Coast Guard sets up hub in Upper Peninsula to look at impact of oil spills in freshwater

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (AP) — Lake Superior State University in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula has been selected as a hub for a center that will look at the impacts of oil spills in freshwater environments.

The U.S. Coast Guard National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes also will help develop effective responses to spills, according to the school.

Federal legislation established the Great Lakes National Center of Expertise in 2018.

Lake Superior State is in Sault Ste. Marie and just off the St. Marys River which connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron. Lake Michigan is about 60 miles (96.6 kilometers) southwest of Sault Ste. Marie.

“Since we’re situated by three Great Lakes, ecological stewardship is one of our core values,” Lake Superior State President Rodney S. Hanley said in a release.

“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 our School of Engineering and Technology,” Hanley added.