Man emerges from Michigan oil line after protest

In a cell phone photo taken by protesters and provided to news media by the Calhoun County Sheriff Department, Chris Wahmhoff stands near the pipeline he crawled into Monday morning, June 24, 2013 near Marshall, Mich. Wahmhoff emerged from the pipe about 5 p.m., after 10 hours. Protesters seek to halt Enbridge Inc.'s building of a new line, saying it endangers public health. (AP Photo/Calhoun County Sheriff Department via The Enquirer) NO SALES

FREDONIA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A protester has emerged from an oil pipeline at a southern Michigan construction site, ending a protest that lasted about 10 hours.

The Battle Creek Enquirer reports that Calhoun County Sheriff Matt Saxton says the man emerged about 5 p.m. Monday. Thirty-five-year-old Chris Wahmhoff was first reported inside the pipe about 6:45 a.m.

The site is near Marshall in Fredonia Township.

Protesters seek to halt Enbridge Inc.’s building of a new line, saying it endangers public health. The Calgary, Alberta-based company’s pipeline ruptured nearby in 2010, spilling 800,000 gallons of oil into a river.

WWMT-TV reports Enbridge released a statement saying its “priority is for the safety of everyone in the area, including the protester.”

The line runs from Sarnia, Ontario, to Griffith, Ind.

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