Michigan oil spill threatens Great Lakes
As Gulf widlife still struggles to survive the Deepwater Horizon, spill, more bad news is being reported. There's a second, much smaller, gusher in the Gulf, caused by a boat accident. And now it looks like a third oil spill in Michigan is threatening more wildlife:
More than 800,000 gallons of oil spilled Monday into the Kalamazoo River, a major waterway that flows into Lake Michigan, about 60 miles away. The leak came from a 30-inch pipeline that carries millions of gallons of oil each day from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia, Ontario.
Response crews worked Wednesday to contain the oil spill, which had already reached at least 35 miles of the river and left fish and birds coated in oil.
On the river on Wednesday, Dan Backus arrived at his favorite fishing spot and found black water and oil-soaked plants. Looking out at the damage from the spill, he mourned the loss of fish and vegetation.
“It’s all destroyed,” said Mr. Backus, 64. “I’m just sick about it.”
The city had worked hard over the years to restore the once dirty river, he said.
“This river has bounced back from being mistreated in decades past,” he said. “We even had bald eagles come back. Now this is such a setback.”
Officials have opened a rehabilitation center for birds and other wildlife.
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