Arizona leaders, advocates and high school students gathered to commemorate Environmental Day at the Arizona State Capitol on Thursday. Rep. Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton, D-Tucson, took a dig at her Republican colleagues, saying she knows the difference between weather and climate. .
The New Year brings a chorus of familiar concerns about the risks of building a 21-foot diameter tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac for oil and gas pipelines. It has been just over a month since the Michigan Public Service Commission ruled Enbridge Energy could install a new 30-inch diameter pipeline segment in its Great Lakes Tunnel project. But local residents said the decision puts communities and the environment at risk of spills. .
Residents living directly south of Indianapolis could see their water quality change with a proposed land-use project that s getting some pushback. A 45 acre wetland on Indianapolis south side is under consideration for an industrial park, to be developed in phases over five years - and current state law offers little protection for wetlands. The Hoosier Environmental Council wants the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to ultimately deny a final permit for the project. .
Illinois rivers, lakes and groundwater have become unsafe for humans and wildlife. One organization has started the New Year with a "Clean Water Forever" campaign to spur improvements. An Illinois Environmental Protection Agency report in 2022 found 40% of streams in the state are too polluted to support aquatic life, 85% of the streams aren t safe for swimming or direct human contact, and 100% are too polluted to support fish consumption. .