Contaminated drinking water news:

MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette file photoCrews work to clean up the Kalamazoo River at Morrow Dam last year.

MARSHALL, MI – The Michigan Department of Community Health released a report today that concludes drinking water remained virtually uncontaminated after the 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill.

The 75-page report details how the department tested wells along the Kalamazoo River spill site to check for exposure to harmful organic chemicals related to oil, finding nearly all wells were clean.

Read the report here.

A few wells did contain iron and nickel, two oil-related chemicals, although not at levels that would be expected to have health effects, according to the report.

The department is asking for public comment on the report. It is available for review at the Marshall District Library, 124 W. Green St., Willard Library, 7 W. Van Buren St., Battle Creek, and the Galesburg Memorial Library, 188 E. Michigan Ave. It also can be reviewed online.

Public comments must be received by July 25 and can be sent to Dr. Jennifer Gray, Division of Environmental Health, Michigan Department of Community Health, 201 Townsend St., Lansing, MI, 48913.

In a news release, the department promised to respond to every comment in the final report.

The released comes a day after the National Transportation Safety Board released more than 5,000 pages of raw documents detailing causes of the spill. A board spokesman told MLive a full report will will be released later this summer.

Drinking-water wells were not contaminated by the Kalamazoo River oil spill, state report says

By IanKullgren | ikullgre@mlive.comMay 22, 2012, 10:53AM

The 73-page report details how the department tested wells along the Kalamazoo River spill site to check for exposure to harmful organic chemicals related to oil, finding nearly all wells were clean.

Full story »

 
 

New federal documents released on Enbridge oil spill into Kalamazoo River

By Fritz Klug | fklug@mlive.comMay 21, 2012, 5:05PM

The 158 documents total more than 5,000 pages and are released pages have been released by the National Transportation Safety Board, which is conducting the study into the spill.

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Enbridge to replace pipeline that caused 2010 oil spill into Kalamazoo River

By IanKullgren | ikullgre@mlive.comMay 10, 2012, 7:45PM

Enbridge said the two-phrase project, which will entirely replace the company’s 6B pipeline that runs through lower Michigan and Indiana, is aimed at making the line more structurally sound and increase oil volume able to flow through the pipe.

Full story »

 
 

I cover government and politics for the Kalamazoo Gazette and MLive, including the Kalamazoo County Board, local state legislators and the 6th Congressional District — anything with a D or a R. I’m a graduate of Western Michigan University, where I studied Latin and Greek. I also shoot photos and videos.