Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy highlighted the cleanup of Muskegon Lake and the challenge of dealing with PFAS contamination in this year's iteration of the annual State of the Great Lakes Report, published this week.
EGLE said the publication highlights progress and challenges in managing the world’s largest freshwater system.
The report covers environmental cleanup, waterfront restoration, invasive species, groundwater management, and wildlife protection in the world's largest freshwater system.
EGLE spokesperson Jeff Johnston said getting Muskegon Lake removed from the list of contaminated sites after extensive cleanup and restoration efforts was a notable accomplishment. “This is a great culmination of the work done to revive this once-polluted lake and its surroundings and make it suitable once again for recreation and for wildlife,” he said.
Johnston said EGLE is now focusing on new software that's helping to assess requests for large-quantity groundwater withdrawals.
He said there’s also a new stewardship guide for wild rice, called Manoomin in Anishinaabe, that’s meant to honor tribal perspectives and protect the cultural staple.
Another accomplishment the report outlined is increasing the population of an endangered bird species, the piping plover. “That’s because of the work of numerous volunteers and the National Park Service setting up protected areas to monitor and protect these birds,” Johnston said.
“We can't let our guard down,” he added. “It’s important to continue working on these issues to maintain the progress that's been made.”
The report also discussed the challenges of the year. Johnston said the environment department is tackling the issue of PFAS contamination. PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they do not readily break down in the environment, he said. PFAS have been associated with an array of health problems. “They're showing up in soil, in water. And they exist in household products.”
Johnston said a Michigan PFAS action response team is working on identifying areas that are contaminated and coming up with strategies to mitigate this contamination. EGLE will test drinking water wells and is making grants available to airports to study their property for PFAS.
Another issue the state is tackling is reducing the amount of phosphorus in the Western Lake Erie Basin to prevent algal blooms. “This blue-green algae can mess up our beaches and contaminate waters,” Johnston said.
EGLE and other groups have also been working on controlling invasive species in the Great Lakes, like the quagga mussel, which dramatically undercuts whitefish populations, and sea lamprey, which attack native fish.
Johnston said the work is important because even though Michigan's Great Lakes resources are vast, they’re also vulnerable. “We in Michigan rely on the Great Lakes and our fresh water for so many things. It fuels our industry, it supports our recreation, and it feeds our souls.”
“There's vast ecosystems at work in the Great Lakes, and we are the stewards of this incredible bounty,” he continued. “So if we want these resources to be here for future generations, we need to pay attention and focus on the work that needs to be done.”
