Our March News to Us tackles a recent Supreme Court ruling on the Clean Water Act and the new challenges posed by lowered PFAS standards. Also covered are local efforts to improve water quality and protect land, including a bridge replacement across the Huron River in Livingston County, farm preservation in Washtenaw County, and a U-M student project tackling Ann Arbor’s dioxane plume.
What a recent Supreme Court ruling could mean for the future of the Clean Water Act
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled 5-4 to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to issue water pollution permits under the Clean Water Act. This decision arose from a case involving San Francisco’s combined sewer overflow events, where the city argued that the EPA’s rules were too vague. The ruling blocks the EPA from issuing permits based on “end-result” water quality standards, which could make it harder to enforce clean water regulations. Experts believe this could lead to more water pollution, as cities may not be held accountable for certain types of discharges.
Lowered PFAS standards pose risk to Huron River
This interview by WEMU’s Issues of the Environment with HRWC’s Rebecca Esselman investigates the recent withdrawal of a proposed EPA plan to set federal discharge limits on PFAS for chemical manufacturers. This decision leaves the regulation of PFAS discharges to individual states, increasing the burden on local authorities to manage these forever chemicals. The Huron River, a key water source for Ann Arbor, is already affected by PFAS pollution, prompting the city to implement advanced filtration methods to ensure safe drinking water. Residents are advised to avoid contact with foam on local water bodies and to refrain from consuming fish from certain areas due to potential PFAS contamination.
McCabe Road bridge over Huron River to be replaced in 2026
The McCabe Road bridge over the Huron River in Green Oak Township is set to be replaced in 2026. The bridge, which has been closed since April 2019 due to safety concerns, will undergo a full replacement. During construction, access to the Huron River beneath the bridge will be temporarily closed for Huron River Water Trail paddlers on two occasions next year. The project is a collaboration between the Livingston County Road Commission and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
MLive Subscriber Exclusive: Family farm saved from future development in northern Washtenaw County
A 71-acre farm in northern Washtenaw County has been preserved from future development through a conservation easement. This agreement ensures the land will remain dedicated to agriculture and open space, protecting it from commercial or residential development. The farm, which has been in the same family for three generations, includes two headwater streams part of Arms Creekshed. Land protection efforts like this recent conservation easement are vital for watershed health and provide a number of benefits to the Huron River watershed, including pollution filtration and carbon sequestration.
U-M student project proposes solution for cleaning up Ann Arbor’s Gelman dioxane plume
A team of University of Michigan students has developed a project called Bioxane to address the 1,4 dioxane plume in west Ann Arbor. The U-M Synthetic Biology Team tested bacteria to see if it could break down 1,4-dioxane, a contaminant in the groundwater. The project aims to create a feasible filtration system for residential use.