By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-915461.mp3
LANSING, MI – Governor Granholm says the federal government and the Canadian owners of a pipeline need to step up their efforts to contain an oil spill in west Michigan. The spill has already spread into the Kalamazoo River, and the governor says it has the potential to reach Lake Michigan.
Authorities say the oil slick is now 35 miles long and threatens to further pollute an area of the Kalamazoo River that's already contaminated. The governor says that could add a lot of money to cleanup costs, most of which she expects will eventually be picked up by the pipeline company.
But the governor says she's not happy with how quickly the Enbridge Energy Company and federal authorities have responded. She says they need to send more people and equipment to contain the 800 thousand gallon spill.
"Everyone is concerned about this migrating further and as quickly as it has up the Kalamazoo River, which spills out, of course, into Lake Michigan," Granholm says.
She says it would be a tragedy of "historic proportions"' if the oil slick were to reach the Great Lakes.