WASHINGTON DC – A step toward banning oil and natural gas drilling within the Great Lakes or beneath the bottomlands was taken Thursday as the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee reported HJR GGG.

The measure comes nearly two months after a deepwater wellhead began spewing oil throughout the Gulf of Mexico. While Michigan has banned directional drilling in the Great Lakes since 2002, and there are federal restrictions in place, proponents said a constitutional amendment would give the lakes the most protection.

“This is simply saying there are some places that are too precious and the Great Lakes are one of them,” said Rep. Daniel Scripps (D-Northport), a lead sponsor of the legislation.

The committee also approved measures urging other Great Lakes states and the province of Ontario to ban any new oil and gas drilling in the lakes and include a ban in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (HR 303 , HR 306 , HCR 59 and HCR 60 ).

But some committee members wondered if the move was practical given Canada’s drilling operations in the lakes. Scripps said Michigan should take a leadership role and hope others will follow with a ban on new exploration.

Officials from the Michigan Oil and Gas Association were the only to oppose the legislation, arguing there is a significant difference between deepwater platform drilling in the gulf and drilling in the bottomlands of the Great Lakes.

Frank Mortl, president of the association, said their members have lived within the law’s restrictions, but the constitutional amendment goes too far. And he noted Canada has an 80-year history of natural gas wells in the lakes.

But environmental groups noted there are still risks involved.

The constitutional amendment received support from Clean Water Action, Michigan Environmental Council, Sierra Club and Michigan Boating Industries Association.

HJR GGG was reported on an 11-2 vote, with Rep. Kevin Daley (R-Arcadia Twp.) and Rep. Joseph Haveman (R-Holland) opposing.

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