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Kalamazoo River Oil Leak Disaster: What you can do

Updated 9/12/10 @ 2:00 p.m. EDT

• UPCOMING EVENTS
• HOW TO HELP
• SPEAK UP!
• INFORMATION SOURCES

The Oil Disaster on the Kalamazoo River caused by Enbridge Energy's broken pipeline is already being described as the worst oil spill in history in the Great Lakes Region.  With at least 1 million gallons of crude oil flowing into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River, Sierra Club is working to find ways that you can help with clean up and with helping our country move Beyond Oil!  

Aerial photos taken on August 8th, including the photo at right, are available to view here. Many thanks to  LightHawk for providing the flight to allow these photos to be taken!

US EPA has posted photos links to photos they and Michigan DNRE have taken here.   Photos taken by Lucas Evans of the spill are here.  You can take action to get us beyond oil at the bottom of this page!

EPA Updated information: USEPA has now provided links to the Enbridge Cleanup Plan and Water Sediment and Sampling Data on its website.

 Map of Spill Area from Enbridge: Enbridge has provided us a map of the extent of the spill and the location of booms along the Kalamazoo River and Talmadge Creek. The map (dated 7/30/10) shows mileposts and major landmarks. USEPA REJECTS ENBRIDGE CLEAN UP PLAN - 7/31/10.  See EPA Disapproval Notice here.

SPEAK UP! Action Alerts for Breaking our addiction to oil and to deal with dirty fuels and pipelines:

• Tell President Obama: Let's Move Beyond Oil! The Kalamazoo River Oil Spill is another wake up call that our country must get off oil.  Please send a message TODAY to President Obama that this is the time to move beyond oil!

• Proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Project Across Canada proceeding despite statement company does not want "to be involved with a project that is opoosed and other concern to others."  The project is opposed by First Nations and environmental organizations. 

• Sierra Club Canada is fighting Alberta tarsands development, the dirtiest of fuels that is one liquid fuel sent through the Enbridge pipeline in Michigan.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Hearing on Oil Spill in the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Wednesday, September 15, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC

Congressmen Oberstar and Schauer hold a hearing on the Enbridge Pipeline oil spill on the Kalamazoo River. Check here to see if the hearing will be webcast.

Check EPA site or send email for details to Jeff Kelley of USEPA for updates on meetings and briefings

PROTEST OF OIL CONTAMINATION HELD ON BELLE ISLE AUGUST 5TH

For Michigan and the rest of America to get Beyond Oil, we need to start demanding change in every community and recognized we are all affected by dirty fuels extraction, transport and refining! 

In Detroit supporters of a Clean Energy Future brought the message of getting us Beyond Oil to the shores of the Detroit River at Belle Isle Park. 

The Marathon OIl Refinery in Detroit and refineries in Canada get some of their oil from the pipeline that burst in Marshall, MI, on July 25th.  

A push is on to bring more tar sands oil to our state for refining at Marathon, putting one of the dirtiest oils extracted into pipelines like the one that broke and contaminated miles of our waterways, hurt our wildlife and threatened the health of people living nearby.  

Find out about Sierra Club's Dirty Fuels Campaign and get involved in getting our country Beyond Oil!

Thanks to Italia Milan for providing these photos of this event!

HOW TO HELP:

Please check back regularly as we post updated information and ways to get involved! Officials are asking that people do not pick up and try to clean oil-effected animals themselves. Instead if you see an animal that needs help, call the Enbridge Oil Spill Hotline at 1-800-306-6837 to notify US Fish and Wildlife officials, who are running a rehabilitation center in Marshall.  

DONATIONS OF MATERIALS FOR WILDLIFE CLEAN UP : Crossroads Church and Ministries

Many thanks to Crossroads Church and Ministries at 717 US Highway 27, Marshall, MI Map Here  (.5 mile S of 1-94, exit 110, on west side of road)  which has been collecting materials for clean up since the start of the oil spill. Materials donated here will be transported by officials to the secure animal care center.  For more information please contact Steve Sachs at 269-274-3220 or Dave Jenkins at 269-579-4488, or check the Crossroads Church pages for more information 

• USEPA website:

  • US Environmental Protection Agency has set up an information page here and established a toll free number at 1-800-621-8431.  Also EPA is now soliciting submissions of innovative technologies and solutions to deal with the Enbridge Energy oil spill on the Kalamazoo river. State of Michigan websites:  Governor Granholm has announced a new website for the oil spill for information and updates on the Kalamazoo River oil spill.  There are also Twitter feeds from the state agencies here:  Michigan Emergency Management and Homeland Security Department Twitter feed; Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment Twitter feed; and Michigan Department of Agriculture Twitter feed. US Fish and Wildlife Service: Toll Free number for volunteers is the same as Enbridge: 1-800-306-6837.  Another number to check is (1-612-713-5640). Battle Creek Enquirer Oil Spill Page: Listing of many resources and updates, as well as articles,

  FACEBOOK PAGE: Kalamazoo River Oil Spill Group has a lot of people posting updates

  VOLUNTEER through HandsOn Battle Creek:

  • HandsOn Battle Creek is identifying volunteers to help with oil spill and collecting materials.  34 West Jackson Street, Suite 4a, Battle Creek (269) 966-4189 

  TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS can be made through the Community Foundation Alliance of Calhoun County to:

                 Kalamazoo River Environmental Relief Fund, PO Box 101, Homer, MI 49245

                 Contact Carol Petredean-DiSalvio, Administrator of the Fund, for more information.

INFORMATION SOURCES:

• USEPA web site on Enbridge Oil spill 

  • Community Outreach Information at EPA

• State of Michigan information site on Enbridge Oil Spill

• Midwest Energy News - an aggregator of energy news from around the region  

• Kalamazoo Watershed Council; Jeff Spoelstra 1-269-978-4606  

• Enbridge Energy's website for the Kalamazoo River Oil Disaster is here. Toll free number is 1-800-306-6837 and if you are able to volunteer to help with clean up this is reportedly the number to call.  They are looking for volunteers, but will start with individuals who have been trained in helping decontaminate wildlife.  We understand that they are expected to do trainings as well.  This number should also be used to call in sightings of damage.

Thanks to Emily Evers, Melissa Damaschke, Lucas Evans and Rita Chapman for updates.  Thanks for doing whatever you can to protect our precious water and wildlife!

If you have questions or suggestions please contact the Michigan Chapter office at 517-484-2372 or michigan.chapter@sierraclub.org