It’s looking like the oil spill from a pipeline into the Talmadge Creek in Calhoun County is going to be a replay of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in at least one respect — the companies, aided by the government, do not want the media to have access to take pictures and video of what is going on. The Michigan Messenger’s Todd Heywood is on the scene and was turned away from one of the primary sites by employees of Enbridge, the company that owns and operates the pipeline.

Heywood was at 12 Mile Rd. and C Avenue at a bridge over the Ceresco Dam when employees from Enbridge turned him away. The employee would only give his name as Mike, and when he noticed Heywood writing down the information he said, “I’m not telling you anything else” and walked away.

A sheriff’s deputy on the scene confirmed that he was not allowed to take pictures there of the oil spill or the wildlife. He then went to the Enbridge command center and was told by Enbridge spokesperson Lorraine Grymala that he would have to go to the Calhoun County Sheriff to talk to them about it.

At the Calhoun County offices, the desk clerk would not give him the contact information for the sheriff or a public information officer and said she was told only to give out an 800 number. That number went to Enbridge, but it is only an answering machine where one can leave messages.

Heywood reports that they are closing down roads all along the Kalamazoo River and there is a heavy smell of oil in the air. People have been pulling oil-covered animals out of the water, but at this point there is no place for them to go. A private company is being brought in to handle the wildlife cleanup but there is nothing in place yet for treating them.

We’ll have more as this story develops.