That massive maze of pipes and towers around the bend of Lake Michigan where BP’s Whiting, IN refinery is in the midst of a $3.8 billion “modernization” project has not exactly been a beacon of good news. Issues of increased Lake dumping and vented carcinogens have garnered regional concern. And this week BP announced that the project is behind schedule, with the completion date now pushed back from 2012 to 2013 due to “many variables.” No doubt fixing up the aging 6th largest refinery in America is a complicated problem, causing executives plenty of stress. Folks living outside the BP property are literally losing sleep over the project for far different reasons---and they are starting to get understandably grouchy. more ›

An update to an earlier post, it's reported BP has agreed to start a $20 billion fund for those affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The oil giant tentatively agreed to the fund after a meeting this morning with President Obama. The fund will be overseen by Kenneth Feinberg who was responsible for oversight of the 9/11 victims compensation fund. One problem in getting to that number? No one's sure what BP's final liability will come in at; they've already spent $1 billion on clean-up. And, as CBS 2 reports, there is still fear of a ripple effect that could be felt it many ways locally, given the BP plant in Whiting, Indiana and the past issues with that plant and Lake Michigan as well as future issues. more ›

As the oil disaster in the Gulf continues unabated and law suits start to stack up, BP has taken a beating in the media for the impact its corporate culture has had on safety throughout their operations. In Chicagoland, that is prompting many to cast a wary eye south along the shore of Lake Michigan to Whiting, IN where BP is in the midst of a massive and controversial refinery expansion. more ›

It's been over three weeks since the explosion that led to the current Gulf Coast oil gush and while BP insists there's room for optimism, the spill grows larger, the disaster reaching epic proportions. And while a new clean-up solution has come from, of all people, Kevin Costner, there's still plenty to be angry about. Anger over the incident led to protests this week at BP office locations around the nation, including here in Chicago. Yet despite the outcry over the spill, the turn-out for Wednesday's protest was extremely low (estimated at no more than a dozen people). Still, Chicagoist Flickr pool contributor Katie Scully stopped by to snap some photos of those who came out to show their displeasure with BP, which has also dealt with dust-ups over environmental issues in our neck of the woods. more ›

If we didn't have to work today, we'd be at Pierogi Fest in Whiting, IN right now. All weekend long, 119th Street in downtown Whiting becomes a thoroughfare of music, carnival rides, parades and pierogis. This year's festival promises to bring more of the same babushkas, polkas, parades, lawn mower drill teams, showcasing of dogs and all-around family fun. For those of us having a staycation this summer, this could also fit in the "one-tank trip" rule. more ›