Tagged: Enbridge Energy

Two oil projects in the works could significantly increase the amount of heavy crude oil moving on -- and near -- the Great Lakes, causing alarm among environmentalists because they involve the same heavy oil that was behind a $1-billion oil spill on the Kalamazoo River in 2010 that remains an ecological disaster.

Last week's dredging order by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will push Enbridge's cleanup costs for the July 2010 spill close to $1 billion, the company said Wednesday. Enbridge Energy Partners LP said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the EPA order will cost the company $175 million and "financial statement recognition for this incident will cause increased volatility in the Partnership's results of operations and cash flows."

Enbridge was issued a final administrative order by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday to do additional cleanup along the Kalamazoo River. The order requires dredging in sections of the river above the Ceresco Dam and in the Morrow Lake Delta. Submerged oil and oil-contaminated sediment exists throughout nearly 40 miles of the river, according to the order.

The pipeline company responsible for the 2010 tar sands oil spill that fouled almost 40 miles of the Kalamazoo River is refusing to pay $800,000 to complete two new studies to assess the spill's damage.

It has been almost six months since Debora Hense vented her frustration after crews working on behalf of Canadian pipeline company Enbridge knocked down trees on her property.