With national attention being paid to the Keystone XL pipeline, Michigan Democratic Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters have introduced amendments to the controversial legislation.
The first is the petroleum coke, or pet coke, amendment. Pet coke is the material left from refining oil. Senator Peters says the pet coke amendment would require studying the material to better understand the potential health effects and how to handle it properly.
The second proposed amendment calls for a review of the agencies who inspect pipelines. Senator Peters says it would ensure that the proper checks are in place to make sure they are doing their job up to standards and are provided with the resources they need.
Currently, there is a 60 year old pipeline in the Great Lakes that crosses through the Straits of Mackinac. Senator Peters says that protecting the Great Lakes and performing routine checks to make sure any environmental damage is prevented is important not only to Michigan, but the entire country. He hopes this amendment would help to secure the pipeline's safety.
While Senator Peters is against the Keystone bill, he said adding the amendments while the bill was already in motion made sense. He also noted he will also introduce a stand alone bill in the future.
*Listen to our story with Senator Gary Peters at 3 p.m. on Stateside
