Michigan oil spill worsens

Sometime between July 25 and 26 an oil pipeline in Michigan broke, spilling more than 819,000 gallons of oil into a creek that drained into the Kalamazoo River. Many say it is the largest oil spill in the history of the Midwest.

According to federal officials, more than 1 million gallons of oil has spilled into the Kalamazoo River, a major river in southern Michigan. A Canadian company, Enbridge Energy Partners, owns the pipeline. According to freep.com the company was warned twice this year because of the old pipe there was the possibility of it rupturing. There was also an inadequate system for monitoring internal corrosion -- which is a big threat for a pipeline. On Wednesday the Enbridge Energy Partners officials said the cause of the leak has not been determined and that they invest heavily in safety. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm angrily addressed the attempts to contain the oil flowing down the Kalamazoo River. She warned if the oil reaches Lake Michigan, which is still around 80 miles downstream from where the oils has been seen, it will be a “tragedy of historic proportions.” Saying the efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ( EPA) and Enbridge Inc., were “wholly inadequate” she has asked the for more from the help the federal government. mlive.com reports Granholm said in a teleconference with reporters, “I’m very angered. We need for the responsible party (Enbridge Inc.) and the EPA to step up. The situation is very serious.” A press conference was called off at the last minute by Enbridge which has angered residents who want answers from the officials. The company said the conference was canceled because of "scheduling conflicts." 6 News said they made numerous calls to Enbridge's media officials, but their calls were not returned. Woody Haroff who has lived on the Kalamazoo River for 15 years, said "It's just a very peaceful place out here, nice and serene, it's a nice place to come out and sit and enjoy wildlife." After rescuing 10 geese and two swans covered by crude oil , he says the serenity has been lost. Haroff added, "It's just heartbreaking to see the animals, these birds, these beautiful birds sitting on the ground helpless."