About 200 emergency responders gathered July 19 in Rogers City to demonstrate equipment and share resources to improve oil spill response.
Bright green, environmentally-friendly dye was released into Lake Huron as part of the expo. Observers watched the dye to see how it spread through the water while drones flew above.
This was one of several demonstrations, which brought together government agencies, universities, private industries, and nonprofits.
Brian Streichert is an emergency manager with the US Coast Guard. He said the expo is part of a larger effort to improve emergency response to oil spills in the Great Lakes.
“When people look at a company or organization like the Coast Guard or EPA, they just see the title and they don’t understand all the people behind it," he said. "We all live here, in Michigan and the Great Lakes, and we want to see these taken care of too.”
The expo was the first of its kind. A Coast Guard representative said he hopes it can become an annual event.
