CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A new report says now is the time to deal with the climate-driven rising of Lake Michigan water levels and the potential for flooding especially since there are so many toxic threats up and down the lakefront.
For instance, the new report points to toxic coal ash ponds at a coal plant near the lake in Waukegan, the closeness of apartment buildings to Lake Michigan in the Rogers Park and South Shore neighborhoods and toxic waste facilities on the Southeast Side.
The reports also warns that intense storms and rising lake waters are threats that need to be dealt with now.
"Policy makers need to look at this," said Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center.
"Business owners need to look at it and we need to do land-use planning, zoning and development decisions differently based on today’s water level realities, not what yesterday’s data was."
Learner said the question is how do we adapt to climate change and rising lake levels and not make a bad situation worse?
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