Home > Top Stories from the Indiana Chapter > Great Lakes Congressional Members Call for BP Investigation

Great Lakes Congressional Members Call for BP Investigation

MERRILLVILLE - Nineteen members of Congress from Great Lakes states are calling for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate whether BP is complying with its air, water and land pollution permits.

The legislators asked the EPA Thursday to take "a systemic look" at BP discharges and emissions. The move comes after EPA announced Tuesday that BP's Whiting refinery emitted cancer-causing benzene at its wastewater treatment plant without proper air pollution control equipment for nearly six years.

BP self-reported the 2003-2008 violations in an annual report it is required to submit to the EPA.

"This latest development further underscores the fact that BP cannot be trusted to meet federal clean air and water requirements," said U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill, in a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson dated Thursday. "It is my hope that the EPA takes swift action to review all of BP's pollution permits to ensure there are no other violations that have gone unnoticed. No one argues against the need to expand production capability at the Whiting facility, but there should be zero tolerance for releasing deadly poisons into our air and water."

No members of Congress from Indiana signed on to the letter.

Both Democrats and Republicans signed it; 11 from Illinois, five from Michigan, two from Wisconsin and one from New York. Many of them also spoke up in 2007 after the Indiana Department of Environmental Management permitted BP to increase its discharges of ammonia and silty materials containing traces of heavy metals into Lake Michigan.

"As you know, the Great Lakes are the crown jewel of our nation. They provide drinking water, food, jobs and recreation for more than thirty million Americans," the Congressmen wrote. "As we begin the federal restoration of the Great Lakes, we should ensure that BP?fully complies with the environmental protection laws and permits."

BP has stopped the unpermitted benzene emissions by taking the equipment in question out of service. BP spokesman Scott Dean told the Post-Tribune Tuesday that there's no evidence that humans or the environment was harmed as a result of the emissions.

He said a $1.4 billion investment in environmental improvements as part of the refinery expansion will improve equipment at the treatment plant as well.

The EPA took the first step to enforce against BP when it issued a notice of violation to BP on May 18. Under the federal Clean Air Act, BP is required to properly manage and treat benzene waste from its wastewater treatment plant. But not all emissions from the waste were controlled as required.

In 2008, BP totaled about 95 tons of benzene waste - nearly 16 times the 6 tons allowed, according to the EPA. Similar violations took place between 2003 and 2008.

Benzene is known to cause cancer including leukemia in humans. Acute health effects from benzene exposure can include dizziness and lightheadedness; eye, nose and throat irritation; upset stomach and vomiting; irregular heartbeat; convulsions and death, according to the EPA. Animals, birds and fish who are exposed can die.

BP discovered the problem when a third party audited the treatment plant in 2008 as part of an effort to improve operations.