WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Dale E. Kildee joined members of the House of Representatives to introduce a bill which would permanently ban oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes.  Kildee was joined by Representatives from Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio, as well as representatives of Great Lakes environmental and wildlife groups in introducing the bill.

“The environmental health of the Great Lakes is crucial to Michigan’s economy, through water, jobs, shipping, and jeopardize the region’s drinking water,” Kildee said. “Twenty-five years of current production have not produced enough energy to fuel American energy needs for even one day.  New drilling is not a gamble we want to take.”

Eight Great Lakes Governors signed a “statement of principle against oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes” in 1985.  This agreement was non-binding and only has the force of law if each state instituted statutes enforcing the ban.  Five Great Lakes states, including Michigan, have enacted permanent bans on providing new oil and gas drilling permits in state waters while other states have no bans. 

Congress first enacted a temporary ban on drilling in 2001, with two subsequent extensions.  The moratorium now in place is set to expire in 2007, however, no permanent ban exists.

The Great Lakes is the largest body of surface freshwater on the planet, and home to more than one-tenth of the population of the U.S. and twenty-five percent of the Canadian population.  The environmental risks to families who rely on the Lakes are small, but real.  Between 1973 and 2001, there have been an average of 135 oil spills per year in the Great Lakes, the largest being a 179,912 gallon spill in 1976.

“State legislatures change, administrations change, and policies change,” Kildee concluded.  “Congress has enacted temporary bans in the past, but we need a permanent ban to ensure that the health of the Great Lakes will be protected and enjoyed for generations to come.”