Oil Dangers Migrate from the Gulf to Great Lakes

Posted by EcoFriendly

Aug 4

The “Summer of Slick” raged on last weekend when another oil spill of record proportions struck the small town Marshall, Michigan. While the BP oil spill officially sets the world record for the worst accidental oil spill in history, an Enbridge pipeline running from Ontario, Canada through southern Michigan on its way to Chicago-land is now responsible for the worst spill in Midwest history.

michigan oil spill

Enbridge Inc., which, among other things, operates the world’s longest crude oil and liquids pipeline located in Canada and the United States (Wikipedia), also deals in green energy. The company is currently constructing North America’s largest photovoltaic installation with First Solar in Sarnia, Ontario, CA.

Partially-owned subsidiary Enbridge Energy Partners owns and operates the leaky underground pipeline in Michigan.

However, the 80 megawatts of clean solar energy the Sarnia Solar Project will eventually produce are currently clouded by the more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into a creek in Marshall, MI. That creek runs to the Kalamazoo River, which runs westward to Lake Michigan.

Unsurprisingly in these days of jaded realism about the oil industry, Enbridge’s response to the spill has been called into question. Governor Jennifer Granholm has received loud complaints about government and company reaction to the leak, which by Monday had spilled oil over a dam less than 60 miles from Lake Michigan. “The situation is very serious,” Granholm said in response to promises that more resources would be sent to stop the flow of oil. “The new resources that have been provided so far are wholly inadequate,” she added.

michigan oil spill

The smell of oil is reportedly quite strong in the Marshall area, as residents are being warned to stay away from the Kalamazoo river. No boating, swimming or fishing is allowed. That smell is also highly toxic due to the high levels of benzene in crude oil. The presence of a strong odor is another reason locals are questioning Enbridge’s response to the spill. One resident reported smelling the strong odor of oil on Sunday morning while heading into Marshall for groceries, yet Enbridge did not report detection of the spill until about 10:30 a.m. the following day (KBOO Community Radio).

Whether Enbridge’s negligence is criminal in nature, as evidence in the Gulf against BP suggests, or not, the Enbridge spill is even further evidence of our need to ween off fossil fuels. Let’s also remember the Chevron oil spill in Utah less than two months ago. And let’s hope that the Summer of Slick ends soon. And hope that endless summers of solar power and other renewable resources follow in its wake.

Author’s Note: This story is especially close to me, as I grew up in Calhoun County, Michigan, near the city of Kalamazoo. I actually held one of my first jobs in high school at a restaurant in the town of Marshall and have swam, fished and canoed down the Kalamazoo River. My heart goes out to those affected by yet another oil spill and I sincerely hope that officials and/or Enbridge are able to stop the flow of oil before it hits Lake Michigan, one of the country’s most beautiful coastlines (also very fun to swim in!). Cheers to Michigan for the state’s attempts to improve its renewable energy portfolio in recent years and may this travesty serve to accelerate that momentum.