Can wild rice rebound in the Keweenaw?

For a living being to grow and thrive, it must have the right conditions. This sounds basic, but at times it is hard to achieve in our modern world. Manoomin, wild rice in the Ojibwa language, is not a crop, but a living being with a deep spiritual, historical and cultural meaning to the people who first settled in the Great Lakes region.

Wild rice growing in a lake. Photo courtesy Roz Hawley, Getty Images.

Starting in the early to mid-1900s, Mamoonin (“the food that grows on the water”) became increasingly scarce due to the impact of conventional farming, mining extraction, and deforestation. Wild rice needs clean, shallow, slow-moving water, most of which were lost to the new industrial demands. Wild rice is also a food source that is not harvested once; the entire crop doesn’t mature at one time but rather must be harvested multiple times throughout the harvest season. It’s popular to talk of “slow food” currently. 

Watching Manoomin being traditionally harvested by canoe—slowly moving through the tall grass, hearing the rhythmic “clack,” “clack” of the harvest sticks and the murmured “miigwech,” “miigwech” (“thank you,” “thank you”) from the harvester as the seed heads that are ripe fall into the boat—reconnects us to the sacred nature of land and food.

Cassandra Reed-VanDam, who was interviewed for this article, completed her master’s thesis on working with KBIC (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community) on their wild rice restoration guidance document.

Processing wild rice at the 2023 KBIC Manoomin Camp. Photo courtesy Cassandra Reed-Van Dam.

“The focus is not just planting seeds, but most importantly, the cultural practices,” VanDam explained. Not a tribal member herself, she described her experiences working alongside tribal members on behalf of the rice as “humbling, and inspiring, and welcoming.” A reminder that when we meet each other with respect, an open mind, and a willingness to learn, more than rice seeds are planted. In fact, every Fall, KBIC holds Mamoonin Camp, and all are welcome to attend. There are a great many resources available online for a deeper dive into wild rice and other indigenous foods, including KBIC’s website.

For everyone who loves the U.P. there are also small ways we can participate in helping Manoomin as we go about our days. Here are just a few:

1. Think about the water surrounding you as a living being worthy of protection. The People of the Heart Water Walk is a powerful way to reconnect with the water as a sacred source of life and not a natural resource.

2. If you enjoy boating on Lake Superior or any inland lakes, be aware that what might just look like grass could be a bed of wild rice struggling to gain hold. Avoid disrupting such stands of grass and slowly pass to avoid large waves in your wake.

3. If you are someone with waterfront property that you think could sustain wild rice, be sure to check with the KBIC Natural Resources Department to ensure the seed you obtain is the right type for our area. Some wild rice on the market is commercially developed and GMO modified and could do more harm than good to the local strains.

If you want an in-depth look at the long-term plan for remediation you can download the Keweenaw Bay Hazard Remediation Plan here. While some challenges to reviving wild rice in the Keweenaw are caused by global climate changes that we cannot control from a local vantage point, how we choose to live on and with the land and water surrounding us is vital to all of our well-being.

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To Stem the Flood

Photo of flooded private land in Pelkie, submitted to the Flood Photo Submission Tool. Photo courtesy of Steve Irwin.

This year, flood emergencies once again swept the UP, prompting emergency management divisions across the peninsula to request federal assistance through programs like FEMA. There are two types of assistance to be applied for: public assistance (infrastructure, roads, municipalities, etc.) and individual assistance (privately owned properties and houses). Funds are then given back to the local emergency departments in a reimbursement process.

As of June, FEMA’s latest visit concluded, and they will now make a report to the state. According to Emergency Management Division Coordinator Chris VanArsedale, we now wait and see what happens. 

Preventing Flood Emergencies: The Quest for a County Drain

In April, abandoned railway grades in Lake Linden blocked a water drain, causing it to become waterlogged and burst, resulting in a flood emergency. Situations like this prompt questions about who maintains these culverts.

“We still are very interested from the county’s perspective in pursuing County Drains within a lot of these municipalities. In the long term, we think it will be the best way to manage them,” says VanArsedale. 

The Houghton County Emergency Division is working with the county board of commissioners to figure out how to get municipalities and people on board to have an established community drain. An established community drain would then be eligible for grants. It would give communities, in the long term, better overall preparedness.

“Right now, they are segmented. Part of the system might belong to the township, or the village, or the landowner. Even if they are maintaining their drains, are they coordinating together? If someone is putting in a 20-inch culvert, but someone [downriver] isn’t, that could cause problems. We want one continuous drain system to where it can be engineered to be coordinated,” says VanArsedale. “I think that’s a big step in the right direction.”

A county drain would make it so that the county assumes responsibility for the maintenance of a system of drains, rather than the individual municipalities or the landowners.

The catch is that a county drain has to be petitioned into existence by a group of at least 10 people that are within the drain district. Those people can petition their local township or city or village board. Then, the municipality can petition the county board of commissioners. 

For example, Dollar Bay residents would petition the Osceola Township, who can then petition the Houghton County Board.

Farm equipment barely escaped the flooding in April. Photo courtesy of Steve Irwin.

There are 36 drains within the M-26 corridor alone, with the main area of concern in the stretch between Lake Linden and Dollar Bay. Other potentially hazardous areas include the drainage in between South Range and Painesdale, which threatens the ATV trail. The drains near Chassell all the way up to Ripley all have potential for damage, too.

“How much money it would cost is a concern,” said VanArsedale. “On the flipside, how much damage would it cost in the end? Are we paying more money by responding to it?”

Rural Hazard Resilience Project Hones in on Flood Preparedness

In the face of unpredictable natural disasters and the growing need for community preparedness, the Rural Hazard Resilience Project is empowering rural areas to overcome the challenges posed by flooding and secure a more resilient future for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

According to Evan Lanese, GIS/Planning Technician, the project is a collaboration between WUPPDR, Michigan Tech, and the University of Washington and involves the development of three main tools; the GIS visualization tool, a photo submission tool, and Google Earth engine.

GIS Visualization Tool

The GIS Visualization Tool is a map where you can toggle on and off different layers: transportation layers (roads and trails), critical infrastructure layers (schools and hospitalization), and other important things that an emergency manager would need to know to evaluate flood procedures. The map shows where flooding is most likely to happen.

“Let’s say there’s a nursing home that needs to be evacuated,” said Lanese. “They could use the tool to find the best route, say ‘Oh, this road is flooded or washed out, so we’ll have to go this other route,’ and adjust the time accordingly.”

Lanese does outreach, social media and web design for the project, but most importantly collects map data from other townships to create a more accurate map. Some landowners don’t want their map data to be public, and sometimes the follow-up between townships and Lanese takes months.

According to Lanese, collecting data for the map is a full-time job. The good news is that they’re comparing it with modeling systems collected by FEMA, and they’re matching up pretty well.

Flood Photo Submission Tool

You can help contribute to the effort by using the Flood Photo Submission Tool. The team is trying to get community members to take pictures of the flooding and tag the location to upload to our database. The tool then checks to see if what is pictured matches our flood models using real life data.

Submitting flood photos with tagged locations lets the Rural Hazard Resilience team double-check their data against real-world situations. Photo courtesy of Steve Irwin.

Google Earth Engine

The third tool is the Google Earth Engine, which allows you to select a certain area and choose a return period for flooding, like 25-year-flood versus a 500-year-flood, and gives you a flood hazard risk assessment. The assessment includes how many buildings might flood, how many people might be affected, how much farmland will be affected. The tools are all publicly accessible and can be used by the community to assess flood hazard risks.

The goal of the project is to offer this model at low cost to rural areas, making flood hazard mitigation accessible for counties that may not have the budget. Lanese hopes to see the models they develop expand to the entire UP.

If you’re interested in republishing this story, please email us at editor@copperbeacon.org.

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Residents wanting solar panels face stumbling blocks

Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected. We previously wrote that Hancock’s new solar and wind ordinance entirely prohibits industrial solar, but that isn’t the case. It restricts industrial solar to I-1 industrial districts and requires permits. We apologize for the confusion.

Renewable energy advocates say that homeowners can save money on electricity by installing solar panels, but there are stumbling blocks to using solar panels in the Keweenaw area. They include state distributed-generation regulations, net metering caps set by electric utilities and local zoning ordinances regulating installation of solar panels.

Net metering is an electricity billing tool that uses the electric grid to “store” excess energy produced by an individual’s solar panel system. Under net metering, the value of the energy produced by solar panels that a homeowner doesn’t use is credited back to their electric bill.

Net metering was designed to encourage the adoption of solar energy.  The system was pioneered in the United States as a way to help use solar and wind to provide electricity. It enables customers who generate their own power to receive credit for the electricity they contribute to the grid.  

A report by the Michigan State University Extension Service calls net metering “the gold standard” for solar billing in the U.S. According to the report, it was one of the main reasons the number of solar installations in Michigan quintupled between 2011 and 2018.

In 2018, Michigan’s Public Service Commission replaced net metering with a distributed generation program. Using distributed generation, electric utilities can credit less to residents who send their excess solar energy to the grid.

The Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO), Detroit Energy (DTE), Consumers Energy and some other electric utilities and co-ops in Michigan are using the distributed generation program.

Solar Caps

State law does not prevent electric companies from setting caps on the amount of solar energy generation eligible for credit,

UPPCO, which serves the Keweenaw peninsula, recently raised its cap to 3.5%. That means that the most a customer with solar panels can contribute to the grid for credit is 3.5% of peak demand or load and capacity. 

Peak demand is the highest amount of electricity demand within a particular period of time. Load is the total electrical power being removed by the users of the grid. Capacity is the maximum output an electricity generator can physically produce, measured in megawatts.

There’s a thornier problem facing homeowners who want to install solar panels in our area. They say they have been told that the cap has been met in the UP as a region, so no more solar panel installations are eligible for the credit.

UPPCO spokesperson Brett French says that is not true.

“We have not reached the cap, and we are accepting applications,” he said in a phone interview.

Dr. Elizabeth Benyi

Dr. Elizabeth Benyi, who lives near Calumet, talked to her neighbors and got a few of them interested in installing solar panels.

“But again, when it came to permitting, they were denied because of the cap on solar,” she says.

An osteopathic physician and surgeon, Benyi lived in L’Anse for 10 years before she moved to Calumet. She wanted to get solar panels installed on her house in L’Anse. She says Blue Earth Solar tried to get permits for the installation but were refused. They were told that the solar cap had been met in the UP, so no more solar projects that tied into the power grid were allowed.  

Pending Legislation

Benyi has been working for two years to help get legislation passed to get rid of the solar cap. First introduced in 2021 by Greg Markkanen, state representative for the legislative district that includes the Keweenaw, it would have eliminated the solar cap.

“But to no avail,” Benyi said.

New bills recently introduced by both Representative Markkanen and State Senator Ed McBroom, who also represents the Keweenaw, would remove the cap on solar energy credits.

Michigan State Rep. Greg Markkanen at a town hall event in Ontonagon. Photo by Joshua Vissers.

“I am very passionate about this issue,” said Markkanen in a phone interview. “We need to lift the cap and give people a choice. Many states near Michigan don’t have a cap.”

McBroom agrees.

“The system that we have in this state is rigged against controlling costs for individual consumers,” he said in a phone interview. “That’s unfair. The system isn’t working to the benefit of the people. Our high electric bills are stifling our economy.”

“The cap does discourage people from installing solar,” says Allan Baker, who has installed solar panels on the sides of the apartment building he owns in Houghton.

Senator McBroom has introduced two bills in the Michigan Senate. One would remove the solar cap. The other would bring back net metering and make it easier to establish community solar systems.

“Small-scale, local solar projects will be particularly useful to residents, providing an opportunity to independently produce energy for themselves and their neighbors, and providing savings on energy bills for those who subscribe,” the senator said.

According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Michigan currently does not have enabling legislation for community solar, so community solar programs in Michigan must be developed and managed through a local electric utility.

Escanaba and L’Anse have both established community solar systems. Those municipalities are served by their own, local electric utilities, not by UPPCO, Senator McBroom pointed out. L'Anse is served by L'Anse, Michigan Electric Utility, a municipally-owned organization.  The City of Escanaba owns its own electric utility.

The senator thinks the legislation removing the cap and enabling community solar will pass. He’s less confident about bringing back net metering.

“The big utilities like UPPCO have powerful lobbies,” he explained.

Zoning Issues

As if caps on solar weren’t enough of a roadblock, there are zoning ordinances that severely regulate installation of solar panels.

The Michigan Zoning Enabling Act requires all zoning to be based on a master plan. The master plan therefore establishes the community’s formal policy position on solar energy development. Roof-mounted solar panels are allowed in most zoning jurisdictions in Michigan, according to an MSU Extension Service report.

The City of Hancock just passed a zoning ordinance regulating the development and use of solar and wind energy. The ordinance permits private, residential solar but limits “industrial” solar – systems designed for sale of power generated to off-site consumers – to the I-1 industrial district. This includes solar farms or gardens, which are community systems.

Calumet and Stanton Township have no zoning ordinances prohibiting solar panels, although Stanton Township Supervisor Marty Rajala said, “My personal opinion, not the township’s, is that anyone dumb enough to place a solar panel in our area, where the sun shines 15% of the year, should be allowed to throw their own money away and not be subsidized by the government.”

Houghton permits solar panels, subject to the city’s zoning ordinance, according to City Manager Eric Waara.

Adams, Franklin, Portage and Chassell Townships did not respond to questions about zoning ordinances regulating solar panels.

All About Money

What’s causing the ongoing conflict that has the solar industry and environmentalists on one side and utility companies and local zoning boards on the other?

It seems to be all about money.

“The cap has always been an artificial construct given to the utilities to help them make more money,” says Senator McBroom.

“UPPCO doesn’t have the best interests of the people at heart,” Representative Markkanen remarked. “It is a private, for-profit company with its eye on the bottom line and making money for its shareholders.”

If you’re interested in republishing this story, please email us at editor@copperbeacon.org.

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U.P. Flooding State of Emergency Deepens

Storm drains in Lake Linden have been cleared, but flows remain and debris is still on the road. Photo by Lily Venable.

As snow continues to melt and recent rains add to the water flow, the State of Emergency declared over spring flooding has expanded to cover eight counties in the Upper Peninsula.

On April 14, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a State of Emergency for the flooding in Houghton and Gogebic counties. This emergency declaration applies to all of Houghton County, with most reported damage being in Lake Linden and Dollar Bay.

According to a press release from the governor's office, State of Emergency declarations have also been granted to Alger, Baraga, Dickinson, Iron, Marquette, and Ontonagon Counties as of Friday. Keweenaw County has not reported any significant damage at this time.

“Flows are way down from what they were,” Emergency Operations Manager Chris VanArsdale said. “We’re waiting to see, when the storm passes, if they’re going to pick back up or dry out. We’re in a holding pattern while the weather subsides.”

Photo courtesy of the office of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The Houghton County Emergency Division warns residents to be mindful of water over the road and also of very soft roads. Gravel roads will be extremely soft, so drive towards the middle of the road if possible to avoid getting stuck. Also watch for soft shoulders on roads. The Houghton County Emergency Division continues to monitor water flow.

In a joint statement, State Senator Ed McBroom and Representative Greg Markkanen said in a press release, “We are grateful for the quick turnaround upon these local emergency declarations and needs. The MSP has been working diligently to help all our local officials and citizens. Our offices are ready to provide any assistance and work for the support we will need to repair and rebuild after the water recedes.” 

DAMAGE REPORTS

Residents who have damage to their property are asked to report it either online at https://arcg.is/10ab1j or by calling 211. The purpose of reporting damage is so that the Houghton County Emergency Division can assess the damage as well as report to the State of Michigan how much assistance is needed through FEMA. There are two types of assistance to be applied for: public assistance (infrastructure, roads, municipalities, etc.) and individual assistance (privately owned properties and houses).

VanArsdale says that most damage being reported is road damage, so funds from the State of Michigan will go to stormwater system repair, road and shoulder repair, and repairs to any public infrastructure, including labor, overtime, and fuel for responding agencies.

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL AND STATE

“The disaster relief process is complicated,” remarks VanArsdale. “We’ve been through it, but some of the other counties haven’t, they’re learning as they go. The State has been great seeing what we need. They have been a great partner, and we are really happy working with them.”

The Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (EMHSC), a branch of the Michigan State Police, has used their resources to broadcast public information, as well as to set up and maintain the 211 phone line and web link for damage reports.

“Every morning, they’re asking, ‘What do you need from us?’,” remarks VanArsdale. “[EMHSC Captain] Kevin Sweeney has been on our calls every morning. Actually, he called me Wednesday morning to see how the flooding is going and what we need from them. I was really impressed that he would take the time personally to see what we needed locally.”

WHO’S IN CHARGE OF MAINTENANCE?

The washed-out railroad grade above Lake Linden. Photo courtesy of Chris Van Arsdale.

In Lake Linden and Hubbell, most damage comes from several abandoned railroad grades. In Hubbell, the water is flowing through the grades, while in Lake Linden, one of these grades was blocking the flow of stormwater, becoming waterlogged, and subsequently bursting, causing a flood emergency.

“The railroad grades need to be checked. They’re not designed as dams, they’re designed as bridges,” explains VanArsdale.  “The gray area is whose responsibility it is to maintain the culverts, and that’s a question that hasn't been resolved. So a lot of them aren't maintained. That causes problems.”

According to VanArsdale, EGLE recently paid an estimated $10 million to clean up some of these streams and culverts all over the Keweenaw, so some say it is EGLE’s responsibility to maintain the culverts. EGLE said they permit work on them, but it is not theirs to maintain. Some say the county should maintain the culverts, while others say the responsibility should be left to private landowners, where several of the culverts lie.

The washout of a home’s yard in Lake Linden. Photo courtesy of Chris Van Arsdale.

In spring of 2019, before the year’s snow melt, a meeting was conducted between Houghton County fire departments, police departments, and township and municipality representatives to discuss the county’s stance on the issue. It was ultimately decided that the responsibility was going to be left to the municipality to maintain the drains, but the conversation is still ongoing.

ACTIONABLE STEPS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL

If you are a landowner, have land surrounding these grades or gullies (there are 33 of these drainages in the area), or live next to one, make sure you aren’t dumping any garbage that might block the culverts.

“That’s definitely been an issue – dumping in the woods,” remarks VanArsdale.

Ask your local elected officials: What are they doing to maintain the drains? Is there a program in place? Are they having a contractor coming to check them or clean them every year?

Individuals or municipalities can petition the County Board of Commissioners to establish what’s called a county drain, a watershed which the County Drain Commissioner is responsible for maintaining. The county would then be responsible for maintaining the drain rather than the local municipality. This is a common arrangement in other parts of the state.

Honey bees welcome, or not?

The City of Houghton is considering a controversial proposal that could ban beekeeping within its city limits, sparking concerns among local beekeepers and environmentalists.

The Houghton City Council is currently accepting public comment on whether to rewrite or push forward Proposed Ordinance 2023-330, an ordinance on animal and pet keeping within Houghton City Limits, to replace Ordinance 10. The current language of the proposed ordinance would disallow beekeeping in Houghton if enacted. City Manager Eric Waara cites concerns over bee stings when hives are kept in small lots with close neighbors, particularly in regard to people who are allergic to bee stings.

Proposed ordinance begins on page 18

Questions arise over whether the global environmental and impending food crises make it an appropriate time to ban the keeping of bees. Bees are a keystone species vulnerable to extinction and responsible for pollinating more than a third of the world’s food supply. Waara, points out, however, that some research suggests that keeping honey bees actually hurts the native bee population of an area.

According to Dr. Meghan Milbrath, a pollination expert at Michigan State University, native bees and honey bees end up competing for food resources. However, this can be offset by having policies and practices to promote more planting of flowers and flowering trees.

Waara maintains that trying to enforce beekeeping regulation and policy is a logistical nightmare. 

“How deeply do you want to regulate things? That takes resources in a community. If the community passes an ordinance that's unenforceable, it has wasted its time,” Waara said.

Copper Country Beekeeping Club representative Pete Cattelino says the process of making an ordinance that appeals to everyone could be simple.

Local beehive, photo by Pete Cattelino

“Many communities have ordinances that allow beekeeping under certain conditions and generally accepted best practices. We feel Houghton can use these ordinances as a starting point to write an ordinance that will be acceptable to the City as well as local beekeepers and provide for safe and responsible beekeeping.”

Cattelino said that honey bees play an important role in pollinating vegetables, fruit, flowering plants, and trees in our community. He ultimately hopes the Council will put in the effort so that beekeepers can continue to have bees in their yards in Houghton.

“Many backyard beekeepers enjoy having bees to produce honey for themselves and to improve pollination in their gardens and property,” says Cattelino. “Prohibiting beekeeping in the City of Houghton would eliminate the opportunity for existing and future beekeepers to participate in this fascinating and beneficial hobby.”

Local beehive, photo by Cathy Azzarello

Some solutions being discussed might include requiring a minimum lot size or screening provisions for keeping hives (to make sure the bees fly up, away from people, instead of out), or appointing an officer to regulate sourcing.

The city council will decide whether Ordinance 2023-330 passes into law, effectively banning beekeeping in the City of Houghton limits. All residents are invited to attend and voice their concerns or lend their expertise on the matter. The next Council meeting is Wednesday, April 12, at 5:30 p.m. at 616 Shelden Aven. in Houghton.

Environmental safety of Keweenaw Waters Resort questioned by MDHHS

The sign for Keweenaw Waters Resort along Houghton Canal Road. Photo by Joshua Vissers

The Keweenaw Waters Resort development has already begun, a project that will build 24 cabins, 79 hook-up campsites, a boat dock, and a camp store along the Portage Canal in Houghton. The project’s intentions are to provide tourists with a nature-based experience of camping and outdoor recreation, but with the convenience of nearby restaurants and shopping centers of downtown Houghton. The project already received unanimous support from the City of Houghton Council.

However, the acreage allotted for the project lies on stamp sands, which are crushed rocks leftover from the Keweenaw Peninsula’s copper mining period, often containing heavy metals like copper or arsenic.

Some residents are concerned that the Keweenaw Waters Resort development will disturb the stamp sands and cause toxic heavy metals to leach into the Portage Canal, a popular destination for outdoor recreation, as well as host to native fish species and other wildlife.

MICHIGAN SMELTER TAILINGS: PART OF SUPERFUND SITE OU3

A site is determined a Superfund site by the EPA when the federal government grants the EPA with the costs and authority to clean up a contaminated site that has been deemed as hazardous to human health. Because of the area’s historical mining background, there are several Superfund sites throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula.

According to a statement from the EPA, the Keweenaw Waters Resort is located along Portage Lake on stamp sands that are part of the Michigan Smelter area of Operational Unit 3 (OU3) of the Torch Lake Superfund site. 

“During cleanup, a Superfund site can be divided into a number of distinct areas, called Operable Units (OUs), depending on the complexity of the problems associated with the site,” explains Denise Fortin, EPA representative. “The Michigan Smelter tailings are a part of Operable Unit 3 (OU3) of the larger Torch Lake Superfund Site.” 

In 2012, both the Michigan Smelter and Michigan Smelter tailings were partially deleted from the EPA’s National Priorities List with the condition that a 6-inch vegetative cap be maintained to cover the stamp sands. Because hazardous wastes still remain in the area, the EPA conducts periodic reviews at the sites, with the next review scheduled for March 2023.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAZARD

However, in September 2022, the Michigan Department of Health collected six samples from the proposed campground property. They concluded, in a 40-page report, that recreational use of the shoreline of the property can be a public health hazard, citing hazardous levels of arsenic, hexavalent chromium, and copper, and subsequent elevated estimated risks of cancer, particularly in children, via skin exposure or accidental ingestion of the sediments.

Keweenaw Waters Resort developer Derek Bradway maintains that the stamp sands are non-hazardous but plans to cover the area with 30 inches of sand to placate concerns.

“This is where I live, where I raise my family. We don’t take any chances,” Bradway said. “We are going to further bury it, not that there is a problem.”

Bradway argues that the basis for studies used by the Michigan Health Department were flawed, one reason being as they were based on a scenario where campers stayed at the Resort for 21 days a year over several years, and further comments that “the possibility of unearthing and eating the stuff buried multiple feet below our cover for years is crazy.”

The report contains information on several exposure levels and durations.

The Keweenaw Waters Resort, which already has five cabins built, with more underway. Photo by Joshua Vissers

While Bradway proposes to implement more soil cover on the property, the Michigan Health Department points out there has been no discussion about how the cover will be maintained after construction activities end. The Health Department recommends a long-term plan to cover exposed sediments, as well as signage warning recreators of the risks, and other harm-reduction tactics.

The EPA is in the process of reviewing the MDHHS public health evaluation of the proposed Keweenaw Waters Resort.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The US Army Corps of Engineers published a public notice (below) regarding the Keweenaw Waters Resort in order to open up the floor for public comments, both positive and negative, on proposed work along the shoreline. Requests should be e-mailed to Kristi.M.DeFoe@usace.army.mil, but must include a name and mailing address.

Requests can also be submitted in writing to:

Kerrie E. Kuhne
Chief, Western Section
Regulatory Branch
Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
477 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48226-2550

The public commentary period ends March 7, 2023.

A Smelly Situation

What happens when you live in a wooded, natural place where a citrusy, acrid odor makes enjoying the outdoors unpleasant or even a health hazard? Some residents of Ahmeek say that’s what they’re contending with, and they blame Neuvokas Corporation, a local manufacturer of an innovative type of rebar made with basalt fiber.

Neuvokas has been cited by the Department of Environmental Quality/Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (DEQ/EGLE) for the odor. To date, residents say, nothing has changed.

So they are circulating a petition, hoping to press DEQ/EGLE to action by showing them how many residents are concerned. “There is strength in numbers,” says Deborah Butler, who posted the petition on Change.org. 

An image of Neuvokas Corporation’s expanding complex in Ahmeek. Photo provided by Deborah Butler.

They Just Want the Smell to Go Away

“We don’t have any issue with what they are manufacturing, and they do employ people in our area,” says Mike Delesha, Butler’s husband: “We don’t care what they are doing. We just don’t want to smell it. We don’t have a personal vendetta. We just want the smell to stop.”

“There are numerous ways to mitigate industrial odors,” Delesha goes on to say.

One used by asphalt plants, which emit an unpleasant odor, is a baghouse—an industrial-scale fabric filter system engineered to collect, capture and separate dust and particulates from the air. 

After residents first complained about the odor, DEQ/EGLE sent two inspectors. One found no violations. The other did note violations, and a citation was issued on Dec. 8, 2021. 

According to Jill Greenberg, a spokesperson for DEQ/EGLE, the last violation notice is still currently outstanding since the odor issue is ongoing, and the company has not yet fulfilled its compliance plan. The compliance plan includes installing a film cover on the product at the curing end of the process, which is believed to be the main source of the odors. The company says it is currently designing this cover, and it will require testing once in place. EGLE has given Neuvokas until March 31 for full implementation, which aligns with the timeframe provided by the company.

Since the Dec. 8, 2021 violation notice, EGLE has continued to conduct odor evaluations and to check in regularly with the company on other actions to improve the odor issue, Greenberg says. So far, evaluations have not warranted another odor violation citation, Greenberg says. 

“The company has been responsive and has made other improvements including stack height increases, carbon filtration systems, in-plant air recirculation towers, intake air system upgrades, additional housekeeping measures and monitoring,” Greenberg goes on to say. “EGLE will continue to follow up on any complaints we receive, continue to check in with the company for progress reports and evaluate the effectiveness of the film project after March 31.” 

Neuvokas Response

Neuvokas CEO Erik Kiilunen

Erik Kiilunen, CEO of Neuvokas, says the company is aware of the odor problem and is doing its best to correct it.

 About two years ago, Neuvokas switched to a new resin system that has a carbon footprint that is 50 percent less than the epoxy system it was using, Kiilunen explains. 

“The unfortunate reality is that it does have an odor that the company has continuously worked to mitigate,” he says. “The difficulty is that the odor can be detected by the human nose on a parts-per-billion level.” 

The measuring equipment used by Neuvokas can only detect odors at parts per million, not parts per billion, Kiilunen says. Parts per million is the level required by DEQ/EGLE, he adds. 

“We have spent over $150,000 to mitigate the challenge,” he adds. “In December, we added additional filtration for odors and improved airflow throughout the building.” 

“The company treats all complaints seriously, and it has implemented and continues to implement multiple continuous improvement projects,” Kiilunen says

The company communicates bi-weekly with DEQ/EGLE to update them on progress, Kiilunen goes on to say. 

Neuvokas employs more than 50 people, It is the largest employer in Keweenaw County.

“Neuvokas is directly responsible for providing income to feed and shelter more than 100 local community members,” Kiilunen says. 

Ramping Up to Reopen

At the moment, manufacturing at Neuvokas is shut down because they are expanding their facility.

“What a lovely reprieve that’s been,” Butler says.

The plant is due to begin operations again at the end of January.  The new facility is designed to use a new technology that will completely encase the product and stop around 99 percent of the potential odor release by keeping the product sealed with a physical barrier that will not allow the odor to escape, Kiilunen says. After completing this development, Neuvokas plans to retrofit its current lines to eliminate the odor there as well, he adds.

“The citation is not being enforced,” Delesha says. “What Neuvokas said they would do has not been done.”

One of the things Neuvokas said they would do in response to the DEQ/EGLE citation is keep their overhead door shut, he notes.

“It was open every day last summer.” 

Butler adds, “We don’t want to move, but that smell has to stop. It’s not fair that we can’t enjoy the beautiful, wooded area where we live.”

She’s hoping the petition will prompt some action. According to the 2020 census, Ahmeek has a population of 127, and Butler’s petition already has 137 signatures.

“We want DEQ/EGLE to see that this is supported by the community,” she says. “Talking to the company will not help. We have tried that.”

Kiilunen responds: “The employees of Neuvokas ask the community to understand that it hears them and is working responsibly to address all concerns as quickly as they can.  When these tasks are completed, Neuvokas will remain a foundation of the community, providing high paying jobs and development opportunity to the residents of Keweenaw and Houghton Counties for years to come.”

Stopping European frog-bit

By Connor Ford and Erin Mauk

European frog-bit in the field. Photo credit Sigrid Resh.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is uniquely surrounded by three of the five Great Lakes and is home to many ecologically diverse and unique Great Lakes coastal wetlands, rivers, shorelines and lakes, in addition to hundreds of natural aquatic attraction sites across 15 counties. Each year, thousands of visitors flock to the UP to take advantage of these sites for recreation including kayaking, boating, fishing, swimming and hunting. Increased tourism has resulted in an increased introduction of new aquatic invasive species to the region. These species threaten the quality of tourism and ecological health of Michigan’s UP. 

One of these new species is European frog-bit, a free-floating aquatic invasive species that can form dense mats, hinder recreational activities and disrupt the movement of waterfowl and fish. Within Michigan’s UP, the prevention and management of this species is a focus of the organizations within the Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas, one such organization is KISMA. 

Who is KISMA?

Locally, the Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area (KISMA) has received funding to survey for and educate about invasive European frog-bit. 

“KISMA is an acronym for the Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area, which is a specific Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) that covers Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw Counties,” said Sigrid Resh, KISMA’s coordinator, “CISMAs, in general, are tasked with providing education and outreach to our stakeholders for the prevention, identification and management of invasive species across jurisdictional boundaries.”

Resh also said that “KISMA has 22 partners ranging from Tribal, Federal and State entities, such as the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the National Forest Service, the National Park Service and the Department of Natural Resources, to regional and local conservancy groups such as The Nature Conservancy, Gratiot Lake Conservancy and the Keweenaw Land Trust. KISMA also works with private landowners and managers within our tri-county area.”

KISMA’s organizational partners.

What is European frog-bit?

One of the new invaders that has made its way to the UP is European frog-bit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae), a watch-list species prohibited here in Michigan, according to the State of Michigan’s website. European frog-bit is a free-floating aquatic plant that resembles a small lily pad, usually the size of a quarter, and can be found in low-wave action, sheltered sites such as ponds, wetlands, inland lakes, or coves and bays of a river system. It can form dense mats across the water surface while creating a tangled, interweaving mess of roots below. It is currently found in Chippewa and Mackinac Counties in the eastern UP, in addition to northeastern Wisconsin, not far from the Michigan border, according to a 2021 technical report from the State of Michigan regarding the status and strategy for addressing European frog-bit.

European frog-bit plants resemble miniature water lilies. Photo credit: Michigan.gov/invasives

Why manage this species? Why care? 

European frog-bit has numerous impacts on the landscape. According to the state’s technical report, ecological factors include habitat degradation for breeding waterfowl, elimination of fish passage for spawning species, and reduction of light and dissolved oxygen in the water column. Frog-bit also can get caught in boat propellers and impede boat traffic or collect on kayaks and paddles. Just like other aquatic species, this invader spreads primarily through fragmentation, caused by recreational activities like boating or duck hunting. It does not take much for a segment or whole plant to stick to the side of a boat, a piece to be chopped up and left on a propeller, or stuck to the side of a pair of waders. 

“European frog-bit may act as an aquatic hitchhiker, so boaters, anglers, and hunters can unintentionally contribute to its spread,” the state’s technical report reads.  

Plants can form dense mats, often among cattails or other shallow-water vegetation. Photo credit: Michigan.gov/invasives

What’s being done? 

KISMA is surveying local waterways for signs of European frog-bit in cooperation with other UP CISMAs, the Upper Peninsula Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the state of Michigan.

“This is the second year of this species-specific project, and we have not found any European frog-bit in the KISMA yet,” Resh said. “However, it has been found near the Wisconsin-Michigan border and in the eastern UP, so spread to our area is highly possible if our locals and visitors are not aware of the importance of prevention measures, that is, to clean, drain, and dry their aquatic recreational gear and equipment.”

 Resh said they know that not finding European frog-bit so far doesn’t mean they can let their guard down.

“Early detection will be the key to protecting our coastal habitats for our native aquatic species. The more people who know what to look for the quicker our response can be if it is found,” Resh said.

CISMAs are also providing outreach–via workshops, social media, and interviews centered on proper identification and prevention techniques. According to the state’s technical report, in the eastern UP, where European frog-bit has been found, it is being hand-removed. Plants are carefully collected from the water, drained and disposed of in an approved landfill (eliminating the risk of re-introduction elsewhere). Proper decontamination of all field gear always follows survey and removal efforts. 

Is prevention in the Keweenaw still possible?

According to the state’s technical report, proper treatment of invasive species will help control efforts; however, prevention techniques by recreators are the most economical tools available to stop European frog-bit, sometimes referred to as EFB. 

“Over a five-year period in the Town Farm Bay in Vermont, 55.9 tons (50,711.63 kg) of EFB were removed at a cost of $79,000 and 6,208 hours, reducing EFB cover to less than 6%,” according to the state’s technical report. 

As an invasive species occupies more area, more economic resources and time are required to manage it. The most cost- and time-effective stage is the prevention stage, followed by eradication, then containment. Asset-based prevention requires the most money and time because the invasive species has become abundant and widespread. Credit: modified from Hobbs and Humphreys 1995 and DEPI 2013

It is crucial to clean recreational gear, drain livewells and bilges, and dry all watercraft and associated equipment to avoid having to remove adult mats of the plant from recreational and natural areas later. This “Clean. Drain. Dry.” protocol is vital when moving from one waterbody to another.  For more information about how recreators, hunters, and boaters can prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, visit https://stopaquatichitchhikers.org/prevention/. 

To learn more about European frog-bit visit Michigan.gov/invasives or to locally get involved contact kisma.up@gmail.com or visit KISMA’s website at https://www.mtu.edu/kisma/. 

Wind Turbulence (Episode 2)

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Wind turbines in the Parnitha Mountains of Greece. Photo by Feri & Tasos on Unsplash

Will the construction of wind turbines in your area reduce your electricity rates? Nobody can really say for certain, because privately-owned electric and gas utility rates are set through a process and ultimately decided by the Michigan Public Service Commission, a group of three appointed individuals.

This podcast tries to explain the process and how resident consumers can get involved.

Featuring interviews with Elise Matz, Vice-Chairperson of the Utility Consumer Participation Board, and Jenn Hill, Secretary of the Citizens Utility Board.

View the MPSC rate making flowchart by clicking here.

KISMA's boat wash outreach events

More information from KISMA: https://www.mtu.edu/kisma/