# oil spill into the Kazoo?



## duxdog (Apr 13, 2008)

I just seen on CNN that a leaking pipeline dumped 840,000 gals. of oil into a feeder creek that runs intothe Kalamazoo river. I don't fish that area but thought maybe somebody over there had some heads up?


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## KWB (Mar 1, 2009)

sad, so so sad...


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## djmoore34 (Dec 31, 2008)

My son and nephew fished that stretch for smallies just this weekend. Despite the high/muddy water they were able to land a few fish in the three pound range. This spill could adversely affect a darn good fishery especially if it reaches past Allegan.


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

Another petroleum company with a dirty past!:rant:


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## Jman (Apr 26, 2010)

that is horible news


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Yep, 840k gallons of oil is heading downstream......:rant:

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/loca...creek/Oil-spill-spreading-toward-Battle-Creek


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## johnd (Mar 31, 2008)

Wood tv 8 says they figure saturday or sunday it will start dumping into lake michigan.


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## zig (Aug 5, 2009)

My office is on the Battle Creek River. There is oil in that river that you can easily see. You could smell it all over in town this morning. I had to go to Marshall today for a meeting and I drove over the Kalmazoo and you can easily see it in the Kalamazoo as well. From what I hear, the pipeline burst near a swamp and the oil ran into a creek. That might be why I also see it in the BC River. Not good.


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## Drisc13 (May 6, 2009)

got home late last night and could smell what I thought was tar---in BARRY county, 10 miles away from spill!!! I had no idea what happened until news this morning.

it's on Yahoo! homepage

looks like I'm calling off this weekends float from Ceresco to BC


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Not good at all.


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## Anglers (Jun 24, 2010)

Bummer :rant:


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## Queequeg (Aug 10, 2007)

This one is going to be tough to clean. Lot of marshland and shoreline. 

When it hits Lake MI...bad news.


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

Queequeg said:


> This one is going to be tough to clean. Lot of marshland and shoreline.
> 
> When it hits Lake MI...bad news.



and the fact that the river is high right now isn't gonna help the clean-up . Very depressing news.


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## WhiteTailHunter87 (Nov 29, 2008)

Hope they do some thing quick!!! :rant:


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## jimmyjette14 (Aug 25, 2005)

my house is on the river in Augusta. its for sale. what do you think my chances of a buyer now? what was a very pretty setting is a toxic mess:rant:


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Very sad. That river has a tragic past with all the paper mills that lined it's banks and who could forget the Allied paper mess where they had to dig up a creek bed! 
It was on the superfund list (might still be) but has been making sort of a comeback. I hope they can minimize the impact downriver somehow...


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## Big Bears BBQ (Sep 18, 2009)

This is just crazy and from watching the news it will be a long time for the clean up. They need to pay big time for this..........


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## JimP (Feb 8, 2002)

Queequeg said:


> This one is going to be tough to clean. Lot of marshland and shoreline.
> 
> When it hits Lake MI...bad news.


Pray for plenty of East winds if it does...not S-SW.
So many other beaches, rivers mouths, piers up the lake could add to the disaster.
Once out in the middle of Lake Mi then maybe those dispersants would keep it out there?


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## LushLife (Mar 3, 2008)

"It was on the superfund list" - the river is still closed upstream of Plainwell where they've been removing PCBs, and.....suspended the operations due to running out of $

we'll have to see how much Enbridge has in the corporate coffers....


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

Hey this is to the guys that live over there.

I am thinking once I am done with my move this weekend.Since I am laid off I figured why not try to get over there and lend a hand. Is there any info yet on where people can go and help? Also is there a truck stop close by that has showers and what not. I was planing on crashing in my truck while I was over there. 
__________________


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## mrjimspeaks (Aug 23, 2009)

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/m...an.News/US.DOT.warned.Enbridge.about.pipeline

They were warned in January about the pipe. Also Chicago's Mayor Daley is trying to raise a ruckus about the oil spill and has said its worse then Asian Carp. ****ing politicians spinning, and he's completely wrong especially if the carp go worst case scenario.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/m...an.News/US.DOT.warned.Enbridge.about.pipeline
An update. 
I like NPR.


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## mrjimspeaks (Aug 23, 2009)

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com...michigan-oil-spill-worse-than-asian-carp.html 
Here's a link to it


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

Made a trip today. See my assessment here:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=343124


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## Drisc13 (May 6, 2009)

Just got back from a quick tour of the area. The river itself is down about 6 inches in Battle Creek and in places a distinct oily mark can be seen on rocks and vegetation. On other spots it's hard to tell. Did see a couple oil soaked ducks in town. Channel 3 News is set up on the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers and from their video, some oil can be seen there. Booms are set in place on Jackson street in BC.

The small creek that the orignal spill occured (forget exact name, Talmridge or close) is just south of Marshall, very near I-69. If you drive I-69 you'll dozens of cleanup vehicles and some kind of pipeline station and you'll know your close (If you look on your Delorme maps you can see the pipeline run across the state). 

I believe the Kalamazoo is NOT contaminated where I-69 passes over it as the smaller creek goes under the highway (very hard to see) and then into the K-zoo on west side of the river. Does anyone know this for sure?? I just drove over it on Tuesday on way back from fishing near Coldwater and that's what it looked like in person and on map.

One of the things that bugs me is that they are taking donations for some basic things!!! I gotta believe a blank check for all of these materials should be written by the company and no one should have to donate a thing. Maybe they're taking the donations just so people can feel they are doing something, but it looks like they were ASKING for them.

Another thing that kinda bothered me was there was no DNRE representatives at the press conference held this afternoon. Seems like a pretty important event and pretty sure the E in DNRE is for Environment.

Finally, this is nothing like the asian carp. The oil WILL be gone...eventually. Once the carp are here, they're here forever. As bad as this is, the carp could actually be worse.


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## Drisc13 (May 6, 2009)

As for voluteering, they really are asking people not to touch animals. I will call the number provided to let them know of the ducks I saw, but they discourage any direct help. People feel like they want to help but this is a pretty toxic, heavy crude. I believe 60 houses were evacuated today due to poor air quality (benzene).

If I hear anything different I'll post. In meantime, more immediate info can be found on the Channel 3 website... "WWMT.com"


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## Jay Wesley (Mar 2, 2009)

Just made it home after spending the week in Marshall. Monday through Wednesday were horrific. I did not think that they were going to stop it before Morrow. By Thursday, things were looking much better and they got it contained near Augusta. The stretch between Battle Creek and Marshall is a mess. We surveyed Ceresco Impoundment on Thursday. We could not get on the river until then because benzene levels were so high. Our crew had to be accompanied with air monitors and had to where ty-vek everywhere they went (and we still do). The oil was really thick, especially in on the vegetation and wetlands. 

Good news is that we have not seen much of a fish kill. The turtles, muskrats, geese, and ducks are getting oiled up pretty bad. The old MDNR has spent the last three days rescueing as many as these critters as we can. The sad part is that we can't get to a lot of these animals because the conditions are so bad. So far we have surveyed the river from the oil source (Talmadge Creek) to about 3 miles downstream of Historic Bridge Park (Wattles Park). That whole section is heavily oiled. It does lighten up through Battle Creek and was basically just a sheen in the Augusta area today at road crossings and boom locations. 

The animal rehab center is filling up fast and they are building on. We are watching the dissolved oxygen levels. That is probably what would do the fish in if they drop when the oil starts breaking down. 

Glad to see it contained. I don't know how they will get the banks and wetlands cleaned up. Some areas the oil soaked vegetation goes back 50 to 100 ft from the river bank. 

Just about all of the CO's, Wildlife, and Fish folks from southern Michigan are working there so be patient if your needs are not being met.


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## Chawazz (Jun 25, 2006)

I live in the area, but have been staying out of the way. This morning I did a bike ride to see what was happening. First let me say there is a small army of people and equipment working on this mess. Trucks from all over with "Environmental this and that" on the side. Police are stationed around to keep gawkers (like me) and trouble makers (not like me) away from the workers. That's good. We should be thankful for the workers and the technology we have today to help minimize the impact. When I got near the feeder creek where the spill went into the Kalamazoo, the crew wasn't too happy I was there. I was not trying to interfere, just wanted to see what was happening. Anyway, not too much odor this morning, and the feeder creek seems to be running clear. 

It will be interesting to judge the long term impact. Hopefully, people will be able to use the resource again. Such a shame. We have had a community river clean up for years. Last year I waded that stretch near the bridges as part of the official clean-up, and found almost nothing to clean-up. The river was in great shape.

Enbridge has a big responsibility to manage (pay for). We'll see how it goes. And the root cause of failure and prevention will be interesting.


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

Thanks for the updates guys.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

please keep us posted as this thing will fall out of the news, if it hasn't already just with the weekend...

And if it's this bad in Kalamazoo, just imagine what it's been like in the Gulf-with their only saving grace that it happened 50 miles from shore...


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## Chawazz (Jun 25, 2006)

Went to the public information tonight in Marshall. It was a very well represented session. all the local media were there. Much was 'nice talk', but good to see the high powered people there. The EPA regional director (six state jurisdiction), Becky Humphries the MDNRE director, National Fish and Wildlife authorities as well as investigation teams and adminstrators from NHSTA and the DOT Pipeline safety authorities. The same organizations that investigate airline and vehicle problems have a branch for pipelines. 

The MDNRE has brought in extra Fisheries teams to monitor the river and the fish impact. They are really just starting. It will be a while before they know the longer term impact due to the disruption of the foodchain, but no big fish kills noted yet.

The clean up will take months; the root cause final report will be 12 -18 months out. They haven't dug up the damaged pipe yet, but at some point they will send it to the labs in DC to do the 'forensics'.

The local authorities are saying no boating, fishing, kayaking, swimming, or pulling out water for agricultural use for the river from Marshall down to the Morrow Dam near Kalamazoo. 

More oil will wash into the stream as rains come. There are 37 boom sites where they are containing the oil. Most are just downstream of Battle Creek. The oil sheen will be on and around the river to a while. And there really was no answers on how long the ban is on the river use.

Oh, yeah Enbridge was there, but did not speak at the session, just lots of nice, smiling people at an information booth with sufficient police protection.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

Ihave a friend with a place on the kzoo river, hope they get it taken care of.

While the EPA is around they should deal with this one from their hit list........Nobody else has been willing to cap it. Maybe you should do a story on it Linda, I could get pictures......I know the locational all too well.

Hartwick Trust Well #2

7/27/2010 5:30:42 PM
Abandoned, previously plugged (circa 1937) leaking oil well known as Hartwick Trust #2 (PN 3616). Location T24N, R4W, sec 31 nw nw nw _Lyon Township, Roscommon County, Michigan. Coordinates N 44.435285 W 84.855258 (NAD83). Well drilled in 1936 as a dry hole, however, intermittent leaking of formation fluid(oil, brine, gas) to surface within 20 yards of wetland directly contiguous to Cole Creek, a tributary to Dead Stream, a tributary to Muskegon River feeding Houghton Lake. The site is located within a National Natural Landmark. An exceptionally large example (one of the largest in the United States) of a northern white cedar swamp, considered to be the climax in bog forest development. Large white cedar swamps are disappearing, partially due to the demand for this timber product. Besides swamp forest, the Landmark contains approximately 800 acres of deciduous upland forest; shrubs and sedges bordering the lower reaches of Dead Stream; and the 60-acre Bear Lake, a bog pond bordered by an expansive sphagnum-heath mat. Leaking formation fluids are currently localized to an area around the exposed well casing. However, given the continued breakdown of plugging materials, previously used in the 1937 era abandonment, the possibility for the release to become exacerbated to an emergency level exists. Unchecked, a major release in the area will migrate toward Cole Creek, Dead Stream, Muskegon River and Houghton Lake 

http://www.feedage.com/feeds/1845155/epa-osc-website


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

Chawazz said:


> Went to the public information tonight in Marshall. It was a very well represented session. all the local media were there. Much was 'nice talk', but good to see the high powered people there. The EPA regional director (six state jurisdiction), Becky Humphries the MDNRE director, National Fish and Wildlife authorities as well as investigation teams and adminstrators from NHSTA and the DOT Pipeline safety authorities. The same organizations that investigate airline and vehicle problems have a branch for pipelines.
> 
> The MDNRE has brought in extra Fisheries teams to monitor the river and the fish impact. They are really just starting. It will be a while before they know the longer term impact due to the disruption of the foodchain, but no big fish kills noted yet.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the report. I was going to the meeting, but had an emergency come up, and had to take care of that instead.:sad:


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