More than 800,000 gallons of oil spilled into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River on Sunday and Monday. The oil is a part of the eight million gallons that traverse the area each day en route from Indiana to the major refinery town of Sarnia, Ontario. A Canadian company, Enbridge Inc., owns the pipeline.
Battle Creek Enquirer
For those who don't know, the Kalamazoo River flows 166 miles across southern Michigan. The river has its origins in the south-central counties of Hillsdale and Jackson. Eventually, the river reaches Lake Michigan at Saugatuck.
Kalamazoo River: Wikipedia
Much of this oil comes from the Alberta tar sands via a complex network of pipelines. Susan Casey-Lefkowitz has a great post on this topic at the Natural Resources Defense Council:
Switchboard/NRDC
The problem, of course, is that local municipalities have almost no way of stopping pipeline construction because of federal law.
Note: Representative Mark Schauer (D/MI-07) is at the scene and released a statement that he will not rest until the company cleans up its mess.
"I am gravely concerned about this devastating oil spill that occurred here in Calhoun County. On behalf of the people of Marshall, Calhoun County and Michigan, I will not rest until the company takes full responsibility for cleaning up their mess and until federal, state and local agencies do their part to monitor and contain the spill and protect public safety," Schauer wrote in a statement. "In a disaster like this after extremely heavy rainfalls, every minute counts. My goal is to make sure there is an accurate assessment of the spill and that every necessary resource is brought to bear to contain the spill and minimize its impact."
Jackson Cit Pat
Michigan's 7th is a highly competitive district. Schauer is in the fight of his life this year against former Representative Tim Walberg. It appears that the oil companies have just delivered Schauer a major campaign issue.
Channel 7 in Detroit is reporting that this is the "Worst oil spill in Midwest history."
WXYZ/Detroit
Senator Carl Levin has released a statement on the spill:
"I am deeply concerned about the effects of the oil spill near Marshall, including the environmental impact and the disruption to residents and businesses. It is also deeply worrisome that the oil from the spill has made its way into the Kalamazoo River.
"My office has been in close contact with relevant federal agencies to make sure that those carrying out the cleanup have all the resources they need to complete the cleanup job as quickly as possible.
"For now, the focus is on limiting the damage and cleaning up the oil. It is also vitally important that the company responsible for the spill bear the costs of cleanup and that it compensate anyone who has suffered damages related to the spill. I will continue to do all I can to ensure that both the cleanup and the compensation of victims are quick and effective."
Levin on Spill
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has activated the state's emergency operations center. She is visiting the area and will address the spill during a speech tonight.
Lansing State Journal
Map of spill's movement along Kalamazoo River [via Lansing State Journal]:
Google Map: LSJ
Governor Granholm has declared the areas impacted by the spill as state disaster areas. Link to full text of declaration:
Calhoun Disaster Declaration