable for residents to replace faulty systems.

Hotter days make heat exhaustion a greater hazard for kids. Hotter days also can mean more ozone pollution and that leads to lung impairments. Unusual weather events, particularly storms that cause flooding, add stress to children's lives.

Lawmakers have drafted a package of bills that they say could make Michigan a regional leader in microplastic pollution monitoring and prevention.

Michigan lawmakers introduced two bills this week that would strengthen the state's polluter pay laws.

A third party is weighing in on a controversy over a proposed sewer project around Higgins Lake in Roscommon County.

Environmental advocates say stricter controls on industries can improve air quality as wildfires potentially become the “new normal.”

The state is awarding a $200,000 grant to help reduce pollution and protect the Thunder Bay River Watershed.

New legislation in the state house would give local governments more power to reject pollution permitsThe bill is part of a package aimed at strengthening…