Officials in Michigan urged residents living near the Kalamazoo River oil spill to evacuate the area Thursday because of health concerns.
Between 30 and 50 homes are thought to be affected by the request, which was made by the Calhoun County Public Health Department.
Oil leaked Monday from a 30-inch pipeline owned by Enbridge Energy Partners. The oil is moving from Talmadge Creek into the Kalamazoo River, which flows from near the city of Battle Creek into Lake Michigan. The pipeline normally carries 190,000 barrels of oil per day from Griffith, Indiana, to Sarnia, Ontario.
The leak was stopped Tuesday, but not before an estimated 19,500 barrels of oil slipped out. The cause of the spill is under investigation.
Video: ‘All hands on deck’ in Michigan spill
Video: Massive oil spill in Michigan
RELATED TOPICS
Accidents and Disasters
Battle Creek
Lake Michigan
Oil Spills
“The Health Department is recommending evacuation due to the higher than acceptable levels of benzene found in air quality tests and the adverse long-term affect associated with exposure,” officials said in a statement.
Read more at
Source: cnn.com
Recent Comments