MichiganRadio

840,000 Gallons of Oil Leak into Kalamazoo River Tributary ANN ARBOR, MI (Michigan Radio) - An estimated 20,000 barrels of oil have spilled into Talmadge Creek in Calhoun County. Officials say some of that oil has already made its way into the Kalamazoo River.

The company responsible for the spill is Canada's Enbridge Energy Partners. The underwater pipeline runs from Indiana through west Michigan up into Ontario.

Mary Detloff is with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. She says Enbridge is paying for the cleanup:

"They have vacuum trucks at the site and they are basically literally vacuuming up the oil off the water."

Congressman Mark Schauer represents Calhoun County where the spill occurred. He says he has spoken to President Obama about the emergency and that federal agencies are on the scene.

Schauer says about 20 families have voluntarily evacuated their homes becomes of the spill.

The EPA is monitoring air quality in the area.

Contact Jennifer Guerra at guerraj@umich.edu
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