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Oil Spill Led To Headaches, Nausea In Michigan

A report says over 300 people complained of headaches, nausea and respiratory problems  -- these the most common health ailments noted after an oil spill into a southern Michigan river.

The report released Tuesday says hospitals, doctors and other health care providers reported 145 patients after the July spill of more than 800,000 gallons from an Enbridge Inc. oil pipeline into the Talmadge Creek that feeds into the Kalamazoo River. 

There were no deaths, and all but one of the patients' medical outcomes were classified as minor, moderate or non-existent.

The Michigan Department of Community Health and the Calhoun County Public Health Department released the report.

Door-to-door surveys of communities in and around Marshall, Michigan found 320 people self-reporting some symptoms.

WWJ spoke with health department spokeswoman Martha Stanbury who said majority of local families they spoke with said they were affected.

"We had almost sixty-percent of the individuals in the homes that we went to noted that they had some kind of symptoms that they believe were associated with the odors," Stanburysaid.

The contamination affected about 25 miles of the creek and river.   

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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