This oil spill is about 1/2 hour north of where I live. They have not yet determined what caused the oil pipeline to rupture, or how long the oil gushed out before it was discovered. It's a real mess and folks living along the river have had to leave their homes. They say the smell is just awful. :( And many of us didn't even know this oil pipeline existed!!
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/07/28/new-oil-spill-hits-kalamazoo-river/
Michigan and the Gulf Coast don't have much in common -- except a battle against oil-infused waters.
The Kalamazoo River is the new recipient of 800,000 gallons of crude oil, resulting from an underground pipeline in the Midwest, spanning across Canada and the United States. Estimates suggest approximately 19,500 barrels surged through the river and its surrounding area as a result. The pipeline is owned by a company called Enbridge Energy Partners. Discovered on Monday morning, the leak was plugged shortly thereafter as the pipeline's operators ceased oil flow through the line.
Several residents have been compelled to evacuate, and officials have closed access to the river. Cleanup efforts on behalf of Enbridge are now being doubled as federal and state officials begin the push to stop the oil's infiltration into the water before it hits a nearby lake.
Patrick Daniel, Enbridge's chief executive announced: “Our intention is to return your communities to its state before the spill”. He also offered: “We still have a lot to work to do.”
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/07/28/new-oil-spill-hits-kalamazoo-river/
Michigan and the Gulf Coast don't have much in common -- except a battle against oil-infused waters.
The Kalamazoo River is the new recipient of 800,000 gallons of crude oil, resulting from an underground pipeline in the Midwest, spanning across Canada and the United States. Estimates suggest approximately 19,500 barrels surged through the river and its surrounding area as a result. The pipeline is owned by a company called Enbridge Energy Partners. Discovered on Monday morning, the leak was plugged shortly thereafter as the pipeline's operators ceased oil flow through the line.
Several residents have been compelled to evacuate, and officials have closed access to the river. Cleanup efforts on behalf of Enbridge are now being doubled as federal and state officials begin the push to stop the oil's infiltration into the water before it hits a nearby lake.
Patrick Daniel, Enbridge's chief executive announced: “Our intention is to return your communities to its state before the spill”. He also offered: “We still have a lot to work to do.”
I also read about the recent oil pipeline leaks in China and another off the coast of Louisiana (to add insult to injury). 
