IndexIntroductionObjectivesAnalysisRecommendationsIntroductionThe Kalamazoo River Oil Spill was the worst oil spill in Michigan history. Well over 800,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from an Enbridge pipeline into an upstream stream and subsequently flowed downstream, causing devastating effects on surrounding areas and the river's ecosystem itself. It's clear that Enbridge dropped the ball and that the entire situation was avoidable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay The spill received a rapid response from government agencies. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and local agencies to develop a plan to manage and restore the affected area and to inform the community about the process. They have published reports on the effects and timing of the efforts. As for the spill, cleanup management is simple: remove every last drop of oil from the river. Managing the aftereffects, however, is more complex. Questions that need to be answered include how the river's species can recover and how the situation can be prevented from happening again. These are complicated questions and have many different potential solutions. Objectives This paper addresses the initial effects of the crude oil spill in the Kalamazoo River, in terms of the environment and economy. From the perspective of different government agencies, it describes the timeline of the management process. Finally, explore potential management and recovery options to ensure this situation never happens again in the future. Analysis An interesting note, to start, is that the Kalamazoo River oil spill was the first ever exposure of tar sands oil (diluted bitumen) to fresh water. This confused scientists, as they didn't actually know what the short and long term effects of this would be. They turned to previous research on ocean oil spills, as well as the ecological consequences of heavy metals in water (research closest to diluted bitumen) and their effects on the environment to accurately predict what would happen. The immediate effects observed were substantially those expected. Surrounding residents were concerned about drinking water. They found that some of the groundwater supply was contaminated, but not at a dangerous level by state standards. An immediate economic effect was the river's recreational value, as it was immediately closed to recreational boating, swimming, fishing, and other water activities previously enjoyed by local residents. It opened a year later with the assurance that the oil was non-toxic and safe to display. Residents were wary, however, because the river was still dirty and undesirable for recreation[1]. Furthermore, one thing scientists are sure of is that oil is ultimately biodegradable, evaporating and breaking down into different chemicals. The evaporation of the oil released chemicals into the surrounding air and showed devastating health effects on residents immediately next to the river. The community has reported headaches, dizziness, rashes, fatigue and even more serious effects such as seizures. Two health reports were released, one exploring the effects of exposure to oil vapors and the other examining the effects of immersion in oil. People, however, were worried about the long-term effects and called for it to be in the next few yearsconducted a long-term health study based on their actual health problems[2]. Scientists weren't sure if this would be a long-term consequence (thankfully it wasn't). Some property damage occurred, although not extensive, especially near Talmadge Creek (the initial starting point of the spill). The houses smelled of benzene, and even the yards were awash with oil as it bubbled up from the sediments to the surface. The Calhoun County Health Department reported the evacuation of 30-50 homes in the area[3]. A few years later, in 2013, the EPA released an updated status report on the river. They explained that the surface oil had been completely removed, however, it was estimated that there was still over 100,000 gallons of oil trapped in the sediment below. This was problematic, because they could not easily remove it without negative impacts on the ecosystem. Additionally, sediment moves rather rapidly downstream as the river pushes it along. This has caused concern about sediment reaching Lake Michigan, where the river ultimately ends[4]. Wildlife in the river has obviously been heavily affected, as many fish and insects have been killed by the lack of oxygen, as well as birds have been covered in oil. It is clear, based on these studies and reports, that the immediate effects of the spill were harmful, but the long-term effects are manageable and not extremely consequential. The government's response to the spill was swift, although it was a long process. The Michigan DEQ and EPA immediately worked together to resolve the issue, as well as clean up the site. On the day of the spill, July 26, 2010, the EPA mobilized a team composed of the MDEQ and local agencies. Meetings have begun to discuss cleanup teams and containment methods. They had to move quickly as the oil rapidly approached Lake Michigan, but they managed to contain it 80 miles from the tributary that flows into the lake. The EPA knew the public was confused and angry about the whole situation and did a good job of keeping the community informed. They held many public forums to update people on the status of the project and get their opinions on the topic. After declaring it a Superfund site, the EPA heavily targeted Enbridge, the oil company responsible for the spill. They issued orders for them to help clean it up, as well as finance most of the expenses. In 2013 it was decided that the oil on the surface had largely disappeared, but the oil in the sediments remained. The solution to this problem was to dredge the land. Dredging the land meant using huge net-like mechanisms to destroy the soil and allow the oil trapped beneath to boil to the surface of the water. Once on the surface, it is cleaned just as it was initially. After the dredging project was completed by the end of the year, the EPA discontinued its primary involvement with the site and turned it over to the MDEQ[5]. DEQ's next steps after receiving primary oversight were simple: return the Kalamazoo River to its pre-spill state. They worked with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Governor Rick Snyder to facilitate this plan, which primarily consists of giving Enbridge recovery orders[6]. Restoration efforts continue to this day. The government's response overall has been up to standard. The EPA responded the same day and assembled a team to fix the problem before it became substantial. The trade-off is that although much of the fauna.