Eco-Minute

Cleanup in northern Wisconsin after what appears to be the biggest reported oil and gas pipeline spill in state history. Canadian oil giant Enbridge spilled more than a million gallons of hazardous natural gas liquids in Iron County, forcing evacuations in the area. It’s unclear whether other toxic chemicals like benzene and hydrogen sulfide were also released or what the impacts may be to Lake Superior or other nearby waterways.The Department of Natural Resources warning boaters to watch out for shallow waters. That’s because much of the state is experiencing some level of drought, with nearly 28% of Wisconsin in a severe drought. Low water levels could expose unmarked obstructions like stumps, rocks and sand bars. More than 20 counties across northern Wisconsin are facing extreme or severe drought conditions. Right now on the Defender podcast, a deep dive into what’s going on at the site of that Line 5 pipeline spill in the Northwoods. Listen at cleanwisconsin.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is joining 18 other states to file a petition against the  current Trump Administration for rolling back climate safeguards put in place during the first Trump Administration. The bipartisan AIM ACT was signed into law in 2020. It phases out the use of climate-warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in commercial refrigeration equipment. The chemicals are among the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and around the world. It’s getting dry in parts of Wisconsin. About 13 percent of the state is in a moderate drought, with another 2/3rds experiencing abnormally dry conditions. The hardest hit areas —   northern Wisconsin including Bayfield, Iron, Ashland, and Vilas counties, along with some patches of southeastern Wisconsin. Normally we get more than 4 inches of rain during July but most of the state had only gotten a fraction of that. Right now on the Defender podcast, can small family farms save our water? Find out about the future of farming, and where we all fit in. Listen at cleanwisconsin.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Time is running out for Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson stewardship program, the long-running conservation effort that has helped preserve more than 750,000 acres across all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. Funding for the program ends on June 30th. This year, Wisconsin’s legislature declined to renew funding for Knowles-Nelson after 37 years of protecting Wisconsin’s treasured natural areas. New cleanup data is revealing some sources of plastic pollution in and along our Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup initiative has been collecting, sorting, and identifying pieces of plastic from water and shorelines to figure out how to stem the flow of plastic pollution into our Great Lakes. The biggest number of identifiable plastics in 2025 were cigarette butts and other smoking related items. Next biggest category: food bags, wrappers and cups. Right now on the Defender podcast, who’s behind the avalanche of AI data center moratoriums in Wisconsin? Listen at cleanwisconsin.org or wherever you get your podcasts.