oEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
For more information
If you litix e questions. com men is
i)i' need more information ahoul
the l-nbridue oil spill you can
conuicl
Don do lilnsio
!¦ PA Communily ln\ol\emenl
Coordinator
Cell Phone 3 12-34.i
Office Phone 12-KXft-43ft(>
deblasio don a epii uox
On the Web
I'lW has eslahlishetl a website ill
www epii uox enhricluespi 11 lo
proxide daily information about
llie response.
More contacts
Public
A loll-free number for the public
litis been established for this
emerueiicv Soo-.i()(i-(iS.i7
News iiiodin inoiiibors
S77-44I )-7l57
spill press a epti uox
Com in ii n ilv ccnlcrs
I'or claims. compensation and job
inlbrnuilion. e\ ery dtiy.
S a.in X p m
In Marshal I 333 S ktikimti/.oo
Axe
In I {tulle (reek 11 Y. \IicliiLian
Axe
Official Document Repository
Marshall District Library
124 \V (ireen St
Oil Spill: Changes Seen As
Cleanup Response Evolves
Enbridge Oil Spill
Marshall, Michigan September 2010
At about six weeks into the response to one of the Midwest's worst oil
spills, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 and its
assisting agencies have made significant progress in cleanup
operations. These measures have included removing the oil and sheen
and addressing vegetation and wildlife issues.
Residents of Marshall and Battle Creek, particularly those who live
closest to the spill site and Kalamazoo River, have already seen some
major changes in cleanup activity. More changes are being carried out
because school has resumed.
Changes highlighted
Some of the significant changes to the response activities in recent
days include:
• Sunday start times: Cleanup crews are starting work later on
Sundays in response to residents' concerns. Air boat
operations are not starting before 8 a.m. Residents should
expect to see fewer daily helicopter flights through the fall.
• Heavy equipment: Heavy equipment usage, such as
backhoes and dump trucks, will continue to be reduced over
the next few weeks. Most roads that had been closed or had
traffic restrictions have fully reopened. Where necessary,
roads will be watered for dust suppression.
• Reduced work hours: Cleanup crews are trying to take
advantage of daylight hours to get as much work done as
possible before the weather is too cold. Night crew work is
being reduced when possible. Around Talmadge Creek, the
goal is to pull back from night operations as soon as possible.
However, as daylight hours shorten over the next few weeks,
work days will be decreasing also.
• Baker Estates: The emphasis around this area will be on the
river and shoreline. There will be more workers on the banks
and on the river itself. This increase in activity is to try to
remove as much oil and sheen as possible before freezing
weather sets in.
• Nuisance reductions: Residents - especially those closest to
the river - have complained of odors, dust and noise. These
intrusions should continue to decline over the next few
weeks. As more of the contaminated soil is hauled away and
workers use absorbent materials to recover oil, odor problems
should drop dramatically. These cleanup activities will
probably continue until freezing conditions prevent work.
(continued on backpage)
-------
• Traffic adjustments: Because school has
resumed, traffic patterns - especially for
heavy equipment - have been modified to
minimize traffic in areas where children
are likely to be. Traffic has been rerouted
away from schools and the downtown
Marshall area. Less traffic in more densely
populated areas will improve safety risks.
Background
On Monday, July 26, 2010, Enbridge Energy
Partners LLP reported that a 30-inch pipeline
ruptured near Marshall, Mich. The company
estimates more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil
leaked into Talmadge Creek, a waterway that feeds
the Kalamazoo River. EPA has not been able to
independently verify this number. The spill
affected up to 30 miles of the Kalamazoo River.
The spill site, between Marshall and Battle Creek,
includes wetlands, residential areas, farmland and
businesses.
2
------- |