« Ind. Decisions - "Liability in office battery argued" before Supreme Court | Main | Courts - Still more on "Pa. justices won raise for upholding slots law, lawsuit claims" »

Friday, May 23, 2008

Environment - "Judge sets June 16 prehearing on BP air permit appeals"

Gitte Laasby of the Gary Post-Tribune reports today:

The scene is set for a standoff between environmentalists and BP this summer. A judge scheduled June 16 prehearings on three appeals of BP Whiting's air permit Thursday.

At three separate hearings in July, the parties will talk about whether construction should be halted.

Environmentalists intend to argue that construction on the refinery should stop completely until disagreements about the legality of the construction permit have been resolved.

"They shouldn't build anything until they get what we think is an appropriate determination of how they should build it. It seems logical not to build it until they have the appropriate permit," said Ann Alexander, senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management said the permit complies with state and federal regulations as is. BP said the company intends to proceed with the project.

"We're confident our permit will stand up to any challenge. That's why we've begun construction of what will represent the largest private investment in Indiana history, creating thousands of jobs and making more gas from North-American crude oil," BP spokesperson Scott Dean said.

At the prehearing conference, the parties will explore settlement possibilities, talk about facts of the case and disagreements, and set dates for future hearings, said Mary Davidsen, chief environmental law judge with the Office of Environmental Adjudication, who issued the notice of the prehearings. The OEA reviews IDEM's permit decisions.

The stay hearings will be held July 1, 7 and 15. So far, the parties have given no indication they intend to settle.

See also this report by Christine Kraly of the NWI Times.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 23, 2008 09:55 AM
Posted to Environment