U.S. EPA Great Lakes Region

10/15/2026

Happy Children’s Health Month America! From reducing exposure to lead and PFAS, to improving air and water quality in local communities, the Trump EPA this October is highlighting OVER 100 ACTIONS we have taken to keep our nation’s children safe and Make America Healthy Again. Read more about our efforts to safeguard human health and the environment for our nation’s future generations here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/trump-epa-celebrates-childrens-health-month-100-actions-protect-nations-most-precious

10/07/2026

🔬 EPA leads on cutting-edge science!

Our partner states in the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association approached EPA for help testing river water for pesticide residues. The catch: some pesticides can degrade quickly and so our testing method needed to identify both the original chemicals and their form after breakdown. The EPA Great Lakes lab team developed an innovative method (known as ASTM D8649), which was recently published by ASTM International, to do just that! This testing will help states better understand runoff patterns and establish aquatic benchmarks throughout the basin.

Learn more about Region 5’s lab: https://bit.ly/3VL8h0e

Illinois EPA | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

10/05/2026

The Bessemer 55 site in Cleveland, Ohio used to be a commercial bakery and then a warehouse. In 2025, after residents raised their concern, City of Cleveland - City Hall and Ohio EPA found abandoned containers with flammable, toxic and corrosive chemicals. Enter EPA: we’re removing this waste safely and protecting the community. And we want to hear from residents in the area. We’re hosting a public meeting on October 6 at Elizabeth Baptist Church. We’re also scheduling one-on-one meetings with residents later in the month to learn more about site concerns. Please visit our website for more information about both events: https://bit.ly/4i4AuYB

09/29/2026

Across the Midwest, neighbors, farmers, businesses and volunteers are finding innovative ways to reduce food waste and strengthen their communities. On this , we’re proud to recognize our partners who turn food waste into opportunity. From recovering surplus food and delivering it to hungry families, to transforming food scraps into nutrient-rich compost for urban farms, to processing organic waste into natural gas, our partners embody the innovation and creativity that the Feed It Onward initiative was designed to recognize. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4xWfrfD

ADAR Technologies | Frey Farms | Green ERA Chicago | Make Food Not Waste | United Way of Midland County | Rooted In Inc. | The Produce Moms | The Urban Canopy | W***y Street Co-op

09/28/2026

RA Anne Vogel joined Administrator Lee Zeldin, Rep. Bill Huizenga and Congressman Tom Barrett for a busy swing through Michigan this weekend! First on the agenda was a stop at EPA's cleanup of the Kalamazoo River as we gear up to remove the Trowbridge Dam. Check out this clip of her interview with The Steve Gruber Show and catch the whole conversation at: https://bit.ly/4z3tG31

09/26/2026

EPA is monitoring air quality in South Haven, Michigan, after a fire at the East Jordan Plastics Factory. EPA shared the results with local and state officials. Learn more about EPA’s role and results on our website: https://bit.ly/4huW875.
South Haven Area Emergency Services |
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

An official website of the United States government

09/21/2026

Deleting a site from EPA’s National Priorities List is one of the best environmental wins we can deliver to communities. Saturday marked , and we’re celebrating the Kerr-McGee Cress Creek/West Branch of the DuPage River site, one of two sites in who recently shed their designation. Here, we removed thousands of tons of radioactive material from Kress Creek and the DuPage River—eliminating serious exposure risks in this scenic area. Learn more about this cleanup: https://bit.ly/4yIj4qi
Illinois EPA | Illinois Emergency Management Agency | City of West Chicago Government | West Chicago Park District | City of Warrenville Government DuPage County Board | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

09/18/2026

This World Monitoring Day, EPA wants to highlight the R/V and its scientists who monitor water quality in all five Great Lakes every spring and summer. We’re able to gather the critical data we need on these surveys to protect and restore the world’s largest surface freshwater ecosystem. 💧🔬

09/17/2026

EPA has invested $2.3 million since 2013 to help assess and clean up the former Mirro Aluminum Company site in City of Manitowoc, . This seed money set the stage for an $18 million project that will bring affordable homes to hardworking families. This is what smart partnership looks like: turning a once-contaminated block into a place where people can live, work, and play on clean land. Learn more about EPA’s brownfields program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

09/10/2026