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BP announced yesterday that it was backing down on plans to increase discharges of ammonia and suspended solids into Lake Michigan from the planned expansion of its Whiting, Indiana refinery. BP announced on its website Thursday "ongoing regional opposition to any increase in discharge permit limits for Lake Michigan creates an unacceptable level of business risk for this $3.8 billion investment."
After public officials in Illinois, Michigan, and their respective Congressional delegations began to pressure the company, a public hearing was called in Indianapolis by Indiana Rep. Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City), designed to force the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to answer questions about how the permits to expand the discharges were awarded. Chicago also sent a delegation, with Chicago Park District Superintendent Timothy Mitchell and Mayoral assistant Joe Deal showing up early with 70,000 signatures against the expansion and prepared to speak. They were met with the "Hoosier stiff-arm", prevented from addressing the hearing, and left to wheel the petitions to Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels' office. Daley later said "the State of Indiana has not included anyone in this process to date, and today is another example.''
All of this comes after nearly a month of public outrage and bad publicity for the multinational energy giant, and just days after an oil pipeline leak that contaminated sewer lines in Munster, Indiana. BP's announcement came just an hour before U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, (D-Chicago) was going to announce a public pressure campaign against BP's top 20 investors. Further adding to the intrigue was a study "made available to" Crain’s Chicago Business suggesting that BP was costing itself a great deal of good public image when other anti-pollution options were readily accessible at relatively little cost. BP America Chairman and President Bob Malone said "we're not aware of any technology that will get us to those limits but we'll work to develop a project that allows us to do so." According to the Tetra Tech study reviewed by Crain's, however, several types of anti-pollution devices have been employed in other facilities would remove ammonia and suspended solids from waste water "estimated to cost less than $30 (million) to $40 million.”
Image via London Rising Tide
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Wait, Indiana resents Chicago officials coming to town to tell them they are doing it wrong? Imagine that.
Guest #1:
If Indiana's policies didn't affect anyone else, I'd be all for shoving the nosy neighbors out the door. Of course Indiana doesn't have any kind of monopoly on Lake Michigan, so all bets are off.
I'd love to thank BP for seeing the light, but things never should have reached this point. I guess the good thing is that the fine citizens who live around lake now realize that we're just one well-greased politico away from pimping our water out to an aspiring polluter. That's good to know.
I'm not letting these guys off the hook just yet. They haven't said they will change the legislation or the permit itself, we are taking their word that they won't dump any more than current levels.
The BP ban is still on in my eyes.
"[opposition] creates an unacceptable level of business risk for this $3.8 billion investment."
Yes, nevermind the health repercussions of the citizens of the Great Lakes area, it's just bad business policy.
This is a good move, but I'm not letting them off the hook completely, either. How to send a message? Easy - scaling my protest by only buying a half a tank of gas. That'll learn 'em.
Their permit is still valid, and the pressure cannot be taken off BP or the gov't until it is revoked.
Hell, they should be forced to reduce to 0%.
And fuck Willmette too, they gotta come up with a better plan for when this shit happens.
Ericfpcomplicatednumbers has a point ... BP still has their permit. They're just saying they're not going to use it. Who's going to monitor that? What's to keep them from saying one thing and doing another.
I've learned from experience that you can't trust BP. The protestors need not let up until the permit is rescinded.
Oh, and if guest 6 isn't being sarcastic, he/she's a moron, thinking he/she's protesting by buying half as much gas twice as often. Now, if he/she were to drive half as much ...
It was all due advocacy and pressure of the Macy's Protesters that got involved at the 11th hour just when BP thought that they had sealed the deal!
The Macy's Protesters played it low key and under the radar, because they didn't want to distract attention from their Macy's protest. They have just launched a major campaign in Federal Mining Reform, but again they are behind the scenes.
So next time another Macy's protest gets covered in the Chicagoist, don't assume that all they care about is a department store
Business guru and author Peter Drucker understood that a business could contribute nothing to society if it wasn't profitable. But he also believed that free enterprise was defensible only if it was good for society.
BP has stated it will report back to the US Congress on September 1st regarding the BP pollution permit dispute.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes, IDEM and BP have until September 17th to submit briefs to the court regarding the Alliance appeal of BP's waste water permit.
Indiana Governor’s "review" of IDEM's handling of the BP permit is due September 24th.
An Indiana environmental law judge has agreed to hear the appeal of BP's waste water permit submitted by the Alliance for the Great Lakes on October 30th.
Without BP modifying its current permit to the higher pollution standards nothing has really changed.
Important Dates:
BP has stated it will report back to the US Congress on September 1st regarding the BP pollution permit dispute.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes, IDEM and BP have until September 17th to submit briefs to the court regarding the Alliance appeal of BP's waste water permit.
Indiana Governor’s "review" of IDEM's handling of the BP permit is due September 24th.
An Indiana environmental law judge has agreed to hear the appeal of BP's waste water permit submitted by the Alliance for the Great Lakes on October 30th.
Without BP modifying its current pollution permit to the higher standards nothing has really changed.
BP has stated it will report back to the US Congress on September 1st regarding the BP pollution permit dispute.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes, IDEM and BP have until September 17th to submit briefs to the court regarding the Alliance appeal of BP's waste water permit.
Indiana Governor’s "review" of IDEM's handling of the BP permit is due September 24th.
An Indiana environmental law judge has agreed to hear the appeal of BP's waste water permit submitted by the Alliance for the Great Lakes on October 30th.
Without BP modifying its current pollution permit to the higher standards nothing has really changed.
BP has stated it will report back to the US Congress on September 1st regarding the BP pollution permit dispute.
Indiana Governor’s "review" of IDEM's handling of the BP permit is due September 24th.
An Indiana environmental law judge has agreed to hear the appeal of BP's waste water permit submitted by the Alliance for the Great Lakes on October 30th.