LANSING, Mich., Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Michigan homeowners affected by the reconstruction of a faulty oil pipeline need expert advice to deal with companies like Enbridge, an advocate said.
Federal regulators are investigating the 2010 rupture of Line 6B, part of the Enbridge-operated Lakehead pipeline system. The rupture released about 20,000 barrels of oil into southern Michigan waters starting July 26, 2010.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in June warned residents that sheen may still be present in parts of the Kalamazoo River and nearby waterways.
Enbridge aims to replace hundreds of miles of Line 6B under a $268 million plan that would upgrade the pipeline's safety features and increase its volume to 500,000 barrels of oil per day.
Thousands of homeowners are affected by the reconstruction, reports the Lansing (Mich.) State Journal.
Kim Savage, an attorney representing about 60 homeowners affected by the project, said oil pipelines in some cases are within 10 feet of a residence.
"A couple of the homeowners signed the original easement agreement in 1968," she said. "When they gave an inch in 1968, they didn't realize that Enbridge would be taking a mile in 2012."
Enbridge officials said safety is their top priority.
