# Online Petition against BP's expansion & dumping into Lake Michigan



## tnoord (Sep 13, 2006)

Illinois' Lt. Governor Pat Quinn has set up an online petition form that
will send an email to:

The Honorable Mitch Daniels, Governor of the State of Indiana 
Mr. Robert A. Malone, Chairman and President of BP America Inc. 
Mr. Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator of the U.S. EPA

with the suggested wording (you can change it if you want):

Dear Sirs:

I, the undersigned, urge you, the Governor of Indiana, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and BP North America, to reconsider the decision to move forward with an expansion at the Whiting Refinery without first ensuring that proper controls are in place to prevent any increase in pollution discharged into the Great Lakes from the expanded facility.

This petition can be found at:

http://www.standingupforillinois.org/bp/index.php


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## GlenK (May 7, 2007)

This should be made a "sticky" so it doesn't get buried in the threads...


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## STEINFISHSKI (Jan 30, 2001)

Done


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## STEINFISHSKI (Jan 30, 2001)

Excellent! Additional dumping overruled!

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070726/NEWS05/707260376/1001/NEWS


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## karl.d (Nov 20, 2003)

Not overruled quite yet... BP just agreed to "continue a dialogue with Congress and review options"... I feel safer already! .... not!




STEINFISHSKI said:


> Excellent! Additional dumping overruled!
> 
> http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070726/NEWS05/707260376/1001/NEWS


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## GlenK (May 7, 2007)

karl.d said:


> Not overruled quite yet... BP just agreed to "continue a dialogue with Congress and review options"... I feel safer already! .... not!


yeah - no doubt! 

BP's got the cash to line pockets... usually, money talks. Sounds like we have to wait until September to hear about some of these "alternative disposal methods".


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## halfcore (Nov 11, 2003)

per an email reply to my inquiry:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana.
We appreciate the time you took to share your comments. 

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) issued the BP
wastewater permit in accordance with state and federal environmental
laws, which are protective of human health and the environment. IDEM
coordinated with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during this
permitting process to ensure that the final permit is compliant with the
Clean Water Act. On April 5, 2007, EPA issued a letter to IDEM
indicating that EPA had no objections to the permit being issued
pursuant to the Clean Water Act. 

The public was asked to participate in developing this permit. The
public comment period lasted several weeks and included a public meeting
at Whiting City Hall. The permit document was on file in several
locations before the public meeting, including the Lake County Health
Department and the IDEM office in northwest Indiana, on the web and at
IDEM's offices in Indianapolis. 

There were several inaccuracies in the recent media reports, one of
which referred to the Total Suspended Solids (TSS) limits as industrial
sludge. It is not. The TSS limits in the permit are similar to the
limits a small Indiana city may have for a wastewater treatment
facility. Sludge is a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process and
must be disposed of in a landfill or incinerator. This permit does not
allow BP to put sludge into the lake. The permit requires the company to
follow state and federal laws to ensure the protection of human health,
aquatic life, and the environment. 

The state has not provided exceptions for this facility. The permit
meets both state laws and regulations that apply to the facility and
project. Many of the limits placed in the permit are actually more
protective than required by federal law, but because the discharge point
is in Lake Michigan, additional protections were addressed. This
discharge will not negatively affect drinking water, recreation or
aquatic life in Lake Michigan. 

Please do not hesitate to contact the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management with future questions or concerns. 

Megan Tretter
Business & Legislative Liaison
Indiana Department of Environmental Management


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## Marrble Eyes (Jun 24, 2003)

The permit requires the company to
follow state and federal laws to ensure the protection of human health,
aquatic life, and the environment. 

----------------------------------

:lol::lol::lol:

Now that there is some funny stuff.


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## joefsu (Jan 9, 2005)

Is there a way to take away Indiana's waterfront on Lake Michigan? They only have a small section, but they sure know how to make it a [email protected]#$ hole. :rant:


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

The EPA sent this to me.

Subject: Partnerships and Stewardship News (Region 5): Region 5 to convene Lake Michigan summit on BP Whiting issues; 3:15 p.m. press conference will follow

CONTACT: Anne Rowan, (312) 353-9391, [email protected] 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
No. 07-OPA140 

Region 5 to convene Lake Michigan summit on BP Whiting issues; 3:15 p.m. press conference will follow 

CHICAGO (Aug. 14, 2007) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade is convening a Lake Michigan Summit meeting on Wednesday in Chicago. This will provide an opportunity for key officials and stakeholders to present BP representatives with their suggestions on minimizing discharges to Lake Michigan from the company's Whiting, Ind., refinery. 

"The Great Lakes are vitally important to this country and the people in it. We all care about Lake Michigan and its future," said Regional Administrator Gade. "As the agency with the ultimate responsibility for protecting the Great Lakes, we at EPA believe it is time to get beyond the headlines and emotion and begin a more practical discussion." 

The Lake Michigan Summit will bring together concerned parties to begin an open discussion about practical ways to reduce or minimize BP's wastewater discharge. 
"While BP has a valid state permit, the company is willing to listen, and I am hopeful that we will find workable strategies for going beyond compliance. EPA has several options we plan to propose," added Ms. Gade. 

Region 5 has invited representatives from BP, the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin as well as the City of Chicago and Cook County along with leaders of environmental groups and members of Congress. 

So far, confirmed participants include: BP America Vice Chairman Stephen Elbert; Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management Commissioner Thomas Easterly; Chicago Environment Commissioner Sadhu Johnston; Cook County Commissioner Michael Quigley: Cameron Davis, president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes; and Tom Anderson, executive director of Indiana's Save the Dunes Council. Representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Richard Durbin (Ill.), Barack Obama (Ill.), Evan Bayh (Ind.), and Russell Feingold (Wis.), and U.S. Reps. Judy Biggert (Ill.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Peter Visclosky (Ind.), and Fred Upton (Mich.) have also accepted. 

At 3:15 p.m., EPA officials and participants will take questions from the media on the 12th floor of the Metcalfe Federal Bldg., 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago. Reporters will have to check in at the security desk in the lobby.


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## brdhntr (Oct 1, 2003)

People need to look into this and remove emotion from the facts.

I have read up on this from both sides and from what I see is that BP is doing everything that can be done to clean up the discharge. In fact, it is cleaner than most municipalities that dump their waste discharge into the water. Considering the benefit, and that the upgrade will improve the current discharge, I don't see how anyone who uses gasoline can complain. This is no different than a municipality increasing its discharge because they grew bigger. If we are going to require zero emissions from this plant (impossible to do) then we better start requiring the same from all industry and municipalities on the lake. Your average outboard motor exhaust dumps worse stuff into the water than this discharge. Most folks on this board could do tons of things that would help reduce the discharge into the lakes, but we won't because it might inconvenience us or cost money. Yet, corporations are expected to go above and beyond and spend themselves into oblivion meeting standards that we won't accept ourselves. Then we complain when the products go up in price to cover the cost, or they move production overseas and cut all those nice jobs we so often expect them to hand out. 

I am all for making sure that BP does it's job and meets or exceeds the current discharge standards. From the data that has been provided, they are doing that.

This whole scenario is like the Penn and Teller video where they circulated a petition to ban dihydrogen oxide from the lakes and streams.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

For Immediate Release: August 15, 2007

For More Information, Contact:
Abby Rubley, 734-662-9797 Mobile: 517-420-6777

65,000 Call on BP to Halt Planned Dumping

Environment Michigan delivers petition opposing BPs planned expansion of dumping in Lake Michigan. More than ten thousand pledge to avoid BP gasoline.

Ann Arbor, MichiganEnvironment Michigan today presented BP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials with more than 65,000 signatures from Great Lakes region residents demanding a halt to BP's unprecedented expansion of pollution into Lake Michigan.

"This is the swiftest and strongest support we've received for a petition drive," said Abby Rubley, field director at Environment Michigan. "People are motivated by BP's hypocrisy, How can a $216 billion company which claims to be the most environmentally responsible in its field think it can get away with this? Shouldnt the company that is Beyond Petroleum also be beyond polluting our Great Lakes?

The coordinated petition has garnered more than 65,000 supporters from the entire Great Lakes region so far. 12,000 people have also signed a pledge to BP which reads: Im going to buy gas somewhere else today, and every day until you agree to avoid any increase in pollution into Lake Michigan.

The petitions are in response to a pollution discharge permit granted in June by Indiana's Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). The new permit will allow BP's oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana to increase its discharge of ammonia to 1500 pounds and sludge particles to nearly 5,000 pounds every day into Lake Michigan.

Lake Michigan is our gem, our drinking water and our way of life. After years of clean up, BPs new permit is setting a terrible precedent for this shared resource, said Environment Michigan Director Mike Shriberg. Indiana and U.S. EPA officials might be willing to let this go on, but Great Lakes residents are not. Were calling on BP to avoid any increase in dumping into Lake Michigan. The worlds 8th largest company certainly has the resources to protect our Great Lakes

BP's new permit runs counter to decades of Great Lakes clean up efforts. It is the first time in years that any company has been allowed to increase toxic dumping into Lake Michigan.

Federal anti-degradation rules prohibit pollution increases unless the polluting activity is deemed a necessity and alternatives not feasible. BP drew criticism for claiming that avoiding increased pollution is not feasible because the 1400 acre facility, they say, lacks space for a 0.28 acre waste water treatment plant. Publicly available documents do not indicate whether IDEM or U.S. EPA verified BPs claim that the increase is unavoidable. 

Increased ammonia under BPs new permit threatens the Lakes ecology because ammonias nitrogen feeds fish-killing algae blooms. Suspended solids, also allowed to increase under the new permit, contain concentrated mercury, selenium, and other toxic heavy metals. IDEM will also permit BP to use Indiana's first "mixing zone," a practice by which contaminants in excess of safe limits are legally discharged for dilution in lake water.

Environment Michigan will be holding a day of action this Saturday at BP stations to help educate the public about their dangerous, dirty plan to pollute Lake Michigan. For more information please contact Abby Rubley at Environment Michigan.

###

Text of petition presented today BP and U.S. EPA region 5:

I believe the proposal to allow increased dumping of ammonia and toxic sludge into Lake Michigan from British Petroleum's oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana is unconscionable. Certainly a company that claims to be "Beyond Petroleum" can also be beyond polluting our waters.

"Please halt progress on this proposal now and find a way to deal with the waste this plant produces other than dumping more of it into Lake Michigan."


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Thanks to your hard work and generous donations BP executives in the Chicago area will be getting a little something extra with their coffee and buttered scones this morning. 

Today begins our four day run of different ads in the Chicago Tribune calling on BP to stop their toxic dumping plan for Lake Michigan and announcing our region-wide day of action on September 22nd. Mark your calendar for that day now -- more details are coming soon! 

You can find today's ad in the first section of the Tribune. Check it out, and then spread the news to your friends and family. You can click on the link below to download a PDF version of the ad you can use any way you like -- put it up in your window at home or at work, forward it on to your friends, or print it out and mail it to BP with a personal message. Get creative! 

https://www.environmentmichigan.org/action/great-lakes/beach.pdf 

Keep your eyes peeled for the next couple of ads running later this week. We'll have downloadable versions of these on our websites as soon as they run in the paper. 

Thanks again -- your support made this happen. 

Sincerely, 

Mike Shriberg
Environment Michigan Director
[email protected]
http://www.environmentmichigan.org


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Critics rip EPA reporting guidelines

Federal reporting law, maligned by the Washington-based watchdog group OMB Watch, requires BP and other companies only to report to the EPA -- and therefore the public -- about 10 percent of the ammonia it dumps into Lake Michigan.

http://www.thetimesonline.com/artic..._news/doc21640c3c70b359c58625733b0081a83d.txt


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Senator Stabenow's press release:
http://stabenow.senate.gov/press/2007/082307BPStatement.htm


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

For Immediate Release

Contact: Abby Rubley  734-662-9797 office

Statement of Environment Michigans Abby Rubley regarding BPs pledge to avoid pollution increase

ANN ARBOR, MichiganBPs announcement today that it will avoid any increased pollution into Lake Michigan affirms that BP has heard the voices of millions of Great Lakes Region residents that Lake Michigan is our gem and drinking water, not our dumping ground. We expect no less of a company like BP, which has spent millions on a global advertising campaign touting its environmental practices, and which certainly has the resources to avoid this increase. 

If BP makes good on its promise by avoiding increase dumping of ammonia and toxics-containing solids, which is allowed by its new discharge permit issued in June by Indianas Department of Environmental Management, then Lake Michigan is saved from the impacts of those pollutants. 

However, as long as BPs discharge permit remains on the books in Indiana, it still sets the disastrous precedent of being the first in years to allow a company to increase pollution into Lake Michigan. The permit flies in the face of the Clean Water Act, which since 1972 has set a precedent of continued progress of cleanup. To ensure that Lake Michigan is protected, the permit must be amended-not just to hold BP to its pledge, but also to avoid setting the standard by which Indianas Department of Environmental Management and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issues future permits.

We thank BP for announcing it will avoid any increase in pollution into Lake Michigan, and hope that BP will join us in calling for an amended discharge permit that codifies that promise.


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## brdhntr (Oct 1, 2003)

From BP:

"We will not make use of the higher discharge limits in our new permit," said BP America Chairman and President Bob Malone. "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. If necessary changes to the project result in a material impact to project viability, *we could be forced to cancel it*."


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