12°c Light drizzle
17°c Mainly cloudy
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
U.S. agency orders Enbridge to dredge Kalamazoo River two years after oil spill
VANCOUVER - More than two and a half years after a Canadian pipeline rupture spilled heavy oil into a Michigan River, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ordering Calgary-based Enbridge (TSX:ENB) to perform additional dredging to remove submerged oil.
The agency said it has repeatedly found oil in sections of the Kalamazoo River.
"The dredging required by EPA's order will prevent submerged oil from migrating to downstream areas where it will be more difficult or impossible to recover," the EPA said in a statement issued Thursday.
The agency is also ordering Enbridge — proponent of the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline through northern British Columbia — to maintain sediment traps throughout the river to capture oil outside the dredge areas.
The agency gave the company 15 days to provide a work plan, and said dredging should begin this spring.
The July 2010 spill near Marshall, Michigan, has dogged the company as it proceeds through a federal review of the Northern Gateway to deliver oil sands products to a tanker port in Kitimat, B.C.
The ability to clean-up diluted bitumen from Alberta's oil sands has been raised at the hearings by project opponents.
The American environmental agency issued a searing report last year criticizing the company's spill response.
A letter sent Thursday to Rich Adams, vice-president of operations for Enbridge's U.S. operations, from EPA co-ordinator Ralph H. Dollhopf, said the oil mixed with river sediment and organic matter had turned to sludge, "making it difficult to find and recover."
EPA documents note that they met twice with company officials about the administrative order.
"Enbridge's comments challenged the validity and interpretation of the data relied upon by U.S. EPA in making its determination ...," said a 36-page response.
In it, the agency discounts Enbridge's suggestion that allowing the oil to biodegrade is the best option for dealing with the remaining oil.
More The Green Page
- Back to Top
- Return to The Green Page
More The Green Page
(1 of 23 articles for this week)
Kinder Morgan takes next step in its Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion plan
05/24/2013 6:41 PM 0Kinder Morgan Canada's proposal to increase the capacity of its Trans Mountain pipeline calls for 30 oil tankers a month ...
Poll
Most Popular The Green Page
- Vancouver Aquarium breeds endangered frogs, plans to release amphibians
- Ocean fertilization project leader fired, but First Nation still backs iron dump
- Warm weather with cool breaks forecast for Canada this summer
- Sunk? No reports of drifting ghost ship Lyubov Orlova in more than two months
- Spray ban may be coming
- Coast guard will lower subsea bags to seal leaking shipwreck off Newfoundland
- Seal hunt off Newfoundland called best in years as protesters push for its end
- Logging begins near Vancouver Island's pristine Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
- Calif. bill sought to require product makers to reduce plastic trash polluting the ocean
- Beach app surveys water quality at 5,000 sites in Canada and U.S.
- Warm weather with cool breaks forecast for Canada this summer
- Boreal Forest conservation negotiations end in failure after three years
- Ocean fertilization project leader fired, but First Nation still backs iron dump
- Vancouver Aquarium breeds endangered frogs, plans to release amphibians
- Wildfire west of Edmonton forces 200 people from homes, another 200 on alert
- Sunk? No reports of drifting ghost ship Lyubov Orlova in more than two months
- Boil water advisory affecting 1.3 million people in Montreal lifted
- More than 91,000 litres of oil spilled from derailed Saskatchewan train
- Spray ban may be coming
- After days on pins and needles, hypothermic turtles are recovering
- Warm weather with cool breaks forecast for Canada this summer
- Emergency management officials waiting for water levels to rise in Regina
- Flooding prompts three Saskatchewan communities to declare states of emergency
- Navy warship fuel spill into Halifax harbour described as "significant"
- Technology will be key to conquering climate change in long run, Harper says
- Harper heads to New York to face grilling on Canada's environmental record
- Boreal Forest conservation negotiations end in failure after three years
- Ocean fertilization project leader fired, but First Nation still backs iron dump
- Purchasing power: Five ways consumers can be more socially conscious in shopping
- Former Liberal prime minister intends to let Americans know the benefits of Keystone
- Warm weather with cool breaks forecast for Canada this summer
- Vancouver Aquarium breeds endangered frogs, plans to release amphibians
- Warm weather with cool breaks forecast for Canada this summer
- 10th Saskatchewan community declares flood emergency; Regina residents told to prepare
- Better oil price needed for emissions controls to work: environment minister
- Harper heads to New York to face grilling on Canada's environmental record
- More money may be needed for heritage area along Manitoba-Ontario boundary
- Sandbags filled, barriers ready as Saskatchewan communities prepare for flooding
- Purchasing power: Five ways consumers can be more socially conscious in shopping
- Ship that sank in 1985 likely source of small oil slicks off Newfoundland
- Liberal Justin Trudeau praises Alberta premier for Keystone efforts, pans Harper
- Vancouver Aquarium breeds endangered frogs, plans to release amphibians
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.