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Hamilton discusses ecological effects of Kalamazoo River oil spill on YouTube, other media outlets
Professor Stephen Hamilton was interviewed on a video appearing on YouTube, about the ecological ramifications of the oil spill in the Kalamazoo River, in Marshall. Oil has been leaking from a pipeline since Sunday from Talmadge Creek, which feeds into the Kalmazoo River. The pipeline is owned by Houston-based Enbridge Energy Partners.
In the YouTube video, Hamilton explains how the wetlands along the tributaries of the Kalamazoo river - containing key habitats - are at risk.
The spill occurs at an especially bad time due to recent rains in the area, and this has caused the river to reach an unusually high level -- up to its flood plains. Hamilton believes that oil carried by the river onto the vegetation flood plains could deposit there, as the water level goes down. Water fowl are particularly at risk, as are fish, and Professor Hamilton advises people to stay away from the river for now. Once the oil sinks into the sediments or adheres to vegetation, says Hamilton, it could take a long time for it to decompose, naturally.
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