Company says oil spill in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River contained, focus shifts to cleanup effort

Company says Michigan river oil spill contained

MARSHALL, Mich. — A Canadian company that owns the pipeline that leaked oil into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River says the oil has been contained.

Enbridge Inc. says on its website Friday its focus is shifting to cleaning up the spilled oil, which it estimates at 820,000 gallons. The Environmental Protection Agency puts the total at over 1 million gallons.

Officials say they don’t believe the oil will reach Lake Michigan, where the river empties. EPA says the oil appears to be contained near a spot on the river some 80 miles east of the lake.

Hundreds of workers are involved in the cleanup. Enbridge said Friday it has recovered 100,800 gallons of oil. The company says about 420,000 gallons are in a holding area and will be pumped into tanks.