July 29, 2010
Oil Spill in Michigan
Detail Map of Southwestern Michigan
A state of emergency has been declared in southwest Michigan’s Kalamazoo County.
Last Monday, July 26th, 2010, more than 800,000 gallons of oil have leaked into a local creek when an oil pipeline sprung a leak. The pipeline is owned by Enbridge Energy Partners, of Houston.
The oil is now heading downstream the Kalamazoo River.
Kalamazoo River flows into Lake Michigan only 60 miles away in the town of Saugatuck.
The pipeline has been shut down, but the damage is already done. Officials are fearing contamination of local water supplies. Residents of the area have reported strong noxious fumes, and wildlife soaked in oil.
My daughter Nena and her fiancé Peter have been staying in our cottage near Lake Michigan, not far from the spill. They had planned to move to New Orleans in the fall, but I was trying to dissuade them.
Worried about health effects from the oil spill, I believed it would be much safer for them to stay in Michigan.
Source: Kalamazoo Gazette
Source: The New York Times
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