Michigan: 800,000 Gallons of Oil Spill After Pipe Breaks

[KissMy]

Michigan: 800,000 Gallons of Oil Spill After Pipe Breaks

Crews were working Tuesday to contain and clean up more than 800,000 gallons of oil that poured into a creek and flowed into the Kalamazoo River in southern Michigan, coating wildlife. Battle Creek and Emmett Township authorities warned residents about the strong odor from the oil, which leaked Monday from a pipeline that carries about eight million gallons of oil a day from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia, Ontario. The pipeline company, Enbridge Energy Partners, said the oil spilled into Talmadge Creek. As of Tuesday afternoon, oil was reported in about 16 miles of the Kalamazoo River downstream of the spill. Representative Mark Schauer, Democrat of Michigan, called the spill a “public health crisis,” and said he planned to hold hearings to examine the response. The spill’s cause is under investigation.

 

[Epsilon Delta]

Well, there you have it. We should start betting rings on where it happens next.

 

[R.C. Christian]

I guess Obama and Michelle won't be vacationing there.

 

[KissMy]

Michigan declares pipeline spill a disaster area

DETROIT - Governor Jennifer Granholm declared a state of disaster on Tuesday for an area along the Kalamazoo River in south-central Michigan where an oil pipeline leaked 19,500 barrels of oil.

The spill, reported on Monday morning by Houston-based pipeline operator Enbridge Energy Partners, came in a 30-inch, 190,000 barrels per day line transporting crude oil from Griffith, Indiana, to Sarnia, Ontario. The company, a unit of Enbridge Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, said the cause of the spill was still being investigated and it was co-operating with authorities on the investigation and cleanup efforts.

There were no injuries reported but two homes in the area were evaculated on Monday, authorities said. Oil spilled into Talmadge Creek, which flows northwest into the Kalamazoo River. Emergency response crews began working on Monday along the creek and river to contain the oil.

A temporary dike and flume arrangement was in place near the origin of the leak, blocking oil from reaching the tributary creek, the pipeline operator said on Tuesday. Volunteers on Tuesday worked to clean Canadian geese and other birds soaked in oil from the spill.

"Crews worked through the night on containment, including the use of booms, oil skimmers and vacuum trucks," said Stephen J. Wuori, Executive Vice President of Enbridge Inc. The pipeline is part of Enbridge's Lakehead system in the U.S., which connects to other Enbridge pipelines in Canada.