The Michigan Senate is making a grave mistake by allowing oil drilling in the Great Lakes.

The Senate passed two bills supporting drilling in May, with backers split evenly along party lines. All in favor of the bills are Republican; all the Democrats dissent.

Supporters say the directional drilling will not harm the environment and will instead lower gas prices and decrease dependence on foreign oil.

But Democratic lawmakers insist drilling would not lead to any noticeable decrease in gas prices.

Environmentalists argue while directional drilling may seem safe, there are long-term consequences.

Directional, or slant drilling, is necessary to extract oil from the Great Lakes because offshore oil platforms are prohibited. It would involve a base about 1,500 feet from the shore and drill outward.

From the Republican viewpoint, it may appear there are no risks. In fact, if all precautions are taken, drilling may be safe.

There are many regulations that must be followed to ensure safety.

The Michigan Environmental Science Board has made several recommendations for shoreline drilling, but the state has not adopted all of those recommendations.

Mostly safe is not good enough. Imagine if your doctor told you he took “most” of the necessary precautions during your surgery. The environment needs to be treated the same way.

Republican lawmakers have even gone so far as to say directional drilling would be beneficial for the lakes themselves.

That’s amazing. Not only do they think it’s safe, but now drilling is actually helping the Great Lakes.

Looks like directional drilling should be the next step for improving the environment.

Besides safety, drilling rigs are unsightly. Senators from inland counties won’t feel the effect of the drilling. It’s funny how when things start happening in your own backyard, you start to care.

The positive impact of shoreline drilling is not likely to be great. It is unknown how much oil is under the Great Lakes, and the oil that is there is unlikely to make a large impact anyhow.

The impact it will have will affect the tourist industry. Tourists climbing sand dunes don’t want to look at oil rigs 1,500 feet offshore.

As it turns out, most Michiganians don’t support these bills.

A February poll by the Lansing-based firm EPIC/MRA showed 56 percent of Michigan residents oppose the bills, while 32 percent are in favor of them.

The Senate seems to think it’s acting in favor of its constituents. Maybe it should listen a little more closely.

Yes, we’re all sick of high gas prices, but we can’t take it out on our lakes. It’s pathetic we would want to trash our Great Lakes to fuel our sport utility vehicles.

The lakes are one of Michigan’s most valuable resources, and should be treated as such.