For More Information

Great Lakes Commission

Argus II Building
400 Fourth Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: 313-665-9135
Fax: 313-665-4370
E-mail: glc@great-lakes.net
Web: www.glc.org
What is the GLSPI?
Council of Great Lakes Governors
Launched in May 1992, the Great Lakes Spill 35 East Wacker Drive
Protection Initiative (GLSPI) Suite 1850
ensures that the Great Lakes are well Chicago, IL 60601

Great Lakes
protected from environmental damage Phone: 312-407-0177
from crude oil and petroleum product Fax: 312-407-0038
spills; and Web: www.cglg.org
provides for a strong regional economy

Spill Protection

by promoting cooperative approaches to
Visit the GLSPI online at
spill protection between the public and
private sectors. www.cglg.org/projects/spills
The initiative is a partnership between the
governors of the Great Lakes states and the
CEOs of Amoco Oil Company, BP America,
Initiative
Marathon Oil Company, Mobil Oil Corpora-
tion, Sun Oil Company and Total Petroleum.
To expand dialogue and opportunities for
cooperative approaches, the GLSPI member- Federal and state agencies and
ship was expanded in 1995 to include federal
and state agencies. major petroleum companies
The unique nature of this public/private working together to
partnership serves the petroleum industries
and state and federal agencies need to address protect the Great Lakes
spills-related issues vital to the environment,
economy and quality of life in the Great Cover photo credit: Lake Michigan beach, Michigan Travel Bureau.*

Lakes region.
* Courtesy of U.S. EPA GLNPO, Visualizing the Great Lakes, www.epa.gov/glnpo/image/.

Printed on recycled paper. Great Lakes Commission, 5/97

The Petroleum Industry Cooperation Yields
The Great Lakes region is a major population
Great Lakes Environment Results
Precious and unique, the
and manufacturing center with the ability to Great Lakes environment provides a Enhancing spill protection programs
refine and consume billions of gallons of petro- home for migratory waterfowl, through the sharing of information, exper-
leum each year, as indicated in the charts below. many endangered plants and iences, operating practices and technologies is
animals, and a thriving fishery. central to the mission of the GLSPI. These
1995 Consumption The lakes are a source of cooperative efforts
drinking water for millions
of people and constitute promote voluntary industry standards;
the largest system maintain open lines of communication
of fresh surface
between industry and regulatory groups;
water in the world.
Even small spills can
and
cause extensive foster economic development and envi-
damage to ronmental protection in the Great Lakes
the freshwater region.
environment.

Photo credit: Great Blue Heron, Don Breneman.*

Collaboration between the petroleum indus-
try and government regulators makes good
economic and environmental sense. Realizing
1995 Refining Capacity this, the GLSPI partners provide a forum for
public/private sector information exchange
and discussion on
the environmental and economic value of
the Great Lakes region;
all spills were small in volume, averaging less the need for safe production, transport
than 350 gallons each. Yet it is the larger spills and storage of petroleum products;
of 10,000 gallons or
more that are of special ways to enhance
concern, due to their and streamline
greater potential to cause oil-related
economic loss and programs and
Millions of gallons of petroleum products are environmental damage. regulations; and
transported daily in the region via pipelines, An average of 25 such the critically
tankers and trucks in order to meet consumer spills occurred each year important role
and manufacturing demands. between 1991 and 1995, of spill preven-
With such large quantities of product moving averaging slightly more tion, planning
through the region on a daily basis, spills do than 100,000 gallons of and response.
occur. Between 1991 and 1995, 98 percent of product per spill.