Bill Text: MI HR0306 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to urge the Great Lakes states and province of Ontario to ban any new oil and gas drilling beneath the Great Lakes.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-06-24 - Reported With Recommendation Without Amendment [HR0306 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2009-HR0306-Introduced.html
Reps. Valentine, Warren, Scripps, Robert Jones, Miller, Kandrevas, Tlaib, Slavens, Liss, Kennedy, Byrum, Roberts, Meadows and Lisa Brown offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 306.
A resolution to urge the Great Lakes states and province of Ontario to ban any new oil and gas drilling beneath the Great Lakes.
Whereas, The Great Lakes are one of the largest freshwater resources in the world. Our freshwater seas provide drinking water for tens of millions of people and clean water for agriculture, industry, and businesses throughout the region. The lakes support billion dollar fishing, boating, and tourism industries and are an integral part of the way of life in the region; and
Whereas, An oil and gas spill from drilling in or under the Great Lakes would potentially devastate the Great Lakes and the businesses and people that depend on them. Despite assurances of the safety of oil and gas drilling in the lakes, the recent disaster in the Gulf of Mexico demonstrates the inherent risk in any oil and gas drilling in or under water, and the catastrophic impacts on fish, wildlife, water quality, and the people who value and rely on these resources. The potential impact far outweighs any economic benefit from drilling; and
Whereas, The Great Lakes states and provinces should speak with a single voice and ban all future offshore and directional drilling beneath the Great Lakes. Similar to water diversions, the decision of any one state or province to allow oil or gas drilling has potential ramifications for all the Great Lakes states and provinces; and
Whereas, The Great Lakes states and provinces should not rely only on federal efforts to ban oil and gas drilling. State and provincial bans would bolster any federal bans in place and provide a further layer of legal protection against a disastrous oil or gas spill in the Great Lakes; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the Great Lakes states and province of Ontario to ban any new oil and gas drilling beneath the Great Lakes if they have not already done so; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the governors of Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, the premier of Ontario, and the Council of Great Lakes Governors.
