A complete list of all programs within the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)
Community involvement and public participation are an essential part of EGLE’s mission, vision, and values.
Resources and information on utilizing RRD's data exchange and the Inventory of Facilities.
An interactive map displaying contaminated sites throughout Michigan regulated under Parts 213, 201, and 211.
EGLE's interactive calendar is designed to provide timely information on decisions before the Director, proposed settlements of contested cases, administrative rules promulgation, public hearings, meetings and comment deadlines, and environmental conferences, workshops and training programs.
The Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides all persons (except persons incarcerated in correctional facilities) with access to public records of public bodies. Requests to inspect or receive public records from EGLE must be in writing and describe the requested records with enough detail to enable the department to identify and locate the requested records. Some records are exempt from disclosure under the FOIA or another statute and thus will not be provided. A fee may be charged to process your request. Please note that many records are available that do not require a formal FOIA request.
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January 30, 2023
More is not always better. When water levels were at record highs in fiscal year 2020, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) expedited and approved more than 2,200 permits for Great Lakes shoreline work, the vast majority to protect homes and critical infrastructure at immediate risk of damage. But approving only 410 such permits in FY2022 is in many ways a win.
Installed bioengineering project on Intermediate Lake in Antrim County.
It reflects two realities: lake levels returning to near normal levels, and EGLE’s favoring of natural solutions and resiliency planning for shoreline protection over permitting traditional “armoring” of shorelines with artificial seawalls or breakwaters.
About 90% of the 2,238 permits approved for Great Lakes shoreline work in FY 2020 – representing about one-third of all the permits issued by the Resources Program of EGLE’s Water Resources Division (WRD) – were for projects that included shoreline protection.
In FY 2022, just over half of the 410 Great Lakes shoreline work permits approved involved shoreline protection and represented only about 10% of all WRD Resources Program permits approved.
High water levels and resulting coastal erosion are natural and repeating long term cycles. They can also cause significant damage along our 3,300 miles of coastline. While shoreline armoring, or hardening, is sometimes useful in an emergency, it can hurt biodiversity, damage adjoining property, and inhibit the natural shoreline processes that are responsible for Michigan’s incredible coastal landscapes. Better alternatives can include planting or maintaining buffers of trees and native vegetation, installing biodegradable or removable temporary erosion control measures, or moving structures out of harm’s way. Planning for high and low water cycles during future development is the most effective way to protect communities and property owners. More information is available at Michigan.gov/CoastalManagement.
EGLE’s permitting programs guide individual projects toward the solution with the smallest negative impact. Such alternatives can often meet the needs of an applicant without traditional hardening of shorelines.
Meanwhile, although water levels have receded, EGLE urges planning for the next high-water cycle, made more unpredictable by the effects of climate change on Great Lakes precipitation and temperatures.
The “Transforming EGLE’s Contaminated Site Program” video highlights how the department has significantly increased the number of contaminated sites addressed.
EGLE is hitting the road to participate in many career fairs at Michigan colleges, universities, and conferences.
EGLE has developed a cybersecurity preparedness strategy for drinking water and wastewater treatment plant operators in Michigan.
An agreement has been reached in a civil rights complaint filed by community members and environmental justice advocates against the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) regarding the January 2020 renewal of a U.S. Ecology North hazardous waste facility license.
Mark your calendars for upcoming events and deadlines for the Michigan Green Schools 2024-2025 program.
This webinar series explores how agencies, universities, and locally led organizations are working together to protect Michigan’s natural resources through the Michigan Invasive Species Program.
EGLE supplied a $10,000 grant to support exploration of the potential partnership between Goodwill Industries of West Michigan and Daika through the NextCycle Michigan program.
Companies like UP Paper in Manistique support Michigan’s economy by providing crucial manufacturing jobs.
Consider spending some time outdoors this month to look for a real destructive pest – the invasive Asian longhorned beetle.
Communities, agencies, universities, and nonprofits throughout the state will soon welcome reinforcements from the MI Healthy Climate Corps (MHC Corps) in the fight against climate change.
