Michigan oil spill sign of larger problems

PORT HURON, Mich., Oct. 13 (UPI) -- The July rupture of an oil pipeline in Michigan is a sign regulators "don't have a good handle" on the U.S. pipeline infrastructure, a Michigan lawmaker said.

Line 6B of the Lakehead pipeline system, one of the longest in the world, ruptured in July near Marshall, Mich., spilling around 20,000 barrels of oil into regional waters.

Enbridge, the Canadian pipeline company responsible for the Lakehead system, must replace a separate section of the pipeline after a 12-inch dent was discovered on the system running under the St. Clair River.

U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., whose district lies along the St. Clair River, said the Marshall spill was a warning to the industry and U.S. regulators.

"In many cases, we don't have a good handle on the location of all the pipelines that run through our county, nor in some cases do first responders know who to contact in the event of a mishap," she said in a statement.

The company in late September received approval from U.S. regulators to restart the pipeline provided Enbridge addressed a long list of concerns along Line 6B.

Enbridge has until the end of the month to cleanup submerged oil and sediment near the site of the Line 6B rupture.