Lawmakers want delay on permit for piping oil beneath river

(AREA) — Two members of Congress want the Obama administration to put the brakes on a move to allow piping of crude oil beneath the St. Clair River through lines that are nearly a century old. Houston-based Plains LPG is applying to move the oil through two pipelines that run from Marysville, Michigan, to Canada. Because they cross an international border, the U.S. State Department has jurisdiction over the matter. The lines were constructed in 1918. A 30-day public comment expired quietly last week with very little feedback. In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Representatives Candice Miller and Debbie Dingell say the proposal has caught many Great Lakes advocates by surprise. They ask him to suspend the permitting process and give more people time to comment.