State officials say that the 2010 oil spill in the Kalamazoo River likely won’t lead to long-term problems for residents who breathed in oil-related chemicals. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services today released its final report on potential health problems from chemicals from the spill in the air.
After the spill, many nearby residents reported symptoms like headaches and nausea. However, according to the report, state officials didn’t find significant concentrations of oil-related chemicals in the air around cleanup sites in 2011 and 2012. That means residents likely didn’t breathe in enough chemicals to cause long-term health problems.
The health department has posted the full health assessment on its website.