Enbridge Energy Partners will pay a $61 million penalty for the costliest inland oil spill in U.S. history under an agreement with federal officials.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice announced the settlement Wednesday over a 2010 pipeline rupture near Marshall, Michigan, that released an estimated 843,000 gallons of crude oil.
A nearly 40-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River was polluted as shoreline residents fled their homes.
The deal requires measures to prevent future spills, detect leaks and prepare for emergencies across Enbridge's Lakehead network, a web of 14 pipelines extending more than 2,000 miles across seven states.
Company vice president Brad Shamla says Enbridge has been humbled and will meet the terms.
