Wildlife soaked in oil, odor spreads after pipeline leaks 840K gallons into Kalamazoo River

Michigan oil spill soaks wildlife, causes odor

MARSHALL TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Company officials say more than 800,000 gallons of oil have leaked from a pipeline into a creek that flows into the Kalamazoo River in southwest Michigan.

Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge Inc.’s affiliate Enbridge Energy Partners LP of Houston says the cause of the leak in the 30-inch pipeline Monday is under investigation.

Enbridge and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management says the pipeline pumps were shut down as soon as the leak was discovered.

The foul-smelling spill has killed fish and endangered other wildlife.

The pipeline carries about 8 million gallons of oil a day from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia, Ontario.

The oil spilled into Talmadge Creek, which flows northwest into the Kalamazoo River.