LANSING, Mich. — The Department of Environmental Quality and the state Attorney General’s office announced Wednesday a $75 million settlement with Enbridge Energy in connection with the July 2010 oil spill in the Kalamazoo River.
The state’s settlement with Enbridge won’t be coming as a huge cash payment; most of the money has already gone to, or will be going to, river restoration or recreation projects along the Kalamazoo River.
This settlement closes a long battle over the spill, which was the largest inland oil spill in American history. In December, a company spokesperson confirmed a roughly $6 million settlement involving a class action lawsuit against Enbridge. That settlement covered residents who live or own land within 1,000 feet of the river between Talmadge Creek and the mouth of Morrow Lake.
It’s been nearly five years since the line ruptured near Marshall and polluted Talmadge Creek and 38 miles of the Kalamazoo River with heavy crude oil.
