State Tries to Avoid Superfund Stigma

A polluted river in northeastern Wisconsin is due for a clean-up. But
who runs the massive project is a hot topic. The Environmental
Protection Agency may add the Fox River to its national priorities list,
more popularly known as Superfund. But state officials would rather
handle the project on their own…and have recently released preliminary
studies on how they envision the cleanup. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Patty Murray reports:

‘Greening’ an Old Building

It’s no longer that unusual for builders to incorporate elements of
“green” design into their projects. Often, the buildings are new
construction. But it’s much more challenging to renovate an existing
structure. Now, some colleges and universities are leading the movement
toward green renovation. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy
Nelson reports:

Cancer Research Misses the Big Picture

The year that Richard Nixon declared the war on cancer in 1971, the U-S
spent 170 million dollars on cancer research. This year, that
figure will top 3 billion. Despite this dramatic increase in funding,
cancer rates continue to rise. As Great Lakes Radio Consortium
commentator Suzanne Elston has discovered, the answer may lie in where
we are spending our cancer dollars:

Mining Endangers Sand Dunes (Wrap Version)

Sand dune mining has been going on around Lake Michigan since the dawn
of the industrial age. The sand is used by foundries to make molds for
casting metal. But despite a 1976 law to protect the dunes, a new
report released today (Tuesday 4/20) claims the dunes are in more danger
than ever. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:

Mining Endangers Sand Dunes

The dunes around Lake Michigan draw millions of visitors each year. But
the dunes are more than just a tourist attraction: the sand is a
valuable commodity in manufacturing. And sand dune mining has been
going on since the turn of the century. Today, dunes in Illinois and
Wisconsin are protected since they fall within state park boundaries.
There are some small mining operations in some of Indiana’s dunes, but
by far, most sand dune mining happens in Michigan. The state’s had a
law in place for more than twenty years to regulate the mining… But a
new report alleges that the law isn’t working. And the dunes are slowly
vanishing. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:

Environmental Taxes

As the deadline to file federal taxes approaches, lawmakers on both
sides of the aisle are calling for a massive overhaul of the Internal
Revenue Service. Proposals for a national sales tax or a flat tax are
receiving some support, but one official for an advocacy group says
the government should tax pollution. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Tom Scheck reports:

People Pay to Preserve Open Space

A new study shows that residents in Chicago’s suburbs are willing to pay
to protect their rapidly-disappearing open spaces. Those findings will
be put to the test Tuesday as voters decide on land conservation
referenda. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Susan Stephens reports:

New Bill Targets Acid Rain

A new federal report says acid rain remains a serious problem in New
York state’s Adirondacks, and is also a growing threat in the southern
Appalachians, the Rocky Mountains and elsewhere. Environmentalists are
hoping the report will strengthen political support for anti-pollution
measures in Congress this year. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Todd
Moe reports:

Warmer Winters Drive Songbirds North

Each year, many of us look forward to the return of familiar birds at
the feeder. But a new study has found warmer temperatures are causing
birds like chickadees and larks to find new homes. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Karen Kelly reports: