In 2018, the International Joint Commission’s Great Lakes Science Advisory Board published a report that helped define the damage possible if there was a crude oil pipeline spill. Researchers used ecological impact data from ocean spills, such as the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, and two freshwater spills, including the Kalamazoo River crude oil spill in 2010.
The committee found that all levels of the aquatic ecosystem would be affected by a crude oil spill, along with drinking water for many of the 40 million people who depend on the Great Lakes. This map highlights the 15 locations around the lakes that have the most vulnerability to an oil spill. Researchers analyzed the amount and type of oil spilled, the exposure, sensitivity, and the resiliency the area has when confronted with crude oil. Many of the habitats are home to wild rice, lake sturgeon and trout populations, and coastal wetlands, all of which are ecologically vulnerable to a spill. Map by Cayla Anderson © Cayla Anderson / Circle of Blue