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In this Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, file photo provided by the Michigan Office of the Governor, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing, Mich. (Michigan Office of the Governor via AP, File)

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took legal action Friday to shut down a pipeline that carries oil beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes.

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An aerial view of the Chicago Area Confined Disposal Facility, a 45-acre site on Chicago’s Southeast Side that has been in operation since 1984. Inset: The CDF is outlined in red. (Credit: Army Corps of Engineers)

Community organizers on Chicago’s Southeast Side are marshaling their forces and looking for solutions to address what they see as yet another environmental threat to their already beleaguered neighborhood.

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Volunteers are needed for daily beach cleanups through Sept. 26. (Courtesy of Shedd Aquarium)

It might not be the day of your Coppertone dreams, but you can get a little sand between your toes by signing up for one or all of this week’s volunteer beach and shoreline cleanups.

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Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (WTTW News)

Will new EPA regulations allow a Wisconsin power plant to dump more toxic metals into Lake Michigan? Chicago Tribune reporter Michael Hawthorne explains.

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Beware of high waves on Lake Michigan near piers, jetties and other shoreline structures. (WTTW News)

The National Weather Service is warning people to steer clear of Lake Michigan due to high waves and strong currents. That doesn't just apply to beachgoers and swimmers. Shoreline structures can be dangerous too.

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(DesignOil / Pixabay)

As temperatures soar, you might be tempted to jump into Lake Michigan. But with Chicago beaches closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, water safety advocates say there’s an increased risk of drowning. 

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Lake Michigan. (VV Nincic / Flickr)

It’s not quite bathwater warm — that honor goes to Lake Erie — but Lake Michigan’s average surface temperature has topped 72 degrees thanks to the recent heat wave. 

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U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Sept. 30, 2019.

Sen. Dick Durbin and Mayor Lori Lightfoot held a joint news conference Friday to call for federal funding to manage and protect the region’s vulnerable shoreline.

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Boulders have replaced beaches along the lakefront, as part of the city’s efforts to mitigate shoreline damage. (WTTW News)

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has asked Gov. J.B. Pritzker to issue a state proclamation that would free up additional funds and resources for recovery from January’s severe storms.

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Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (WTTW News)

Last month, Lake Michigan was about 3 inches higher than the previous January record in 1987, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. How the record-setting levels can affect Chicagoans.

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(WTTW News)

High lake levels, fluctuating temperatures and winter storms have battered Chicago’s lakefront in recent weeks. Emergency projects are in the works to ward off further damage, but is a bigger redesign of the lakefront needed?

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(Roman Boed / Flickr)

Author Dan Egan had sobering words for Chicagoans at a One Book, One Chicago event this week.

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The round goby. (Credit: Shedd Aquarium)

The Great Lakes are home to an estimated 180 invasive species. Freshwater biologist Scott Colburn, who recently joined a research team at the Shedd Aquarium, tells us about the latest efforts to protect Lake Michigan from invasive fish, mussels and more.

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This file photo shows a City of Chicago seal on the side of a salt truck. (t3xt (talk) / Wikimedia Commons)

Two Chicago Park District workers escaped without serious injury after the salt truck they were navigating along an icy lakefront bike path slid into Lake Michigan on Wednesday morning.

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(Jason Mrachina / Flickr)

Cracked bridges, eroding and disappearing beaches and massive flooding are taking a toll on Lake Shore Drive. We hear some ideas from aldermen about shoring up the lakefront.

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Lake Michigan waves splash onto the lakefront path on Oct. 21, 2019. (WTTW News)

With near record high water levels, Lake Michigan swallowed up beaches, piers and sidewalks across Chicago and the region this summer. An Army Corps forecast shows those levels may persist into next year.

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