Is BP as clean as it seems?

BP, the big oil company formerly known as British Petroleum (that's where the BP comes from), seems to have sent out it's spin control dogs. It seems the Chicago Tribune wrote an article on their Whiting refinery on the shores of lake Michigan. I can't see the article because it's behind a login page that I don't have or want a login for, but it obviously banged a little on the reputation of the refinery and how it disposes of their waste.

I'll try and give you the rundown. BP got permission for an increase in the release of pollutants into Lake Michigan. Some environmentalists got all upset about it and started an uproar. The Chicago Tribune ran with it and wrote a sensationalist (based on inferences) piece on the permit. BP, in their defense, released spin control to try and get some of the "facts" out about the release of extra pollutants into the lake.

So, here goes. The following are from the "fact sheet" that BP released to help explain the situation.

Part of the issue is that BP is planning to modernize the refinery. Planning to. Haven't yet, but will. The water released into the lake is over 99.99% water, not sludge. Oil companies seem to get easily offended when you call their offage sludge. And they are quick to point out that the new permitted levels are still well below the Federal regulations.

Here's my take on the whole thing. A refinery is by it's nature a messy thing. It takes a raw material (in this case Oil) and creates a usable product (Gasoline). We need Gasoline. We need refineries. Simple as that.

With that said, BP needs to stop hiding behind the Federal regulations and work to get their emissions as low as possible. They need to not be doing just enough to keep themselves under their limits, but to try and eliminate the waste altogether. Until they do that, they are going to have to keep working the spin to keep their nose a little less oily. (pardon the pun)

BP, if you're reading this, please do what you can to reduce your pollutants as much as possible. I don't think that in your line of business that no pollutants is possible, but you can work to reduce them even further rather than releasing more. As a citizen, it is your responsibility to do what is best for your community and your world.


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