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Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Environment - More on: Study shows how BP could likely could expand its refinery without the added pollution

This ILB entry from August 25th quotes from an Aug. 23rd story in Crain's Chicago Business that BP's announcement that it was backing off on plans to sharply increase pollutants to Lake Michigan authorized by the controversial Indiana permit:

... came as word began to spread of a study that BP likely could expand its refinery without the added pollution if it spent “less than $30 (million) to $40 million” on technical tweaks.

The study, a copy of which was made available to Crain’s, was prepared for the Chicago Department of Environment by Tetra Tech Inc., a prominent engineering firm. * * *

Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, termed BP’s announcement “absolutely the right step in the right direction.”

Mr. Learner said he believes BP had heard of the Tetra Tech study and similar conclusions by other technical experts that design changes and other revisions could be used to cut pollution.

Proceeding with the previous plan “would have made them a laughingstock,” Mr. Learner said. “This announcement was a recognition that there are technical things that can be done” to avoid pollution.

The Tetra Tech study concluded that Whiting could gain by installing one of several types of available anti-pollution equipment that have been used elsewhere to “effectively remove (increased) ammonia nitrogen and (suspended solids) from wastewater.”

Based on efforts at other refineries, such work at Whiting “is estimated to cost less than $30 (million) to $40 million,” a draft version of the firm’s report to the city states. “Actual cost is expected to be less than this.”

Today the Indianapolis Star catches up, in a story by Tim Evans. Some quotes:
The expansion of the BP refinery in Whiting can move ahead with existing technology that would keep the pollution it dumps into Lake Michigan at current levels and would mean only a small increase in the cost of the project, according to environmentalists and a report commissioned for the city of Chicago.

The report, prepared by Tetra Tech, a California-based engineering firm, concluded that BP could upgrade the Whiting refinery's wastewater treatment plant for less than $40 million.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 4, 2007 02:32 PM
Posted to Environment