A huge crude oil field was discovered near Brooklyn, MI four years ago. Jackson County leads the state in oil production.
Credit Kevin Lavery / WKAR
Operations VP Tim Baker oversees West Bay Exploration's drilling in Jackson County. The company wants to build two deep wells in the area to bury wastewater brine that's pumped up with the oil and natural gas.
Credit Kevin Lavery / WKAR
Tanker trucks load brine, oil and natural gas at oil processing stations scattered across the county. As many as 40 trucks travel local roads every day, which has local residents concerned.
Credit Kevin Lavery / WKAR
Irish Hills resident John Bancroft looks out over the Raisin River. Last year, an empty brine truck overturned at this site, causing fears of a much more damaging spill in the future.
Michigan has made huge investments to develop alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and biomass. But like the rest of the country, Michigan is still a primarily fossil fuel-driven economy. Crude oil is big business in Michigan, especially in Jackson County. In 2012, more than 1.2 million barrels were produced there, which is three times more than any other county.
It’s been a gloomy winter for ice cream lovers in Jackson. An iconic ice cream emporium called The Parlour closed down in December, after roughly a century of satisfying the city’s sweet tooth.
With spring approaching, though, The Parlour is back under new ownership.
WKAR’s Scott Pohl visited iconic ice cream shop on its first day back in operation last week.
