Crude oil flows into Kalamazoo River

AUGUSTA, Mich. (WOOD) - Oil that leaked from a pipeline near Marshall -- estimated at 20,000 barrels or 840,000 gallons -- has made it inside Kalamazoo County, 24 Hour News 8 found Tuesday afternoon.

The crude flowed atop the Kalamazoo River near the village of Augusta around 2 p.m., but the amount of oil -- and the smell of it -- is significantly less than in Calhoun County.

Kalamazoo County's emergency management office has declared a local state of emergency, according to a 1:30 p.m. release.

Governor Granholm declared a state of disaster in Calhoun County and threatened areas along the Kalamazoo River at 9:12 Tuesday night.

"Local health officials are monitoring the situation and warn citizens to avoid all contact with water from the Kalamazoo River until further notice. All surface water activities, including swimming, wading, fishing, and boating/canoeing/kayaking, should cease. Additionally, due to the fumes associated with a crude oil spill, people are warned to avoid time in the immediate area around the river. This order will remain in effect until further investigation indicates that risk has been minimized," the statement read.

Emergency management director Lt. Paul Baker said the office has been staying in close contact with Calhoun County officials.

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More oil and a stronger smell were present upriver, at several points on the west side and western edge of the city of Battle Creek. A barrier was installed Tuesday just upriver of Bedford Road, or M-37. Crews have closed Jackson Street between M-37 and 20th Street for the work.

Oil can also be seen and smelled around Wabascon Lake north of Battle Creek, residents there told 24 Hour News 8.

U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Mich., said he discussed the spill Tuesday with President Barack Obama at the White House. He called the spill a "public health crisis," and said he plans to hold hearings to examine the response.

"The company was originally slow to respond and it is now clear that this is an emergency," Schauer told reporters on a conference call.

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said in a statement that his office has been in close contact with federal agencies to ensure that cleanup crews have the needed resources to complete the job as quickly as possible.

"For now, the focus is on limiting the damage and cleaning up the oil, Levin said. "It is also vitally important that the company responsible for the spill bear the costs of cleanup and that it compensate anyone who has suffered damages related to the spill."

A spokeswoman for Enbridge Pipelines said Monday night she was unsure if oil was still leaking from the pipeline south of Marshall into the Tallmadge Creek, which feeds the Kalamazoo River. Enbridge crews were able to close valves cutting supply to the pipeline, she said, but any oil remaining in the affected section of pipeline is expected to leak out.

The first official report of the Calhoun County oil spill may have been a call at 9:25 pm Sunday to the county 911 center but a combination of factors prevented discovery of the leak at that time.

That caller reported the odor of natural gas in the area.

The dispatch center told 24 Hour News 8 it called the Marshall Fire Department, which then called Marshall Township's fire department since it appeared the odor was coming from outside the city limits.

Marshall Township Fire Chief Steve Riggs said his firefighters did detect a petroleum smell in the area of where the spill was later discovered. But it was 11 p.m. and dark, and they were unable to readily see oil in the creek.

Further confusion was added by the fact that the location is across the street from a Clark refinery and near two substations where Consumers Energy adds scent to natural gas.

The spill wasn't discovered until Monday morning when another fire department was sent to the creek and found the oil slick.

24 Hour News 8 has multiple crews continuing to gather information about the spill's effects.

24 Hour News 8's Henry Erb and the Associated Press contributed to this report.