Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation: Tackling Michigan’s Water Challenges
The Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation (MCFI) was created through a partnership between the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University to address diverse freshwater challenges in Southeast Michigan and across the state. Recent initiatives include developing nature-based solutions, promoting regional water planning, and improving stormwater infrastructure in Southeast Michigan, aiming to position the state as a leader in freshwater innovation and economic growth. SBND spoke with Curt Wolf, managing director at the University of Michigan Urban Collaboratory and managing director of MCFI about its projects, challenges, and vision. Q: What inspired the creation of the Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation, and how did it come about? A: The Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation was conceived through a collaborative effort led by the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University. This initiative aims to tackle Michigan’s freshwater challenges, which vary widely across the state—from excessive water and flooding in some areas to contamination threats and inadequate supplies in others. The MCFI was established to address these complex and diverse issues through a coordinated approach involving multiple stakeholders, including water utilities, community groups, NGOs, practitioners, and state agencies. It is also a way for these institutions to work together to give something back to the great State of Michigan. Q: Is this collaborative approach among institutions unique? A: It is somewhat unique. While there have been various attempts to address water issues in Michigan, the MCFI represents a significant step forward by bringing together an inclusive group of leading academic institutions and regional water stakeholders who can collectively implement real change and bring new and innovative solutions forward. The MCFI’s focus is the entire state of Michigan which has very rural areas but also a number of large cities. The three universities complement each other well as a team. UM is an internationally recognized research institution with often a global focus, MSU is a land grant university with incredible reach throughout the state through its extension network. Wayne State has more of an urban focus with important community ties. All three universities have amazing water research capabilities. The MCFI is much greater than just an academic collaboration, however. Creating an open table where all stakeholders have a voice is critical to solving the types of water problems we’re facing as a region. Q: What are some current projects the MCFI is working on? A: The MCFI is actively involved in several projects. One major focus is climate adaptation and regional resiliency, particularly addressing the impacts of catastrophic flooding, such as the 2021 events that affected thousands of homes in SE Michigan. The center is working on near-term solutions and leveraging regional cooperation to look at how we might enhance infrastructure, think outside the box, and address water stressors. One such project, funded by the Erb Family Foundation, is a groundbreaking project that aims to revolutionize stormwater management in Southeast Michigan. The team will identify barriers to regional stormwater cooperation and develop innovative solutions to better manage the impacts of extreme rain events and climate variability. By focusing on the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) wastewater service area in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, the project seeks to optimize existing water infrastructure assets through regional coordination. This approach could potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment and operational costs while improving flood control and water quality in major watersheds. The project involves extensive collaboration with local authorities, community engagement, and the exploration of successful regional stormwater cooperation models from other areas. The findings could pave the way for more efficient and cost-effective stormwater management strategies, benefiting both the environment and residents of SE Michigan. Another project, funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), seeks to integrate large-scale Nature-Based (green) Solutions (NBS) with existing infrastructure (gray) to mitigate flooding and enhance ecological resilience. This project will develop a comprehensive strategy for the adaption of NBS on a regional scale leveraging land assets for water storage, restoring habitats, and promoting climate justice. By engaging local stakeholders and employing advanced modeling techniques, the project aims to develop a scalable and transferable framework for sustainable stormwater management. This effort is expected to improve community resilience, protect critical infrastructure, and provide significant benefits to fish and wildlife habitats, while also fostering socio-economic growth through enhanced property values and reduced flood insurance costs. Additionally, MCFI completed a project for the State of Michigan providing recommendations for promoting regional planning of water infrastructure throughout the state. The study, commissioned by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), identified opportunities for shared services, incentives for cooperation, and barriers that prevent public water supplies from serving areas outside their current boundaries. The research team conducted interviews, roundtable discussions, and technical analyses to gather insights from water system managers, local officials, and other stakeholders across the state. Findings and recommendations provided informed EGLE’s efforts to ensure equitable water infrastructure investments that provide high-quality drinking water at the lowest cost, in line with Governor Whitmer’s 2021 executive directive on safe drinking water. Q: What are the main water stressors facing the region? A: The region faces multiple water stressors, including aging infrastructure, climate change impacts, legacy industrial contamination, emerging contaminants (PFAS, microplastics, etc.), and regional growth impacts. Climate change is impacting Michigan in different ways than other parts of the country such as the Southwest. We are experiencing increased precipitation with more intense and sometimes highly localized storms. We have more water to manage than ever before. The region’s water systems, some of which are nearly 150 years old, were developed incrementally over time, adding to the complexity of addressing modern challenges. At the same time, there are portions of the state where groundwater resources are stressed, particularly in central areas of the state. Michiganders sometimes feel that we have unlimited water sources and that isn’t always the case. Q: What are the barriers to improving water management, and how can they be overcome? A: There are a
The Nature Conservancy of Michigan – Working at the Intersection of Economic Development, Nature, and Sustainability
The Nature Conservancy in Michigan recently released its 2022 Michigan Conservation Results Report that outlines the work it is doing to tackle conservation issues that range from climate change to biodiversity loss. With 32,000 members, a staff of 55+, 25 trustees, and many contributors, partnerships, and donators, 32,541 acres of land became protected last year, totaling 437,000 acres to date. We spoke to Associate State Director Patrick Doran about some of the key initiatives outlined in the report. Q: A recent acquisition of land in the Keweenaw Peninsula nearly doubled the peninsula’s protected lands, which provide habitat for many iconic species. How does this impact the state and Southeast Michigan? A: It’s a great question – how the work we are doing in Northern Michigan impacts the entire state and beyond – and I want to give some context around that. TNC is the world’s largest conservation organization with almost 6,000 employees around the world. When we have a project in place, we think not only about executing that project with boots on the ground but also think about how it impacts the entire system. We lift our heads and assess the impact on the region, the Great Lakes, the state, and the world. We think about how it will affect the economy, the air, the climate, people’s quality of life, and more. Securing the 30,000-plus acres in Keweenaw is amazing for us. I also want to note that there are several partners and entities involved in these efforts. TNC could never have done this alone. The opportunity to move land into conservation at this scope just does not exist in too many places in the US. The land has been under traditional timber ownership and management. We see TNC as a temporary holder – maybe three to five years – and eventually, we’d like to see the land secured by the state and local townships and municipalities and counties. We believe local ownership achieves the best conservation outcomes. So, we will ensure it’s protected, and that the forest is under a sustainability management plan, so that the conservation status improves from what it was, all the while making sure that it remains available for public use and recreation. This project truly sits at the intersection of economic development, nature, and sustainability, and there are several ways that it connects to other parts of the system. Relating this to the Southeast Michigan area, ecologically, in the spring Keweenaw is one of the most important migration areas in the Midwest. Millions of hawks, songbirds, and more move from South America, hit the Great Lakes to the Detroit corridor up to the U.P., and the majority fly up the Keweenaw Peninsula before making the daunting trip across Lake Superior. Southeast Michigan is an important stop in their migration process. So, there is this interesting species connection between the Lower Peninsula and the U.P. The connection also ties into the economy and also climate change. Those forests are places where we can store carbon through the growth and management of trees and also keep the industry intact. It’s a careful balance. Sequestering carbon will help meet climate change goals and this impacts the whole state. We have robust timber and water industries throughout the state and in Southeast Michigan, and that’s very important to our economy. Another connection this project represents is with businesses across the state. TNC is exploring the most effective ways to work with companies across the state in their quest to meet their sustainability goals. The forests can support these companies in this quest, and the companies are in turn investing in the forests. TNC also has a partnership with the Michigan Manufacturers Association. The goal is to help educate and assist small and medium-sized businesses with sustainability planning. We offer a suite of workshops for these manufacturers and companies. Two good examples are Steelcase and Consumers Energy – we began working with both companies last year. Q: According to the report, all 47,000 acres of TNC’s forest reserves in Michigan are now FSC®-C008922 certified. What does this mean? A: What FSC certification does is up the level of sustainability management and make sure all are adhering to best practices in terms of how many trees are cut, frequency of cutting, how streams and lakes are impacted, etc. This makes the whole system healthier. Again, timber is a huge part of the state’s economy, and it’s important to manage this industry in a way that is thoughtful and promotes the ability to sequester carbon. The focus is to achieve our ecological goals and at the same time keep land in the timber industry. We are also involved in working with the manufacturing industry in Southeast Michigan and across the state to ensure they are actively using more sustainably produced timber. When the supply chain demands this, it becomes a more virtuous cycle. Relating this to the construction industry, there is also a movement in place to use cross-laminated timber or mass timber, which offers more long-term carbon storage in comparison to using cement or other building materials. The DNR and Michigan State University are working on reinvesting this back into the building and construction process. Q; Regarding our parks and waterways, the report references Public Act 53 of 2022, saying that ultimately $2.3 billion of the historic state funding included in the act was designated for the improvement of Michigan’s water infrastructure, with an additional $450 million for state and local parks. What is TNC’s role in these improvements? A: TNC operates at a policy and system level to impact our parks and water across the state. Michigan sits in the middle of one of the world’s largest freshwater systems, so we have to protect that. We work to promote healthy infrastructure and programs that support investing in that. Regarding the importance of maintaining our parks and nature within urban areas, I was at a conference last year in Detroit and began asking businesses why they think investing
Consumers Energy’s PowerMIFleet Program Grows to 50+ Companies
Consumers Energy launched its PowerMIFleet program 19 months ago to augment its existing PowerMIDrive. The latter program, launched in 2019, is targeted to smaller users and offers lower electric rates for off-peak charging for drivers and will provide rebates for residential, business, and public charging stations. More than 2,700 have been granted so far. PowerMIFleet was launched in mid-2021 to build on that program by connecting businesses, large institutions, local governments, and school bus fleets with planning resources, expert guidance, and financial incentives to easily and cost-effectively transition to electric vehicles. One of those large institutions, Michigan State University, is deep in the throes of transitioning 369 vehicles in its fleet of 1,200 internal-combustion vehicles to electric vehicles over the next decade and is working with Consumers Energy and the PowerMIFleet program to do so. SBN Detroit spoke with two individuals deeply involved in MSU’s process, beginning with Jeff Myrom, Consumers Energy director of electric transportation customer programs, and Adam Lawver, director of Campus Services Infrastructure Planning and Facilities at Michigan State University, to gain insights into the process and how it works for Michigan businesses. Q: Jeff, first tell us about the PowerMIFleet program. Myrom: PowerMIFleet is a program designed to help business owners, municipalities, and educational institutions charge off-peak to reduce operating costs, eliminate emissions, and simplify vehicle maintenance by transitioning to electric vehicles. This is a program for those looking to electrify multiple vehicles and potentially a variety of vehicle classes. This, along with PowerMIDrive, is aimed at gaining insights and learnings and then sharing those learnings with different sectors so we can optimize success in the future, and it supports the statewide goal of having 2 million EVs on our state roads by 2030. Q: How long have these programs been in existence? Myrom: PowerMIDrive has been in place for a little over three years. We are getting ready to convert the residential portion of this pilot to a permanent program. PowerMIFleet launched in June of 2021 and has been so successful that it’s now fully subscribed. Q: What is involved in the PowerMIFleet Pilot Program? Myrom: Essentially there are three phases. In this first phase, we are working with fifty customers across a wide geographic base within different industries and sectors. We conduct full assessments regarding their fleets and then develop a five-year plan for conversion and infrastructure. This longer-term plan allows us to build for the future now versus having multiple infrastructure upgrades over time. In Phase Two we move forward with EV infrastructure development and the purchase cycle begins for the customer. Phase Three involves taking a look at the actual experience with electrification to see if the infrastructure is adequate and circling back on lessons learned. For PowerMIFleet, this will take place in 2024. Q: Who are you working with through PowerMIFleet in addition to MSU? Myrom: We are currently working with over 50 customers, including several school districts. For example, Jackson Public Schools are looking to acquire 21 electric school buses. Homer Community School District is bringing on seven electric buses. We are working with Domino’s Pizza on their rollout of 800 GM Chevy Bolt electric vehicles now. We will publish our lessons learned from the vehicle electrification assessments starting in Q1 of 2023 and move from there. Q: What challenges do you face? Myrom: Vehicle availability and costs are a challenge. We recognize that until the supply chain is improved this will be the case. Another potential challenge for those with large fleets is adopting time-of-use rates. Usage across the state is highest between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. We are offering several different time-of-use options to minimize costs for businesses and help alleviate this challenge. A good example of this is the work we are doing with Michigan State University. The PowerMIFleet program is providing rebates to MSU toward their charger installation costs, and we’ve supported the grid upgrades needed, as they prepared to take delivery of forty new EVs in September. Michigan State University is clearly a leader in fleet electrification, and one of the first movers in the PowerMIFleet pilot. Partnering with a leading educational institution like Michigan State University is a real boost to our fleet pilot learnings. Q: Adam, what should we know about your conversion to electrification with Consumers Energy and PowerMIFleet? Lawver: As part of our strategic plan goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from its 2010 baseline, we are converting 369 internal combustion engine vehicles to fully electric vehicles over the next decade. The conversion will decrease the university’s overall carbon footprint by 18,945 metric tons of carbon dioxide long-term – the equivalent of planting 312,584 trees. In September 2021, we connected with Consumers and its PowerMIFleet program. Together we assessed our 1,200 vehicles and built fleet electrification roadmap. Now, one year later we’ve received all 40 vehicles of the initial order and are in process of connecting charging stations. Q: What manufacturers are you working with to build your fleet? Lawver: We selected different types and manufacturers, according to what they’d be used for. Some vehicles are used to move people short distances, some are utility vehicles, some are used by staff to travel around the state for meetings, and so forth, so they all have different uses and needs. So far, we have purchased a combination of Ford E-Transit Vans, Ford F150 Lightening Electric Trucks, Ford Mustang Mach-E’s,Chevy Bolts, and Tesla Model 3s. Q: What can businesses learn from your current experience of electrification and working with PowerMIFleet? Lawver: I think small businesses with a few delivery vans up to entities with large fleets would benefit from completing a fleet analysis and considering electrification. I think you first need to look at the total cost of ownership of your vehicles. Each business owner needs to assess that and evaluate it over their fleet and see if there is a good alternative to convert to decrease their carbon footprint. Then, build a roadmap for
Working to Reduce Packaging’s Environmental Impact
According to information from the University Research Corridor – Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University – each year an estimated 11,000 tons of plastic pollution enters the Great Lakes, harming fish and wildlife and getting into our food and drinking water. “The United States currently recycles only 5 percent of its plastic waste, and 30 percent of plastic ends up in products that can’t be recycled at all,” said Muhammad Rabnawaz, an assistant professor at Michigan State University’s School of Packaging. Since August 2016, Rabnawaz’s work in the lab includes creating a new generation of highly skilled workforce, reducing plastic waste from the packaging industry, and creating end-of-life solutions for waste plastics. Rabnawaz and his team of students are working closely with Michigan packaging and manufacturing companies to achieve innovation around these efforts. SBN Detroit spoke to Rabnawaz about this work and its potential impact on Southeast Michigan residents, businesses, the community, and the planet. Q: Can you expand on the work you are doing to reduce plastic packaging waste? A: Our mission is to find solutions to minimize the element of waste coming from packaging. My top priority is to reduce the environmental impact originating from the packaging sector. Our work focuses on several aspects related to this. First, we are looking at how we can divert plastic waste from landfills and move it back into manufacturing. Recycled plastic typically has low performance compared to virgin plastic, so we are creating methods and protocols that help build back the properties of the material to try to achieve virgin-like performance. Second, we are designing for simplification and driving the idea of looking at the end of life of the packaging in the beginning – when we create it. Much of the plastic used in packaging is multilayered with different types of plastic making up each of several layers. This makes it much more difficult to recycle. We are working on ways to simplify this and forward the use of single-layered plastics or those with fewer layers. The third is paper-based alternatives. Plastic has unique properties, yet some alternatives are paper-based that do not create microplastics and hence are much better for the environment from this aspect. So, we are working on research and creating the technologies for the implementation of real-world applications, while at the same time educating students to take the lead in sustainability and packaging innovation in the coming years. Q: The National Science Foundation awarded you a 2021 CAREER grant to research how to best simplify plastics recycling by developing affordable polymers that are easy to recycle. What are you learning through this research? A: A common type of plastic is a thermosetting polymer, often called a thermoset. Think of the handle of a pressure cooker or cookware. When you heat it, it does not melt. Thermosets make up 20% of the plastic market. The problem is if we cannot melt it, it cannot be recycled and used for something else. So, we are working on creating a vitrimer (plastic) that behaves like a thermoset and is heat resistant, but above a certain temperature it can be melted, so it can be recycled like thermoplastics (plastics that can be melted). Q: What is your involvement with Michigan packaging companies? A: We work closely with several local companies that make plastics, companies that convert plastics to packaging, and companies that work on the recycling of plastics. So, the full supply chain Q: When do you believe your work will be commercially viable? A: We are certainly working toward commercializing the technologies we are developing with Southeast Michigan businesses in the interest of helping our community and our planet. One example is a product that can be used as an alternative to a single-use plastic bag, which we are testing now and anticipate it being commercialized in up to one year. I anticipate the technology I spoke about regarding simple structure versus multilayered to be in practice within 18-24 months. It’s time-consuming. We have to look at performance as well as consumer safety and that takes time. Q: What does this research potentially mean to Michigan manufacturers and businesses, and how does this tie into the manufacturing industry here? A: Some global packaging giants run their research and development in Michigan. They are looking at materials that can improve the performance of recycled materials. According to the U.S. Plastic Pact, by 2025 if a company is creating a package it has to consist of 30% recycled material or 30% biobased material. The collection of 30% is not easy. Packaging companies are going to need help to meet the requirements of this pact and other regulations coming in. We are working toward that and working toward educating the next generation to assist. Q: To that end, what kinds of skills will the students you are working with have upon entering the workforce, and might this impact Michigan businesses? A: We are generating a workforce equipped with design and development knowledge for sustainable materials and packaging. They will have the training and expertise to deliver alternatives to protect our environment. The research we are conducting is focused on solving real-world problems, and the students are connected to stakeholders and local companies to do so. For example, two of my graduate students have internships they are starting in January where they’ll have opportunities to put their skills and knowledge to work, as well as bring back learnings that will then positively impact our research. Q: What drives your passion here? A: Developing the technologies to reduce plastic pollution coming from packaging to benefit society and make the environment better – and training students at the same time – that’s an amazing thing. Q: What does the future of packaging look like in Michigan? A: I think packaging will include more and more recycled materials. In the longer term, I think we’ll see more biodegradable plastics and paper alternatives. I hope that the work we are doing will
