Kalamazoo, MI--The Circle D Wildlife Refuge and the couple who rescued the first twelve animals affected by the Enbridge oil spill near Marshall will be speaking to Sierra Club members and the general public on Wednesday, October 6, 2010 in Room 3250 at Kalamazoo Valley Community College at 7:00 pm.

Woody Haroff and his wife Lee asked for help from a number of state and federal agencies and the Circle D was the only help they got only hours after the animals were discovered coated with oil residues.  One of the chemicals on the animals coats contained in the oil was benzene.  Benzene is a known carcinogen that causes cancer and burns skin.  The animals were delivered to the refuge in metal cages with a cloth cover shutting out any light for the animals.  Many of the animals were cold and extremely dehydrated and very sick.  Staff and volunteers from Circle D cleaned the animals twice before the US Fish and Wildlife Service picked them up and before any identified agency step forward to deal with the wildlife issue from the spill.

Circle D is registered as a sanctuary and is presently building a new hospital to take care of sick wild animals.  All the staff and volunteers have been recently certified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as first responders for wildlife.  They are also will take over the duties of cleaning up wildlife from the spill as of October 1st. 

Southwest Michigan Sierra Club Group has over 1, 200 members in five counties.  Meetings are free and open to the public.