OF INTEREST RE L. SUPERIOR MANAGEMENT PLAN FEB. 8, 2010

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The following information comes courtesy of Carri Lohse-Hanson of Minnesota Pollution Control and may be of interest to anyone involved in the Lakewide Management Plan for Lake Superior or LaMP (http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/lakesuperior/lamp2000/).
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Minnesota
Northeast Minnesota is in the running for a European wind turbine manufacturer setting up shop in the U.S. If Minnesota was chosen, the company could put up three facilities in Duluth, Superior and the Iron Range as well as hire 1,500 people. The port and freeway are major advantages in this situation: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/ ... roup/News/
This fisherman wants the DNR to revive Lake Superior‘s forage fish population so that stocked sport fish like Kamloops, coho, and salmon can thrive: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/ ... id/159081/
This guy, on the other hand, looks forward to non-native fish being unable to survive: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/ ... id/159387/
One fiber optic line was disrupted in Duluth and the entire Minnesota north shore lost phones, internet, ATMs, 911, border patrol communications, the works. There has been interest previously in establishing broad band for northeast Minnesota and this situation certainly called out the need. This has implications for some of the limitations that have worried us with some of our LaMP outreach efforts: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/displa ... ne-outage/
A couple in their 60’s from Willow River plan to walk around Lake Superior starting this April and finishing in October. They intend to take photos and identify plants so that the impact of global warming can be documented in the future. They will also have a blog. Stewardship candidates? (There are 2 articles here.): http://www.businessnorth.com/kuws.asp?RID=3269 http://www.sooeveningnews.com/news/x110 ... e-Superior

Wisconsin
The Red Cliff Band is expressing concern about VHS and the effect on tribal fisheries and traditional food: http://www.businessnorth.com/kuws.asp?RID=3263
WDNR submitted about 40 proposals for EPA GLRI funding and a total of about 400 proposals came from Wisconsin groups. Since we are hearing that a total of 1,100-1,200 proposals were submitted, this makes the percentage from WI quite high. Note that Superior, Chequamegon Bay and Lake Superior are called out in the article: http://www.wqow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11925610
It’s been a long time coming but the conversion from mercury cell technology at the ERCO (formerly Vulcan) chemical plant at Port Edwards is finally complete. This one facility emitted ¼ of Wisconsin’s mercury emissions inventory, about 1,300 pounds per year. Although it is in the Mississippi River basin, this was one of the largest single sources of mercury in the 8 Great Lakes states. Emissions were in line with the emissions we once had in the Lake Superior basin from the copper smelter at White Pine and the iron sintering plant at Wawa (2 articles).: http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/articl ... on-project http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/83410197.html
If you are wondering what happened to the mercury, it was sold to a broker who promised to sell it to users who would not cause mercury emissions: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02846.html
The Flambeau River biodiesel proposal about 20 miles outside the Lake Superior watershed divide is still moving ahead and expects to be fully operational in 2013. They will be using woody biomass: http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwau ... a=e_du_pub

Ontario
The possible chromite mining north of the Lake Superior basin (which would be processed on the Canadian North Shore) is running into significant opposition from First Nations, including blockades: http://lakesuperiorminingnews.net/2010/ ... #more-1357

Great Lakes
President Obama’s budget still has a line for the GLRI, although this year it’s gone from $475M to $300M. As many folks on this distribution list already know, the deadline for submitting proposals for EPA’s first GLRI RFP was last Friday: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/ ... id/159228/
There is already movement to urge Congress to fund at the original level: http://www.ashlandwi.com/articles/2010/ ... 963669.txt

National
Illinois congressmen are warning the White House that proposed EPA regulations on coal ash would impose steep costs on energy customers if coal ash is classified as hazardous waste: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 2587.story

International
The Lancet has withdrawn a paper that is often cited by autism activists. The author, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, suggested a link between autism and childhood vaccinations: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/healt ... ancet.html


Quote of the Week

“Here again is another foreign body to not just the native fish but to the native community, the native part of the native water. Even the tribal members who aren’t born yet are affected. And they are going to be affected by what’s happening today. It may be a miniscule little part where VHS is coming into the lake. I think that’s one part of the picture, the Chippewa world view of the lake.” -- Marvin Defoe, Red Cliff Band of Chippewa Vice Chair