Legislators Voice Pros, Cons of Great Lakes Pipeline.

• Position: Brief Article

In the face of rising prices and consumer discontent, there's growing interest in drilling and piping natural gas from under the Great Lakes to offset shortages across the country. But Wisconsin legislators aren't too sure about those plans.

Senator Robert Cowles and Representative Jon Richards are sponsoring legislation that would prohibit drilling or construction of pipelines beneath Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Richards says that "energy companies are lobbying for more domestic exploration for gas and oil. Drilling, however, is a huge gamble and ... it does not make sense to put North America's largest source of fresh water--not to mention the people who use the lakes--at risk."

Michigan senators, meanwhile, have approved lifting the moratorium on new natural gas and oil drilling in that state's share of Lake Michigan, as long as the drilling is 1,500 feet from the shore. Senator Bill Schuette promises that there will be a number of safeguards to protect the Great Lakes from pollution. "There are tough and stringent requirements. What...