EPA Response to Enbridge Spill in Michigan

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EPA Response to Enbridge Spill in Michigan

EPA's Response to the Enbridge Oil Spill

Cleanup by the numbers

1,147,933 gallons of oil collected
17.0 million gallons of oil/water collected and disposed
186,108 cubic yards soil/debris disposed

From April 3, 2012, Situation Report

Response History

Enbridge Energy Partners LLP (Enbridge) reported a 30-inch pipeline ruptured on Monday, July 26, 2010, near Marshall, Michigan. The release, estimated at 819,000 gallons, entered Talmadge Creek and flowed into the Kalamazoo River, a Lake Michigan tributary. Heavy rains caused the river to overtop existing dams and carried oil 30 miles downstream on the Kalamazoo River.

As the federal agency in charge of the response to the spill, EPA assumed a leadership role in the Unified Command and mobilized an Incident Management Team made up of federal, state and local agencies.

On July 27, the day after the spill was reported, EPA issued a legal order under the authority of the Clean Water Act directing Enbridge to conduct removal actions. EPA also ordered the company to produce documents and information relevant to EPA's investigation into the source, extent and nature of the oil spill.

On July 28, 2010, the spill was contained approximately 80 river miles from Lake Michigan.

First Segment of Kalamazoo River Reopens

Map showing the river segment between Perrin Dam and Saylor's Landing.

At the April 17, 2012, community meeting, Calhoun County Health Officer Jim Rutherford announced the reopening of the approximately 3-mile segment of the Kalamazoo river from Perrin Dam to Saylor's Landing. Following the July 2010 Enbridge oil spill, the county banned public access to 39 miles of the river system to protect public health and safety during the ongoing cleanup.

Other segments may reopen this year depending on the results of the spring reassessment of the effectiveness of cleanup. Segment reopenings are also contingent on assuring the safety of recreational users and workers on the river.

Video of Regional Administrator Susan Hedman re-opening the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, Mich.

River Cleanup Targets Oil Recovery

Work on the Enbridge oil spill cleanup this spring is expected to focus on removing residual crude oil from targeted areas of the Kalamazoo River. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expects this will be better for the ecosystem than digging up sediment in large areas of the river.

Enbridge Energy Partners plans to do a third reassessment of the Kalamazoo River system once the results of two current studies are available.

Winter Cleanup Progress

Through the summer and fall of 2011, Enbridge cleaned up residual oil at overbank including several islands in the Kalamazoo River and in overbank ponds. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality also directed that tar patties be removed.

Toward the end of 2011, cold water forced a temporary halt to submerged oil recovery from the Kalamazoo River, Morrow Lake Delta and Morrow Lake. Since then, Enbridge completed recovery work at about 85 percent of the sites EPA identified in its Spring 2011 assessment.

By the end of March, Enbridge had restored Talmadge Creek and affected overbank areas of the Kalamazoo River.