‘Whistleblower’ Receives Settlement In Oil Spill Case - WLNS TV 6 Lansing - Jackson | Your Local News Leader

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – A Michigan man who sued his former employer after he says he was let go for reporting unethical behavior related to the 2010 oil spill in Marshall has reached a settlement.

John Bolenbaugh says he started working as a temporary employee with SET Environmental, Inc. in August 2010, shortly after the spill. The company was hired by Enbridge to help clean the mess of oil that leaked when an Enbridge pipe ruptured.

Bolenbaugh says Enbridge and SET worked together to cover up parts of the spill, and when Bolenbaugh told authorities, he says he was fired.

"This is my community," says Bolenbaugh, "I live here and I'm not going to allow any oil to be covered."

On Monday, a jury reached a settlement in the case. Bolenbaugh would not disclose how much he would receive. He says he plans to keep fighting until all the oil is cleaned up, and he wants all companies to step up and do the right thing.

"I'm [going to] prove that Exxon didn't clean up their oil spill properly. I'm going to North Dakota to prove Enbridge buried oil there," he says. "Hopefully we will get some national attention and we can get some doctors down here and get Enbridge to pay medical bills because they're ripping these people off."