BP Backs Away From Lake Emissions Increases

Friday, August 24, 2007

Lake Michigan as seen
from Ogden Dunes, Indiana.

BP backed away from plans to increase its ammonia and solid emissions into Lake Michigan after facing wide-spread opposition.

However, the Northwest Indiana Times prints an ominous editorial today expressing hope that the BP project isn't scuttled.

The company said it will seek technological solutions so it can move forward with the $3.8 billion expansion that would allow the plant to process heavy Canadian crude oil and increase production of fuels by about 15 percent.

"We are going to work hard to make this project succeed," said Bob Malone, BP America chairman and president.

We hope that process will work. But what if it doesn't?

"If necessary changes to the project result in a material impact to project viability, we could be forced to cancel it," Malone said.

That means the new technology must not just be possible, but also cost-effective.

If the project is scuttled, the region will pay the price in terms of the thousands of jobs building and then operating the plant would bring.

Maybe alternative solutions can be found to protect Lake Michigan drinking water while freeing America from dependence on foreign oil. Also, while we're on the subject of protecting Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes water, maybe efforts need to be made to stop various other cities and plants from dumping their wastes into this invaluable water source.

BP America, Whiting, Indiana
and Lake Michigan

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