Water spared from Michigan oil spill

No waterways were affected by a spill of light crude oil from the Lakehead pipeline system in Michigan, an Enbridge spokeswoman said. Canadian pipeline company Enbridge closed Lines 1 and 5 of the Lakehead system Thursday after discovering a small leak near Sterling in the east of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The company, in an e-mailed statement, said less than three barrels of oil was spilled. "As a precaution, Enbridge is imposing a temporary incremental pressure restriction until a review of similar features from inspection tool runs has been conducted," spokeswoman Lorraine Little said in the statement. "Line 1 has been shut down due to high inventories at Superior and will restart after Line 5 has started." Line 6B of the Lakehead system dumped several thousands of barrels of oil from tar sands fields in Canada when it ruptured in 2010 in southern Michigan. Crews are still working on remediation because of the tendency of tar sands oil to linger in the environment. Little, in response to questions from United Press International, said Line 5, part of the Lakehead system, was carrying light crude oil at the time. "No waterways were impacted," she said. "All of the oil was contained in the soil near the pipeline." Little said Line 5 was reopened by Friday morning.