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.
SARA Title III establishes requirements regarding emergency planning and "Community Right-to-Know" reporting on hazardous and toxic chemicals for federal, state, local, and tribal governments, as well as regulated facilities.
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.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Water Well Viewer (WWV), is an interactive mapping system that displays water wells along with other information, such as wellhead protection areas, underground storage tanks, and sites of environmental contamination. Water well locations have been identified by address matching, the use of global positioning systems (GPS), and by legal descriptions.
This system allows water well drilling and pump installation contractors to submit water well records.
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May 21, 2026
Various examples of fossil corals that can be found on Michigan beaches. Photos provided by Cassandra Tiensivu. Today’s MI Environment, by Evin Maguire, senior geologist in the Materials Management Division at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), is the latest in the Rock and Mineral Identification series.
Every Michigander knows about Petoskey stones – rare treasures that can be found on countless beaches on Michigan’s lower peninsula. Some more savvy rockhounds may even know that they are fossil corals in the genus Hexagonaria, dating back to the Devonian Period some 350 million years ago.
While most common on Up North beaches, fossils -- any preserved remains, impression, or trace of ancient life from a past geological age -- can also be found farther south, with known collecting localities from the Sleeping Bear Dunes to Fort Gratiot County Park.
They can also be found inland and have been uncovered in many sand and gravel mines across the state.
While Petoskey stones may be among the most prized fossil finds on Michigan beaches, there are a wealth of other fascinating fossils to be found while combing for ancient treasures.
If you look at a geologic bedrock map of Michigan, you will immediately notice a distinct “bullseye” pattern. This is what geologists refer to as the Michigan Basin, and it’s one of the most unique geologic structures on the planet. It covers the entire lower peninsula, and roughly half of the upper peninsula.
The edge of the basin is roughly defined by the ~541to 486 million year old (Cambrian age) Munising Formation, and at its center is the ~300 million year old (upper Pennsylvanian age) “Red Beds” of the Pewamo Formation.
Rocks get younger toward the center of the basin, making the youngest bedrock in Michigan over 300 million years old! The Michigan Basin was formed by a combination of tectonic forces, and possible reactivation of geologic faults of the 1.1 billion-year-old failed “Mid-Continent Rift,” which lies at the center of the basin, buried under more than 4 kilometers of rock and sediment.
Given these brutal past couple winters in Michigan, it may be difficult to imagine that for many millions of years, the state was covered by vast, shallow tropical seas that inundated the low-laying Michigan Basin. It is from these ancient seas that (almost) all of the fossils you can find on Michigan’s beaches originate.
A geologic map of the Michigan Basin. This map shows how Michigan’s bedrock formations would present at the surface with all overburden (loose sediment) stripped away. Map from EGLE GIS Open Data portal, adapted from MDNR 1987 Geologic Bedrock Map of Michigan. Here are a few useful tips for finding fossils on Michigan beaches:
Most fossils to be found on Michigan’s beaches are marine invertebrates. Of these, corals are generally the most abundant, but many other groups of fossil organisms can be found.
While you can sometimes find plant fossils from times that the seas were receded, we are going to stick to animals.
For a list of the most common taxonomic groups of fossils that can be found and how to identify them, check out our webpage on Michigan fossils.
Since I have been doing this for so long, I will leave you my most closely guarded secret for finding fossils: get out there and look for them!
If you find a fossil or a cool rock and you want help identifying it, feel free to email me at MaguireE@Michigan.gov. Also check out the Michigan Basin Fossils website for a much more thorough database of fossil finds in Michigan.
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The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), will host a virtual public information meeting on the US Ecology Romulus Inc. (USE ROM), Hazardous Waste Management Facility Operating License Application at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Detroit’s newest park shows what community-minded partnerships can achieve
EGLE is announcing the release of the Fiscal Year 2026 Fuel Transformation Program (FTP) Request for Proposals (RFP), a major funding opportunity aimed at reducing diesel emissions and accelerating the transition to cleaner transportation technologies across the state.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced today that it has opened public comment for Enbridge Energy’s draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit seeking authorization to discharge treated wastewater associated with the construction and operation of the proposed Line 5 tunnel project under the Straits of Mackinac.
Financed projects from Michigan’s State Revolving Fund programs reflect decades of commitment to protecting public health, strengthening water infrastructure, and safeguarding our lakes and rivers.
The two-year old Septic Replacement Loan Program is now accessible to more Michigan homeowners.
Natural resource professionals are asking for your help to prevent the spread of this invasive plant and protect our landscapes.
Now is the time to get rid of hazardous household items that you no longer need through locally sponsored collection programs.
Irvine’s legacy is written in clearer skies, stronger rules, and the many staff whose careers he helped shape.
