By AP
MARSHALL, MI –
About 550 people continue to work cleaning up the Kalamazoo River in southern Michigan nearly a year after an oil spill from an Enbridge Inc. pipeline.
The spill of more than 800,000 gallons was reported on July 26, 2010, although some residents reported smelling fumes the night before. More than 90 percent of the oil has been recovered, and much of the remaining oil has settled at the river bottom.
The submerged oil is more difficult to clean up than when it's on the surface. Some residents and regulators would not be surprised if the cleanup continues into next year or beyond in some locations.
More than 35 miles of the river is closed to the public.
The affected Enbridge pipeline stretches from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia, Ontario.