EPA OK's BP Pollution at Whiting, IN Refinery

[BillORightsMan]

BP Pollution Plan Stirs Outcry on Behalf of Great Lakes

The July 25 congressional resolution, introduced by U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), urges the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to reconsider its permitting of BP's refinery expansion.

Indiana regulators touched off the maelstrom in issuing BP a permit to discharge daily loads of nearly 1,500 pounds of ammonia and 5,000 pounds of suspended solids from treated sludge into Lake Michigan -- increases of 54 percent and 35 percent respectively. The permit also gives BP until 2012 to meet strict federal limits for mercury discharges. Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin.

In written comments submitted in May, Alliance technical experts -- headed by Alliance founder Lee Botts and including Howard Zar, Jim Filippini, Tom Murphy and Bill Muno -- were the first to offer constructive criticism of the plant's environmental impact. Though not opposed to BP's $3.8 billion plan to expand refining capacity in light of the Midwest's high gas prices, the Alliance registered concerns that such plans not unfold at the expense of the largest lake within U.S. borders.

"This is not a jobs versus environment issue," said the Alliance's Davis. "Nor is this the economy versus the environment. This is about BP and Indiana regulators failing to show how all alternatives to increased pollution were considered."

This was also featured on "All Things Considered"



BP Refinery Expansion Plan Sparks Opposition

Listen to this story at link... by David Schaper


Ted S. Warren

BP's Whiting, Ind., refinery is the fourth largest in the U.S. The oil giant's planned expansion would allow it to refine heavy Canadian crude oil. AP

All Things Considered, August 14, 2007 · Oil giant BP's plan to expand its Whiting, Ind., refinery, just across the border from Chicago, is sparking a firestorm of opposition.

The expansion would allow BP to refine heavy Canadian crude oil, boosting gasoline production at the fourth largest refinery in the U.S. and reducing the nation's reliance on Middle Eastern oil.

But along with higher refining capacity, the plan spells an increase in the amount of pollution the oil company dumps into Lake Michigan. When the expansion is completed in four years, BP will be allowed to increase its discharges of ammonia into the lake by 54 percent and its discharges of suspended solids by 35 percent.

Critics say the suspended solids are essentially diluted sludge and could contain fine particles of toxic heavy metals, such as lead, nickel, even mercury.

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Where I live (on the north shores of Lake Eerie with a Tower that is Terminal) is DOWNSTREAM from all that.
And it's BAD ENOUGH with the Zebra Mussels here already
and Killer Catfish trying to get through the Chicago River.
Not to mention the agri-runoff that pollutes ALL the Great Lakes. (and yer lawn chems too.:( )

ALL of us (including our Canadian friends ) in the Great Lakes Regions must FIGHT THIS!
They're already trying to privatize WATER around the globe!

NOT HERE.

imbillorightsmanandiapprovethismessage_in_CLE_OH
:patriot:
www.billorightsman.com

[Kolesar]

1. BP has enough money to build a facility to capture pollutants on site

This Canadian-tar-sands is a failure borne of desperation. Sure, we can make auto fuel from the tar sands, but the energy return on energy input is bad. That means more CO2 greenhouse gasses. The process is going to beat the stuffing out of the Canadian countryside, then the oil companies will just walk away, leaving an oily, polluted landscape.