More Evacuations Near K-zoo River Spill
Calhoun County health officials Friday were evacuating dozens of additional homes in the area surrounding the big oil spill Friday, due to concerns over air quality in the area south of Battle Creek. In addition, about one hundred families along the contaminated Kalamazoo River have been asked to drink bottled water.
Estimates of the amount of oil lost from the line now range from 800,000 gallons to 1 million gallons. Residents of the hard-hit area are outraged by the response to the oil spill.
Robert Haynor Jr. owns five acres along where the Kalamazoo River empties into Morrow Lake. He wonders if he will ever be able to enjoy it again.
"I had a party scheduled this weekend. I was told [by oil company officials] not to have it. I also have another one scheduled in August, Labor Day weekend. Every party we have down here we have anywhere between 50 to 75 people down here. Go-karts, four-wheelers, and stuff. I've been told not to do that," said Haynor.
Haynor said he wondered if he might have to give up his land because of the oil spill.
Roger Wayview of Kalamazoo directed his frustration at Lansing, what he called, this latest environmental mess.
"It's a little strange that Granholm is Canadian and for eight years we've been having Canadian trash come to the state. And now the oil spill is Canadian oil spill. I don't know if there was enough regulation there to try to put a stop to the problems that we've had," said Wayview.
Wayview and his wife brought their kayak to the lake but had to go elsewhere after the health department closed it.
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