| Friend –
The Great Lakes are more than an economic engine and ecological treasure: they are simply in our DNA as Michiganders. That’s why I was alarmed when the Coast Guard told me that they were unprepared to deal with oil spills that occur in freshwater environments – and that more science and research was needed around the issue. This puts the Great Lakes, and the businesses and communities that depend on them, at risk.
As a result, I set out to create a new Coast Guard National Center of Expertise – to help us learn more about cleaning up oil spills in freshwater. After my bill establishing the Center was signed into law, I secured the funding needed to get the Center up-and-running.
I recently announced that the Coast Guard National Center of Expertise to help research freshwater oil spill response will be based in Michigan. Click here to watch.
And now: I’m pleased to announce that the National Center of Expertise will be based in Michigan with dual locations: Lake Superior State University (LSSU) in Sault Ste. Marie, and the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor. The LSSU location will serve as the hub and home to its supervisor – with close proximity to areas of concern like the Straits of Mackinac, while the Ann Arbor location will build on ongoing research and collaboration related to the Great Lakes. Through these partnerships, the Center of Expertise will examine the impact of oil spills in freshwater, develop new technologies and equipment for responding to oil spills in the Great Lakes, and train first responders.
Whether it’s through advocating for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative – or boosting our preparedness to respond to crises – I will keep working to protect the Great Lakes for generations to come.
Thanks for reading,
Gary Peters
United States Senator for Michigan |
