Great Lakes Coast Guard Center of Expertise to be headquartered at Lake State
SAULT STE. MARIE — Lake Superior State University has been selected as the hub for the U.S. Coast Guard National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes and the home to its supervisor.
In 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard told Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) during a hearing that it was not prepared for an oil spill in the Great Lakes, citing a lack of science and research. The year after, Peters secured over $4 million for the initiative and passed legislation into law establishing the Great Lakes National Center of Expertise. The pandemic forced the Coast Guard to delay a decision on an on-site location and formal establishment of the National Center of Expertise. A location was finally able to be determined as a result of Peters’ support.
“An oil spill in the Great Lakes would be catastrophic for Michigan and the country — that’s why we must do everything possible to protect them for future generations and improve our preparedness,” said Peters, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. “I worked to establish the Center of Expertise to better prepare against any potential oil spill in freshwater environments and I’m pleased that it will be based in Michigan.”
The Great Lakes National Center of Expertise is partnering with Lake Superior State University, which will serve as the hub of the Great Lakes National Center of Expertise, and home to its supervisor, the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, and the Coast Guard. The Great Lakes National Center of Expertise will examine the impacts of oil spills in freshwater environments and help develop effective responses. This work will prove to be critical in protecting the Great Lakes as current oil spill response technologies are not designed for freshwater environments.
Lake State President Dr. Rodney Hanley said in a press release that Lake State is honored to be chosen as the hub for the U.S. Coast Guard National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes and as the home to its supervisor. Since the university is situated by three Great Lakes, he explained that ecological stewardship is one of the school’s core values. Environmental sustainability, community partnerships, and governmental alliances are touchstones of its strategic plan.
“This opportunity will provide important real-world, hands-on teaching and learning for students, faculty, and staff in our School of Natural Resources and Environment and, as importantly, underwrite several research positions at our cutting-edge $14 million Richard and Theresa Barch Center for Freshwater Research and Education facility,” said Dr. Hanley in a press release. “This collaboration furthers the longstanding relationship that Lake Superior State University … has with the area Coast Guard. Most of all, this effort not only leverages but also expands part of Lake Superior State University’s mission to enhance the quality of life of the Great Lakes region.”
Admiral Karl Schultz, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, said the Coast Guard is proud to partner with Lake State and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory to further research into detecting and responding to oil releases in the Great Lakes and protecting the largest fresh surface water system in the world.
“We are excited to hear about the plans for the new U.S. Coast Guard Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Response and Research and Sen. Peters was instrumental in making this center a reality,” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administrator. “Co-locating Coast Guard staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility in Ann Arbor will enhance collaboration and foster real progress for a more prepared Great Lakes region.”
The Coast Guard National Center of Expertise will focus on different aspects of the Coast Guard’s marine safety mission. Among other issues, the Coast Guard National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes is responsible for:
- Identifying gaps in Great Lakes oil spill research, including providing assessments of major scientific or technological deficiencies in responses to past spills in the Great Lakes and other freshwater bodies and seeking to fill those gaps as well as monitoring and assessing the current state of knowledge regarding freshwater oil spill response technologies
- Conducting research, development, testing, and evaluation for freshwater oil spill response equipment, technologies, and techniques to mitigate and respond to oil spills in the Great Lakes
- Helping train first responders on the federal, state and local level on the incident command structure system and response technologies and strategies
- Working with academic and the private sector to develop and standardize maritime oil spill response training
“We are thrilled that Lake Superior State University’s new Center for Freshwater Research and Education has been selected to host the Great Lakes National Center of Expertise,” said Dr. Ashley Moerke, director of the Center for Freshwater Research and Education at Lake State, in a press release. “It will play an important role in building research capacity and response preparedness in a unique region of the Great Lakes with critical infrastructure and ecological systems, and we are looking forward to supporting this important initiative.”
For more information about Lake Superior State University, visit www.lssu.edu.
