U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) will convene a field hearing titled, “Pipeline Safety in the Great Lakes: Incident Prevention and Response Efforts at the Straits of Mackinac,” on Monday, August 20^th, at 10:00 a.m. in Traverse City, Michigan. The hearing will focus on  federal oil spill prevention efforts, preparedness and response capability in the event of an oil pipeline break in the Straits of Mackinac. Line 5, the 65-year-old pipeline crossing the Straits of Mackinac, has been the subject of multiple safety concerns, including damage from anchor strikes.

Peters is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and serves as Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security. The Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the federal agency tasked with overseeing pipeline safety throughout our nation’s extensive pipeline system, including the Great Lakes. It also has jurisdiction over the U.S. Coast Guard, which plays a leading role in overseeing the federal and state response to oil spills, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which provides scientific support for oil spill prevention, response and restoration.

 
Witnesses:

Panel I:

• The Honorable Howard “Skip” Elliott, Administrator, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
• Rear Admiral Joanna Nunan, Ninth District Commander, United States Coast Guard
• Mr. Scott Lundgren, Emergency Response Division Chief, Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Panel II:

• Mr. David Bryson, Senior VP Operations, Liquid Pipelines, Enbridge Inc.
• Mr. Michael Shriberg, Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Regional Center
• Mr. David Murk, Manager of Pipelines, Midstream and Industry Operations, American Petroleum Institute
• Mr. Chris Hennessy, Business Development Representative, Michigan Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET)
• Mr. Larry Bell, Founder and Owner, Bells Brewery

* Witness list and panels are subject to change.

Hearing Details:

Monday, August 20, 2018
10:00 a.m.
Full committee

The Dennos Museum Center
Milliken Auditorium
1701 E. Front Street (For GPS Directions, enter: 1410 College Drive)
Traverse City, MI 49686  

Witness testimony and opening statements will be available on www.commerce.senate.gov. Media interested in attending the event should contact Allison Green or Zade Alsawah atmedia@peters.senate.gov.