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LEAKING oil from a ruptured pipeline is threatening to pollute Lake Michigan in the north of the US.

The leak occurred on Line 6B, a 30-inch, 190,000 bbl/d pipeline transporting light synthetics, heavy and medium crude oil from Griffith, Indiana, to Sarnia, Ontario. The pipeline, operated by the Canadian company Enfield, is part of the Lakehead System, which transports crude oil from Western Canada to the US.

The leak occurred near the town of Kalamazoo and has so far flown into the Kalamazoo River, which feeds into Lake Michigan. Enfield says it is making every effort to contain and clean up the oil before it reaches the lake, a popular destination for tourists and anglers which is commonly described as “Pure Michigan” in advertising literature.

The Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm has criticised Enfield and the US Environmental Protection Agency for their “wholly inadequate” response to the looming disaster. Enfield says it continues to deploy every available resource to contain and clean up the oil.

Meanwhile, draft legislation that would force oil companies to report leaks and spills within an hour of discovery is being conserved by the House of Representatives. Enfield reported the leak at 08:45 on Monday 26 July, but local residents say they could smell oil the previous evening.