Michigan submits public comment on proposed permit for crude oil transportation under St. Clair River

The Michigan Office of the Great Lakes recently submitted a public comment letter to the Department of State regarding a proposed Presidential Permit that would allow the use of six pipelines that run under the St. Clair River to transport crude oil.

“The State of Michigan is defined by the Great Lakes,” Jon W. Allan, Office of the Great Lakes Director, said in the letter, which was submitted on behalf of the state. “By implementing programs that provide for the protection, restoration, and conservation of the Great Lakes, the State of Michigan ensures that the chemical, physical, and biological integrity is maintained for valuable ecosystem services, human health, and enjoyment they provide.”

The permit, which would be issued to Plains LPG Services L.P., would allow the company to use the pipelines, two of which were built in 1918, to transport liquid hydrocarbons including crude oil. The letter delineates seven points that it would like addressed in relation to the permit, including inspections of the 1918 piplines, requirements for risk analyses, and notifications to the state required under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, amongst others.

“The state continues to have significant important unanswered questions about the integrity of the current set of pipelines (and/or liners) and their operations that cross the St. Clair River,” Allan said. "The state has spent considerable time and effort recently assessing the state and condition of the pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac — for which we still have outstanding questions — and seek due consideration of issues of material interest and concern for the state in this matter in the St. Clair-Detroit River System.”