Stabenow, Peters Draft Bill on Great Lakes Pipelines, Oil Shipping

WASHINGTON (WHTC) – Michigan’s two Democratic US Senators, Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, unveiled legislation that would ban shipping of crude oil on the Great Lakes and mandate a “comprehensive, top to bottom review” of the region’s hazardous material pipelines. The Pipeline Improvement and Preventing Spills Act would also assess the current status of oil spill response and cleanup plans This comes as calls by environmental groups continue for closing the Enbridge pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, claiming that its age makes it dangerous, although company officials say that it still remains sound.