Enbridge settles state class-action lawsuit

BATTLE CREEK (AP) - The company responsible for a 2010 oil spill in southwestern Michigan has agreed to pay about $6.8 million to settle a class-action lawsuit. A federal judge must still approve the settlement reached last week by Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge Inc. The company has agreed to pay about $2.2 million to residents and land owners of properties within 1,000 feet of the Kalamazoo River. A pipeline leak spewed more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil into the river system in July 2010, resulting in one of the costliest onshore oil spills in U.S. history. The settlement also includes a $50,000 well-testing program and a $1.5 million general claims fund for reimbursing property owners for spill-related expenses. Enbridge has estimated cleanup costs to be about $1.2 billion. Published: Thu, Dec 11, 2014