Official: Oil spill source is unused pipeline previously owned by Consumer's Energy

INGHAM TWP. — State officials have determined that the source of an oil spill outside Dansville is a defunct pipeline owned by Allegan-based Christian Oil Company.

Officials found the source of the spill Thursday afternoon, but how much oil leaked from the pipeline isn't clear, said Eric Van Riper, an incident management specialist with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.  

“It doesn’t seem to be a substantial amount," he said. 

Van Riper said Christian Oil bought the pipe from Consumer's Energy more than 10 years ago. 

The pipe hasn't been used since it was sold, he said, and it leaked residual material from a two- to three-inch hole. The leak impacted the area between the intersection of Williamston and Curtis roads and Osborne Road, he said.

The spill occurred near a county drain that leads to the Red Cedar River. Containment booms are in place to prevent the spill from spreading into that waterway, Van Riper said. 

“Hopefully, we caught it on time, and we can proceed with very little damage for the environment,” Drain Commissioner Pat Lindemann said. "You never know." 

The oil was discovered in the road by first responders from the Ingham Township Fire Department Wednesday afternoon. Ingham County emergency management and state environmental officials began investigating the spill later that day. 

The discharge from the spill appears to be a mixture of kerosene, motor oil and transmission oil, said Tom Schields, a spokesperson for Wolverine Pipe Line, adding that Wolverine's nearest pipeline is about a mile away from the spill site.

Van Riper said tests will determine the contamination's makeup. He said clean up on the site could take a few days or a few weeks. 

State Rep. Tom Cochran, D-Mason, whose district includes the oil spill site, said he was in touch with DEQ officials on Thursday. 

“It’s unfortunate," he said. "I think here’s a lot more of these lines out there than we care to know."

Contact reporter Haley Hansen at (517) 267-1344 or hhansen@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @halehansen.