Ethan Bakuli
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Articles by Ethan Bakuli
Can green infrastructure fortify flood-prone Southeast Michigan? ‘We’re opening the door for projects’
Overview: Over 1,500 green infrastructure projects across Southeast Michigan watershed groups now capture 19 million gallons of stormwater annually. Detroit's Far West Stormwater Improvement project redirects stormwater from 210-acre area into two basins in Rouge Park, eliminating late-night calls about basement backups to the president of a neighborhood association.
Metro Detroit’s flood cleanups continue in courtrooms, boardrooms as plans take shape
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Planet Detroit originally published this story. Sign up for their weekly newsletter here. Metro Detroit is built over drained wetlands. The region, and its combined sewer system, face repeated strain from aging infrastructure, fluctuating river levels, heavy rainfall, and rapid development. A changing climate worsens the problem: It’s raining more in Southeast Michigan.
Southeast Michigan’s flood cleanups continue in courtrooms, boardrooms: How are we rebuilding for stormier future?
Overview: Precipitation in the Great Lakes region has increased 15% over the last 70 years. Southeast Michigan is grappling with "compound flooding" and the questions of infrastructure, funding, politics, and responsibility that go along with the stormwater. The aftermath of the June 2021 flood continues to play out in Michigan courtrooms.
Residents at Detroit high-rise ride out heat waves with broken AC: ‘Unsafe temperatures’ at Riverfront Towers
Overview: Residents at Detroit high-rise endure broken AC since late May, with one resident measuring indoor temperature of 95 degrees. Detroit building department issues five blight tickets carrying $10,500 in fines against Riverfront Towers. Alena Hartsuff, who rented a unit in June, is nine months pregnant. "I'm really scared," she says. At Detroit’s Riverfront Towers, the onetime home of Rosa Parks, Aretha Franklin, and Coleman Young, residents are writing their frustration on the walls.
Asthma, maternal health, climate disasters: How Detroit’s health director is tackling city’s health disparities
Overview: Detroit Health Director Ali Abazeed is using a Health in All Policies approach, integrating health and equity into decision-making across departments. The city's first Community Health Assessment since 2018 identifies maternal health, food access, health care access, and chronic conditions including asthma as top priorities.
Detroit oil waste facility seeks approval to reopen, expand after fire: Residents protest ‘noxious fumes’
Overview: Aevitas Specialty Services is seeking approval to reopen and expand its Detroit oil recycling facility after a June 2025 fire. The facility has received five air quality violations and 64 complaint investigations from state regulators since 2012, primarily for persistent odors affecting nearby residents. Residents and advocates are urging the city to deny the expansion, citing years of odor complaints and lack of community outreach, while the company proposes new odor control systems.
GLWA’s Jefferson Chalmers pump station wins zoning approval: ‘We don’t want another 2021’
Overview: The Tuesday approvals are the final steps in the work getting underway for the Freud Pump Station Improvement Project. The GLWA project is located in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood, a FEMA-designated flood zone. “We never got any commitment that this (pumping station) would stop us from future flooding,” says resident LeJuan Council.
GLWA wins zoning approval for new Jefferson Chalmers pump station
Detroit City Council members approved a rezoning plan and a package of community benefits tied to a contested $130 million pump station improvement project in the flood-prone Jefferson Chalmers community. The Tuesday approvals are the final steps in the work getting underway for the Freud Pump Station Improvement Project.
Mold takes hold in Metro Detroit basements after floods, sewage backups
This story also appeared in Planet Detroit Ethan Bakuli reported this story while participating in USC Annenberg’s Center for Climate Journalism and Communication and Center for Health Journalism 2025 Health and Climate Change Reporting Fellowship as well as a Solutions Journalism Network accelerator program for coverage of the health impacts of seasonal climate issues in Metro Detroit. Two-thirds of surveyed Southeast Michigan flood victims found mold in their homes.
Mold takes hold in Metro Detroit basements after floods, sewage backups
Overview: Two-thirds of surveyed Southeast Michigan flood victims found mold in their homes. A Detroit-based allergist says she's seen patients whose asthma has gone from being very mild to requiring daily inhaler use after a flood. Detroit's aging housing stock and limited repair funding leave residents vulnerable to repeated flooding and mold.
Repeat flooding is creating public health crisis in Detroit: ‘Long-term trauma’
Overview: Since 1951, total annual precipitation has increased by 14% across the Great Lakes region, while annual precipitation in Southeast Michigan has increased by 6.2 inches. In a survey of Detroit homes between 2012 and 2020, researchers found that four out of five households that flooded had mold in their basements.
‘Nothing here is waste’: Detroit farmers call for composting policy changes after pilot programs
Overview: Detroit Community Composting Collective Project diverts over 3,300 pounds of food scraps from landfills between August and November 2025. Advocates are call for food scrap drop-off sites in every city council district, mandatory composting in city buildings, and clearer regulations for composting operations. "There are more than enough resources in Detroit to compost," says Ricky Blanding, executive director of the nonprofit Scrap Soils.
GUIDE: How Detroiters can prepare for flooding
Ethan Bakuli reported this story while participating in USC Annenberg’s Center for Climate Journalism and Communication and Center for Health Journalism 2025 Health and Climate Change Reporting Fellowship as well as a Solutions Journalism Network accelerator program for coverage of the health impacts of seasonal climate issues in Metro Detroit. As spring arrives in Michigan, so do concerns about heavy rainfall and flooding.
GUIDE: How Detroiters can prepare for flooding
Overview: Detroit averages 26 days of extreme weather annually, making emergency preparedness essential for residents in flood-prone areas. Residents must file basement backup damage claims within 45 days and call Detroit Water and Sewage Department at 313-267-8000 for a service request number. Simple steps like cleaning catch basins, avoiding water use during storms, and creating emergency kits can help protect homes and families.
Detroit has an office for immigrants. Advocates say it needs to do more
When Christine Bell looks for help for Detroit’s immigrant families, the city’s immigrant affairs office is rarely the first place she turns. “It doesn’t feel like the city has had a plan around what you do for immigrant populations,” said Bell, executive director of Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, a community nonprofit based in Southwest Detroit.
Detroit has an office for immigrants. Advocates say it needs to do more
When Christine Bell looks for help for Detroit’s immigrant families, the city’s immigrant affairs office is rarely the first place she turns. “It doesn’t feel like the city has had a plan around what you do for immigrant populations,” said Bell, executive director of Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, a community nonprofit based in Southwest Detroit.
Detroit community group launches study of data center development: ‘It’s really important that we do this soon’
This story first appeared in Planet Detroit. Sign up for their free newsletters. A Shoemaker Street brownfield property has been discussed as a potential data center site, says environmental lawyer. Detroit City Council called last month for a two-year moratorium on data centers until health and environmental regulations are in place. Residents and advocates are pushing for specific zoning, transparency requirements, and community involvement before any data centers are approved in the city.
Detroit community group launches study of data center development: ‘It’s really important that we do this soon’
Overview: A Shoemaker Street brownfield property has been discussed as a potential data center site, says environmental lawyer. Detroit City Council called last month for a two-year moratorium on data centers until health and environmental regulations are in place. Residents and advocates are pushing for specific zoning, transparency requirements, and community involvement before any data centers are approved in the city.
Truck traffic study measures impact on residents of Detroit’s east side: ‘A problem forever’
Study finds 433 trucks traveled French Road in 18 days, with particulate matter peaking at 83 micrograms per cubic meter. Two-thirds of 48 east side residents who were surveyed report truck traffic on residential streets, and over half report health impacts. Community advocates aim to secure citywide truck route ordinance this spring, following Southwest Detroit restrictions enacted in October.
Solar panel group buys spread across Michigan as residents band together for discounts
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By ETHAN BAKULI/Planet Detroit In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm, Woody Gontina’s house appeared to be the only one on his street that still had its lights on. At the time, Gontina had just installed a 5.4-kilowatt solar-and-battery-storage system at his home. “Because of the solar and the battery, we had our whole house powered day and night throughout that outage,” recalls Gontina.
Michigan neighbors rally for rooftop solar as federal support shrinks
In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm, Woody Gontina’s house appeared to be the only one on his street that still had its lights on. At the time, Gontina had just installed a 5.4-kilowatt solar-and-battery-storage system at his home. “Because of the solar and the battery, we had our whole house powered day and night throughout that outage,” recalls Gontina.
Ethan Bakuli, Plant Detroit
Grassroots “Solarize” programs are helping Michigan neighbors buy rooftop solar together, even as federal support shrinks.
Truck traffic study measures impact on residents of Detroit’s east side: ‘A problem forever’
Overview: Study finds 433 trucks traveled French Road in 18 days, with particulate matter peaking at 83 micrograms per cubic meter. Two-thirds of 48 east side residents who were surveyed report truck traffic on residential streets, and over half report health impacts. Community advocates aim to secure citywide truck route ordinance this spring, following Southwest Detroit restrictions enacted in October.
Solar panel group buys spread across Michigan as residents band together for discounts
In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm, Woody Gontina's house appeared to be the only one on his street that still had its lights on. At the time, Gontina had just installed a 5.4-kilowatt solar-and-battery-storage system at his home. “Because of the solar and the battery, we had our whole house powered day and night throughout that outage,” recalls Gontina.
Solar panel group buys spread across Michigan as residents band together for discounts
In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm, Woody Gontina’s house appeared to be the only one on his street that still had its lights on. At the time, Gontina had just installed a 5.4-kilowatt solar-and-battery-storage system at his home. kAm“q642FD6 @7 E96 D@=2C 2?5 E96 32EE6CJ[ H6 925 @FC H9@=6 9@FD6 A@H6C65 52J 2?5 ?:89E E9C@F89@FE E92E @FE286[” C642==D v@?E:?2]k^Am kAm(9:=6 v@?E:?2 4@F=5 ?@E 92G6 7@C6D66? E96 DE@C>’D :>A24E[ :E H2D 2?
Solar panel group buys spread across Michigan as residents band together for discounts
In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm, Woody Gontina’s house appeared to be the only one on his street that still had its lights on. At the time, Gontina had just installed a 5.4-kilowatt solar-and-battery-storage system at his home.
Solar panel group buys spread across Michigan as residents band together for discounts
In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm, Woody Gontina’s house appeared to be the only one on his street that still had its lights on. kAmpE E96 E:>6[ v@?E:?2 925 ;FDE :?DE2==65 2 d]c\<:=@H2EE D@=2C\2?5\32EE6CJ\DE@C286 DJDE6> 2E 9:D 9@>6]k^Am kAm“q642FD6 @7 E96 D@=2C 2?5 E96 32EE6CJ[ H6 925 @FC H9@=6 9@FD6 A@H6C65 52J 2?5 ?:89E E9C@F89@FE E92E @FE286[” C642==D v@?E:?2]k^Am kAm(9:=6 v@?E:?2 4@F=5 ?@E 92G6 7@C6D66? E96 DE@C>’D :>A24E[ :E H2D 2?
Solar panel group buys spread across Michigan as residents band together for discounts
In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm, Woody Gontina’s house appeared to be the only one on his street that still had its lights on. At the time, Gontina had just installed a 5.4-kilowatt solar-and-battery-storage system at his home. kAm“q642FD6 @7 E96 D@=2C 2?5 E96 32EE6CJ[ H6 925 @FC H9@=6 9@FD6 A@H6C65 52J 2?5 ?:89E E9C@F89@FE E92E @FE286[” C642==D v@?E:?2]k^Am kAm(9:=6 v@?E:?2 4@F=5 ?@E 92G6 7@C6D66? E96 DE@C>’D :>A24E[ :E H2D 2?
Solar panel group buys spread across Michigan as residents band together for discounts
In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm, Woody Gontina’s house appeared to be the only one on his street that still had its lights on. At the time, Gontina had just installed a 5.4-kilowatt solar-and-battery-storage system at his home. kAm“q642FD6 @7 E96 D@=2C 2?5 E96 32EE6CJ[ H6 925 @FC H9@=6 9@FD6 A@H6C65 52J 2?5 ?:89E E9C@F89@FE E92E @FE286[” C642==D v@?E:?2]k^Am kAm(9:=6 v@?E:?2 4@F=5 ?@E 92G6 7@C6D66? E96 DE@C>’D :>A24E[ :E H2D 2?
Solar panel group buys spread across Michigan as residents band together for discounts
In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm, Woody Gontina’s house appeared to be the only one on his street that still had its lights on. At the time, Gontina had just installed a 5.4-kilowatt solar-and-battery-storage system at his home. kAm“q642FD6 @7 E96 D@=2C 2?5 E96 32EE6CJ[ H6 925 @FC H9@=6 9@FD6 A@H6C65 52J 2?5 ?:89E E9C@F89@FE E92E @FE286[” C642==D v@?E:?2]k^Am kAm(9:=6 v@?E:?2 4@F=5 ?@E 92G6 7@C6D66? E96 DE@C>’D :>A24E[ :E H2D 2?
Solar panel group buys spread across Michigan as residents band together for discounts
Overview: Solarize programs offer Michigan residents 5-15% group discounts on solar installations through neighborhood organizing and bulk purchases Ann Arbor has averaged 180 residential solar installations annually since launching its Solarize program in 2019, up from 17 per year previously Federal solar tax credits ended in 2025 under the Trump administration, but business incentives remain available through 2027 In the middle of a five-day power outage brought on by an early spring storm,...
In America’s ‘asthma capital,’ Detroiters fight back against rampant air pollution
Real journalists wrote and edited this (not AI)—independent, community-driven journalism survives because you back it. Donate to sustain Prism’s mission and the humans behind it. As a child growing up on Detroit’s west side, Nina Wimberley’s life was consumed by her asthma symptoms. Living within walking distance of Interstate 96, Wimberley routinely carried an inhaler between school and home.
Detroit launches $1M sea wall repair for flood-weary Jefferson Chalmers
This article first appeared on Planet Detroit and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Detroit launches $1 million pilot program to repair or replace sea walls for low-income Jefferson Chalmers homeowners along canals fed by the Detroit River. The program prioritizes 15-20 properties and could help move the neighborhood off FEMA’s flood hazard map.
Detroit launches $1 million sea wall repair program for flood-weary Jefferson Chalmers
Overview: Detroit launches $1-million pilot program to repair or replace sea walls for low-income Jefferson Chalmers homeowners along canals fed by the Detroit River. The program prioritizes 15-20 properties and could help move the neighborhood off FEMA's flood hazard map. A resident-led 2025 survey found 70% of the neighborhood's waterfront properties have sea walls in fair or poor condition.
Detroit church goes solar despite EPA funding freeze
Overview: The completion of Pilgrim Baptist Church’s solar array was far from assured. "This solar project was able to come to fruition because we were able to get those drawdowns under the wire, ahead of the cancellation," says Michigan Interfaith Power & Light's Leah Wiste. Houses of worship and social service agencies like Pilgrim Baptist Church were at risk of losing out on major energy efficiency gains last year in the fallout from EPA cutbacks. On the winter solstice, the Rev.
‘We can’t wait for the city to just save us’: Southwest Detroit’s catastrophic water main break 1 year later
This article first appeared on Planet Detroit and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. This story also appeared in Planet Detroit When chest-high waters receded from Lexington Street one year ago, Erica Brown hesitated to step outside into the single-digit temperatures.
‘We can’t wait for the city to just save us’: Southwest Detroit’s catastrophic water main break 1 year later
Overview: - “As far as me and my household, it's not the same as what it was,” says Southwest Detroit resident Erica Brown, who lives in the neighborhood where a 54-inch water main ruptured one year ago. - Last year’s transmission main break “changed how we assess and prioritize risk across the system,” says Peter Fromm, director of water transmission at GLWA. - Read Planet Detroit's tips for civic engagement on water infrastructure in Metro Detroit.
Detroit hazardous waste facility settles with residents for $2.3 million over ‘horrific odor’
Overview: - US Ecology Detroit South, which was granted an operating license renewal by the state in December, settles class action lawsuit with nearby residents. - The agreement requires the facility, on the edge of the Poletown East neighborhood, to invest at least $1.56 million to prevent and mitigate odors. - “It’s near impossible to entertain your guest(s) outdoors especially without subjecting them as well as yourself to this horrific odor,” says plaintiff Paul Burks.
‘There’s power in numbers’
This story was originally published by Capital & Main. When Ravina Turner, 53, started working for Michigan’s Home Help Program around 2015, she was just grateful to get paid. For years, she’d missed work to care for her daughter, Davina, who has Crohn’s disease and colitis. At first, the Home Help Program, run by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, paid her about $300 a month for her work, allowing her to scale back her hours as a nursing assistant.
‘There’s Power in Numbers’
Erika LaFountain, left, works as an in-home caregiver for Ricky Johnson in Jackson, Michigan. Although Johnson, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, needs assistance with daily tasks like bathing, dressing and cooking, he feeds himself, plays video games on his PS5 and drives his electric wheelchair. Photo: Alejandro Ugalde Sandoval.
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