Oil pipeline that fouled Kalamazoo R. has dent under St. Clair River

[Bozita]

Source: Detroit Free Press

Posted: 11:23 a.m. Aug. 25, 2010
Oil pipeline that fouled Kalamazoo R. has dent under St. Clair River
By TODD SPANGLER
FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF


WASHINGTON – A pipeline that spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil into a tributary of the Kalamazoo River late last month has a dent in a section that runs under the St. Clair River where it crosses from southeastern Michigan into Canada, a Michigan congresswoman revealed Wednesday.

Officials with Enrbidge Energy Partners, the Canadian-based company that owns the pipeline, told U.S. Rep. Candice Miller of the dent in the line in her district in a letter last Friday.

Miller, a Harrison Township Republican, on Wednesday called for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to expand the scope of its Sept. 15 hearing beyond looking into the pipeline rupture that occurred last month near Marshall in mid-Michigan, saying the Enbridge letter indicated the company “has not yet developed a long-term remediation plan” for the section of Line 6B crossing beneath the St. Clair River because of difficulties in accessing the site.

In the letter to Miller, Enbridge official Steve Wuori assured the congresswoman that once the dent was found in the pipeline under the river, the company reduced pressure in the line and took other measures to make sure it was safe to operate until it can be fixed or replaced. Enbridge had earlier notified federal officials of hundreds of anomalies found in Line 6B through testing, though all were east of the spill site in mid-Michigan.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20100825/NEWS06/100825030/1318/Oil-pipeline-that-fouled-Kalamazoo-R.-has-dent-under-St.-Clair-River

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Scary stuff!

[Phil The Cat]

1. As F-ed up as the Gulf spill was

It happened deep underwater in a body of water containing 300 million times as much water as oil, and in an environment that has evolved to deal with it!

The Kalamazoo River and the Great Lakes, particularly downstream from the St. Clair River, don't have that luxury! Most of the drinking water for Metro Detroit comes from that source!

Even a "modest" leak would screw A LOT OF THE GREAT LAKES ENVIRONMENT up!

[Bragi]

2. No reason for alarm

Now that we know from the Gulf that oil just evaporates in water once it is treated with dispersents, I see no reason for panic.

We also now know that to deal with any problem where oil threatens a water ecosystem, all you need to do is to fire the most high-ranking executive in the guilty firm who speaks with a funny accent, and it's problem solved.

So just relax. Here, have a jelly bean.

[Phil The Cat]

3. Too funny!

And yet, sad!

And, for yours truly, scary!

I've already drank (and bathed in, and washed dishes for my shipmates in) water that was polluted by diesel fuel!

I would rather pass on a re-run!

[Robbien]

4. As bad as BP is, Enbridge is much much worse

Every pipeline Enbridge controls is substandard and left unmaintained. The Great Lakes region is going to be the New Nigeria in a few years. Just a bunch of busted leaky pipelines.

[4_TN_TITANS]

5. "Enbridge official Steve Wuori assured the congresswoman "

Is this guy's name pronounced like "worry"??? Mr. Wuori told them not to worry? You can't make this shit up....