The Gulf oil spill is the worst
environmental disaster to happen in the United States. However, it is not the
only major oil spill. On July 26, Enbridge Liquid Pipelines leaked about a
million gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. Enbridge Energy is
the largest transporter of oil in western Canada. Their pipeline is also one of
the longest oil pipes in the world.
This disaster might have been
avoided had Enbridge not been so driven by profit. Federal regulators warned
Enbridge in January about corrosion in the pipeline, and the company had a
history of citations.
Enbridge has also utilized the
controversial method of extracting oil from tar sands in Canada. This involves clear-cutting
ancient forests and leaving behind giant toxic lakes.
Pending the investigation, the
pipe will remain shut down. People living near the Kalamazoo River valley are
continuing to report odors and oil-soaked wildlife.
