BP responds to furor over permit to allow more discharges

Thousands are protesting a permit that allows BP’s refinery in Whiting, Ind., to discharge more pollutants into Lake Michigan. Protestors said July 30 that they plan to present petitions to Indiana’s governor, according to news reports. BP said its refinery “does not, and will not, release sludge into the lake and its treated water discharge is not toxic.”

Below are excerpts of BP’s official statements. The complete statements are available at the refinery’s Web site, whiting.bp.com.

The Facts about the Whiting Refinery Discharge and Mercury

Thousands of BP employees live and work around Lake Michigan, and like you, we care about the lake and protecting it. Recently, there's been publicity about the proposed upgrade of our Whiting refinery. Here are some answers to questions you have posed:

Why are you upgrading this refinery?
We need to find secure, reliable crude oil for the nation and the Midwest. The U.S. oil fields that have traditionally supplied Midwest refineries are in decline. This project connects Whiting, the largest refinery in the Midwest, to Canada, one of the world's largest oil resources, and greatly reduces the risk of supply disruptions caused by world events or storms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Will you harm drinking water used by millions?
No. We have received a new water permit that complies with federal and state regulations for protecting human health and the environment. BP received no exceptions to state or federal water quality regulations. The Whiting refinery does not, and will not, release sludge into the lake and its treated water discharge is not toxic.

What are the environmental impacts of using this type of crude oil?
Canadian crude is "heavier" and requires new processes and equipment. There are technical, engineering and environmental challenges. We have more than 750 engineers working on the project, including a group focusing on air and water issues. Our commitment is to use best available control technology to make the environmental impacts as small as possible while providing the additional gasoline, diesel and jet fuel that the Midwest U.S. needs.

How will you protect the Lake?
We are investing about $150 million in a state of the art upgrade to further enhance our water treatment capability at Whiting.

What about mercury?
About 90 percent of the mercury found in the Great Lakes comes from the burning of coal, which is washed into the lakes by rain. Our project should not increase the level of mercury in the water we discharge.

What is your plan for reducing mercury?
Existing technology doesn't remove mercury to the current standard of 1.3 parts per trillion. We will continue to evaluate emerging technology and, like other industries and municipalities that discharge water into the lake and its tributaries, we will work with regulators to reduce the mercury level. Recognizing that some companies and municipalities may not be able to meet the current standard, regulators allow those who discharge to the lake to apply for a variance subject to public notice and comment.

When will this project be completed?
We are in the design phase and expect to complete the project by 2011 at a cost of more than $3 billion.  The upgrade will increase the refinery's capability to supply gasoline and diesel fuel by about 1.7 million gallons a day for Midwest consumers.

Protecting the integrity of the Lake is important to us. A secure energy supply is also important for all of us in the Midwest. We believe it's possible to successfully achieve both.

A Brief History of the Refinery

The Whiting refinery is the second largest in the BP worldwide refining system, according to the company.

In 1889, John D. Rockefeller built the Whiting Refinery and incorporated it as Standard Oil Company (Indiana). That company eventually became Amoco Corporation, and was headquartered in Chicago from 1889 until 1998, when Amoco and BP merged.

Today, the Whiting Refinery is the fourth-largest of all U.S. refineries, processing more than 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily into gasoline, diesel, asphalt and other products.

The Whiting Refinery is located on 1,400 acres and its boundaries lie within three communities - Whiting, Hammond and East Chicago. Over the years, the refinery has grown with its neighbors, employees, and customers.

The refinery operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with about 1,300 BP employees and approximately 500 contract workers.

The refinery makes about 16 million gallons of product daily - about half of it is gasoline. Other fuels produced at the facility include diesel, aviation fuel and propane.

The refinery ships its products to markets across the U.S. via barge, rail, truck and several pipelines.