What was the cause of Kalamazoo River oil spill?
A 6-foot (1.8 m) break in the pipeline resulted in one of the largest inland oil spills in U.S. history (the largest was the 1991 spill near Grand Rapids, Minnesota)….
| Kalamazoo River oil spill | |
|---|---|
| Cause | Ruptured pipeline |
| Operator | Enbridge Energy |
| Spill characteristics | |
| Volume | 877,000 to 1,000,000 US gal (3,320 to 3,790 m3) |
How did the Kalamazoo oil spill affect the environment?
What Were the Impacts? The pipeline rupture discharged oil into Talmadge Creek, which flowed and then along approximately 38 miles of the Kalamazoo River. The oil impacted over 1,560 acres of stream and river habitat as well as floodplain and upland areas, injuring birds, mammals, reptiles and other wildlife.
What are the causes and effects of oil spills?
Oil spills that happen in rivers, bays and the ocean most often are caused by accidents involving tankers, barges, pipelines, refineries, drilling rigs and storage facilities, but also occur from recreational boats and in marinas. Spills can be caused by: people making mistakes or being careless. equipment breaking …
What were the effects of the oil spill?
But when oil accidentally spills into the ocean, it can cause big problems. Oil spills can harm sea creatures, ruin a day at the beach, and make seafood unsafe to eat. It takes sound science to clean up the oil, measure the impacts of pollution, and help the ocean recover.
Is the Kalamazoo River polluted?
The Kalamazoo River is notable for the great tragedy of historical industrial pollution with some of the most extensive contaminated sediments in the U.S. It is perhaps surprising, then, that this watershed also harbors some of the best preserved examples of Midwestern United States habitats including headwater streams …
How much oil was spilled in the Kalamazoo River oil spill?
one million gallons
In 2010, a tar sands pipeline owned and operated by Enbridge, Inc, ruptured near Marshall, Michigan, spilling over one million gallons of oil into a tributary of the Kalamazoo River.
Is Kalamazoo River clean?
Beginning in the 1970s with the federal Clean Water Act, serious efforts were made to clean up the river. Although today the river is cleaner, the persistent PCB contamination has led to Superfund designation of a 35-mile (56 km) section from Kalamazoo to Allegan Dam.
What was the largest oil spill in the United States?
On April 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, operating in the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded and sank resulting in the death of 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon and the largest spill of oil in the history of marine oil drilling operations.
What are the effects of oil spills in the ocean?
Damage to Fisheries, Wildlife, and Recreation Oil spills present the potential for enormous harm to deep ocean and coastal fishing and fisheries. The immediate effects of toxic and smothering oil waste may be mass mortality and contamination of fish and other food species, but long-term ecological effects may be worse.
What are the effects of oil spills on marine life?
Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters, and the water repellency of a bird’s feathers, thus exposing these creatures to the harsh elements. Without the ability to repel water and insulate from the cold water, birds and mammals will die from hypothermia.
Is Kalamazoo Lake clean?
Although today the river is cleaner, the persistent PCB contamination has led to Superfund designation of a 35-mile (56 km) section from Kalamazoo to Allegan Dam.
Do people swim in Kalamazoo Lake?
People can still swim in the water, they can still paddle.”