"Michigan environmental officials are drafting a settlement with Canadian pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. over a series of violations of the state's water laws that occurred earlier this year."

"The settlement would keep Enbridge out of court while requiring the company to beef up its environmental practices when testing the new pipeline it is building to replace Line 6B, which ruptured in 2010.

That spill fouled nearly 40 miles of the Kalamazoo River with heavy crude oil from Canada's tar sands region. The cleanup effort, which is still on-going, has so far cost the company nearly $1 billion. Enbridge also was fined $3.7 million for breaking as many as two dozen federal pipeline safety rules."

David Hasemyer reports for InsideClimate News December 4, 2013. [2]