I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
The Michigan House of Representatives has passed HB 5368, a bill that regulates the use of fertilizer that contains phosphorus. The bill would prohibit the use of such fertilizer in most situations but it exempts agricultural use and allows an exemption for use on first year lawns and lawns that have tested low for phosphorus content.
The Michigan Environmental Council praised the passage of the bill:
“These rules help protect our lakes from being strangled by mats of weeds and runaway algae blooms – both of which are fueled by the excessive phosphorus in lawn fertilizers,” said Chris Kolb, Michigan Environmental Council president.
Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plants, but almost all Michigan lawns have more than enough in the soil. Excess amounts drain into storm sewers and creeks where they end up fueling excessive plant growth in lakes and ponds. That growth can create oxygen-starved “dead zones” where fish and other aquatic creatures can not survive…
“We know this approach works,” stated Laura Rubin, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council. “Our river monitoring data from the Ann Arbor area shows total phosphorus concentrations have dropped by 30 percent, which correlates with local policies to restrict the use of phosphorus fertilizers and educate the public about the issue.”
The bill now moves to the Senate. If the Senate passes it and it becomes law, Michigan would be the 5th Great Lake state to pass such a law, joining Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York and Illinois.
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