ST. IGNACE, MI (AP)-- A company with oil pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac is working with researchers at Michigan Technological University to improve the monitoring of area water and weather conditions.
Enbridge Energy Partners LP announced Wednesday that it's sponsoring efforts by the school's Great Lakes Research Center to integrate another monitoring buoy into the Upper Great Lakes Observing System. Information that's collected is to be publicly available.
In a statement, Canada-based Enbridge and Michigan Tech say there previously have been limited real-time measurements in the environmentally and economically important section of the Great Lakes. The buoy will monitor weather and waves, as well as water flow.
The buoy is expected to be deployed this month.
Environmentalists have raised concerns about the pipelines at the Straits. Enbridge says they're safe.