MARSHALL, Mich. -- Five years have passed since the Enbridge oil spill, which came to be the largest inland oil spill in U.S. history.
About 800,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Tallmadge Creek, destroying wildlife and disrupting hundreds of people's lives. Plus, some 38 miles of the Kalamazoo River were affected.
The river is back to full use today.
Enbridge, the company that owns and operates the pipeline that leaked, calls the event a wake-up call the company won't forget says and the disaster influences how it operates today.
They say they've increased maintenance inspections, and the technology that runs inside the pipe has improved. A new control center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to monitor the pipeline. The company has spent $1.2 billion in cleanup efforts.
The Emergency Management Coordinator of Calhoun County says that the disaster also is influencing the county's policies and procedures as well.
