No-Spills History
After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, many Northern Michigan residents wondered what would happen here if a similar spill occurred in the Great Lakes.
A ship Captain from St. Ignace, Michigan, wondered the same thing. His name was Captain Harold Hulbert. He began doing something. He sent letters to shoreline communities asking them for support in planning for such an event. He was directed to the Emergency Management Division of the Michigan State Police, who in turn sent an announcement to the Emergency Management Directors of shorelines counties of the State's 7th District.
Their work led to the formation of the NORTHERN MICHIGAN WATERWAYS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPILL PLANNING COMMITTEE, later to be called No-Spills. On May 14, 1990, the first meeting of the No-Spills group was held. The purpose of the meeting was to identify players and assignments before a spill occurred. This would enable us on the Great Lakes to protect our waters and shores from such devastation.
Annual workshops were held for more than 35 years with a focus on government and industry coordination through communication, education and networking. Past workshops presented ideas for working collaboratively during times of environmental disasters, developed an awareness of current environmental response issues, displayed case studies and lessons learned and focused on the roles played by local, state and federal officials. Many guest speakers, covering a wide range of topics, have assisted us in our goal to maximize the ability to recover from hazardous spills on the Great Lakes.
No-Spills held the last conference in 2023 and has since struggled to stay afloat. With competing interests, retiring committee members and other similar conferences available today, No-Spills is continuing to operate a college scholarship program to promote education and training in the environmental response sector.
No-Spills is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
A ship Captain from St. Ignace, Michigan, wondered the same thing. His name was Captain Harold Hulbert. He began doing something. He sent letters to shoreline communities asking them for support in planning for such an event. He was directed to the Emergency Management Division of the Michigan State Police, who in turn sent an announcement to the Emergency Management Directors of shorelines counties of the State's 7th District.
Their work led to the formation of the NORTHERN MICHIGAN WATERWAYS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPILL PLANNING COMMITTEE, later to be called No-Spills. On May 14, 1990, the first meeting of the No-Spills group was held. The purpose of the meeting was to identify players and assignments before a spill occurred. This would enable us on the Great Lakes to protect our waters and shores from such devastation.
Annual workshops were held for more than 35 years with a focus on government and industry coordination through communication, education and networking. Past workshops presented ideas for working collaboratively during times of environmental disasters, developed an awareness of current environmental response issues, displayed case studies and lessons learned and focused on the roles played by local, state and federal officials. Many guest speakers, covering a wide range of topics, have assisted us in our goal to maximize the ability to recover from hazardous spills on the Great Lakes.
No-Spills held the last conference in 2023 and has since struggled to stay afloat. With competing interests, retiring committee members and other similar conferences available today, No-Spills is continuing to operate a college scholarship program to promote education and training in the environmental response sector.
No-Spills is a 501c3 non-profit organization.