The 2010 accident was disastrous not only because of how much oil spilled but also because of the type of crude running through Enbridge Inc.’s pipeline. Diluted bitumen, a particularly toxic crude from the Canadian oil sands region, is so thick and tarry that it must be thinned with volatile chemicals before it can flow through pipelines.
Even then, the oil is too dense to float in the water, like conventional oil does when spilled. Instead, diluted bitumen sinks to the bottom, making it harder for workers to remove and retrieve.
"The Kalamazoo River still isn’t clean,” [5 years later ]Anthony Swift, who directs the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Canada Project, told OnEarth magazine. “The EPA reached a point where additional cleanup might do more harm than good. Much of the river is still contaminated.”
Canadian crude oil spilled into the river for 17 hours before Enbridge workers could shut down the line.
The Canadian energy giant has so far spent $1.2 billion to clean the 40-mile spill, an effort that wrapped up in late 2014. Enbridge and Michigan’s environmental agency will continue monitoring the river long-term for oil sheens, submerged oil and contaminated sediment, said Jason Manshum, an Enbridge spokesman.
