Senator Pavlov offered the following resolution:

            Senate Resolution No. 155.

            A resolution to urge the U.S. Secretary of State to re-open the public comment period for Plains LPG's presidential permit application for the pipelines under the St. Clair River and ask the International Joint Commission to review the environmental impact of the pipelines running under the St. Clair River and Detroit River.

            Whereas, Plains LPG Services purchased seven pipelines located beneath the St. Clair River and Detroit River in 2012 and requested the U.S. State Department approve presidential permits to connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities at the international boundary between the United States and Canada; and

Whereas, The State Department issued one permit for the pipeline located under the Detroit River and one permit for the six pipelines under the St. Clair River in 2014. When Plains LPG discovered that the former owner had a previously unknown permit to transport crude oil through two of the pipelines, the State Department rescinded the permit for the pipelines under the St. Clair River and restarted the review process; and

            Whereas, The public comment period for the revised St. Clair River pipeline permit closed on February 24, 2016. Notices for public comment are published in the Federal Register and are not highly publicized. Many people who have concerns about the pipeline permit only became aware of the application after the comment period closed; and

            Whereas, An oil spill in the Great Lakes would have catastrophic consequences for the environment and economy of Michigan, surrounding states, and Canada. A spill would be particularly devastating due to the challenges of responding to an oil spill in freshwater or under ice; and

            Whereas, The 2015 Michigan Petroleum Pipeline Task Force (MPPTF) recommended against the transportation of heavy crude oil through pipelines under the Great Lakes and issued a series of proposals for how the state could improve its oversight of pipelines generally, including recommendations to develop better information, response plans, public awareness, and agency coordination; and

            Whereas, The MPPTF Report was prepared in response to the Enbridge Line 6B rupture in 2010 and renewed attention to the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline running near the Straits of Mackinac, but the Plains LPG pipelines under the St. Clair River could potentially be even more dangerous, as two of the six lines are nearly 100 years old, and the permit, if approved, would allow for the transportation of crude oil; and

            Whereas, Not only could the rupture of these pipelines lead to disastrous consequences for agriculture, fishing, irrigation, electric generation, manufacturing, and wildlife, but the location of the Plains LPG pipelines poses a serious threat to the region's drinking water. The main drinking water intakes for Detroit and many other communities are located downstream of the pipelines, putting the public health of millions at risk; and

            Whereas, The transportation of hazardous liquids is an important issue that requires input from the public. The potential impact of a spill on the regional environment, public health, and economy would be significant, and decision makers should hear from the local communities before authorizing the transportation of potentially dangerous materials, especially when the company requesting the permit has recently been involved in a spill. After media reports surfaced about the permit application, many people and organizations have expressed serious concerns about the pipelines; and

            Whereas, Under federal regulations, the State Department is not required to conduct an environmental assessment if a company requesting a permit intends to operate the pipeline in essentially the same manner as the previous owner. The State Department has not conducted environmental assessments for the Plains LPG pipelines; and

Whereas, A pipeline owned by Plains LPG's parent company ruptured due to corrosion and discharged more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil in Santa Barbara, California, in May 2015. The company was unaware of the rupture for more than two hours which delayed coordinated efforts to limit the spill's impact on the area. Any permits requested by Plains LPG should be scrutinized particularly closely to ensure it does not repeat previous mistakes; and

            Whereas, Government officials and the public need to be well-informed in order to determine the merits of Plains LPG permit requests. Given the impact the pipeline could have on the United States and Canada, the International Joint Commission (IJC) would be an appropriate entity to conduct an objective assessment of the risks posed by the Plains LPG pipelines under both the St. Clair River and Detroit River; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate, That we urge the U.S. Secretary of State to re-open the public comment period for Plains LPG's presidential permit application and ask the International Joint Commission to review the environmental impact of the pipelines running under the St. Clair River and Detroit River; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the U.S Secretary of State.