Hoosiers call for tighter pollution control for BP's Lake Michigan refinery permit
The diesel-like smell sometimes rising off Lake Michigan near BP's oil refinery in Whiting gets so bad that surfer Mike Calabro and his girlfriend suffer headaches and need to get out of the water for relief.
Growing up in Whiting, Calabro learned how to surf at the beach next to the refinery. He lives in Chicago now but still makes the 40-minute drive down to his old stomping grounds to hit the waves.
Calabro is among a large group of environmental advocates saying Indiana regulators are failing their duty to protect the water quality of Lake Michigan by ignoring pollutants coming from BP's refinery and letting the company release excess mercury into the lake.
Lake Michigan's ecosystems are threatened by the pollution coming from the refinery, the groups say, and the wildlife — including migratory birds and bald eagles nesting in the area — face toxic consequences.
The groups are now calling for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to revise BP's application for its pollution discharge permit, known as an NPDES, which is renewed every five years.
BP is in the process of renewing its five-year permit and is waiting for IDEM to issue the final permit detailing the parameters for each pollutant the refinery discharges.
The company "is committed to safe and compliant operations at the Whiting Refinery and across our global operations," spokesperson Cesar Rodriquez wrote in an email to IndyStar. "We will continue working every day to keep this commitment and to ensure the refinery remains an important part of the Northwest Indiana economy for years to come."
Rob Michaels, a senior attorney with the Environmental Law & Policy Center and part of the cohort wanting changes to the permit, said IDEM is obligated to protect water quality — and Lake Michigan in particular — but there are numerous ways the current permit fails to meet that objective.
One of the biggest failures is the numerous pollutants IDEM should have previously limited in BP's discharges, Michaels said.
The list of these chemicals the groups claim IDEM has ignored is long, but some of the more worrying pollutants include PFAS, known as forever chemicals, and BTEX, which are a group of chemicals found in the oil and gas industry. Both are found to be harmful to human health. One of the BTEX pollutants, benzene, is known to cause anemia and an increased risk of cancer, according to the U.S. EPA.
Meg Parish, with the Environmental Integrity Project, said BTEX chemicals are 'really dangerous to people at very small levels.'
'EPA did a big study on oil refineries in 2019 and said these (chemicals) are something we should be concerned about and yet Indiana didn't even consider it,' Parish said. 'They ignored it completely.'
IDEM spokesperson Barry Sneed told IndyStar the department will provide full responses to concerns about BP's permit when a final decision is made.
'If any potential permitting discrepancies are raised during the public comment period, IDEM will thoroughly evaluate and address them before making a final decision,' Sneed wrote in an email to IndyStar.
One area of the permit the groups are adamant needs to be reevaluated is an exception to how much mercury BP is allowed to release.
IDEM has issued the company what is known as a streamlined mercury variance for the past 12 years. This variance allows BP to release more mercury than the established safe water quality standard for Lake Michigan. The exception allows BP to discharge about five times more mercury than normally allowed.
Susan Thomas, with Just Transition Northwest Indiana, called the mercury situation at BP 'egregious.'
'They've had years to remedy this situation, and they have not,' Thomas said. 'They have been given a pass all of these years by IDEM.'
The group's comment letter sent to IDEM says BP has had since 2012 to come into compliance with the mercury standards for Lake Michigan to protect the ecosystem and human health but has instead 'avoided installing the treatment needed …'
Calabro, the Lake Michigan surfer, is part of a group called SurfRider Foundation that helps protect coastal areas. Sarah Damron oversees many of the group's chapters in the Great Lakes.
Surfers are often the canaries in the coal mine when it comes to coastal water pollution since they're out in the water and exposed to the contaminants, Damron said. The mercury variance is also one of the surfing group's main concerns.
'To just continue to allow a variance as opposed to strengthening the requirements over time so they are able to meet the standards set by the state is not in the best interest of public health and wellbeing,' Damron said.
The outfalls where BP discharges its pollutants are close to the area where people like Calabro use the lake for recreation. People are fed up with the situation, Just Transition's Thomas said.
'How much more can the frontline communities take?' Thomas said. 'If you stand outside in Whiting, your throat can start to burn, your eyes tear up and you can get heart palpitations. These communities are called sacrifice zones are deserve extreme consideration.'
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: BP refinery in Indiana needs stricter pollution control, Hoosiers say
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Trump plots tax raid on foreign companies in threat to Britain
Donald Trump is seeking new powers to hit foreign businesses with taxes if they take money out of America, in a crackdown that could hit Britain. Proposals contained within Mr Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax and spending bill would hand the president the ability to impose levies on individuals and companies from countries deemed to have 'discriminatory' tax policies. It has raised fears that Mr Trump could use the powers on Britain. The president has repeatedly criticised digital taxes on US tech giants, claiming they are unfair. Prominent British businesses with major operations in the US include Barclays, BP and BAE Systems. The so-called Section 899 powers would allow the president to impose levies of up to 20pc on money taken out of the US. Ron Estes, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, said: 'If foreign countries want to come into the United States and tax US businesses, then those foreign-based businesses ought to be taxed as well.' Fears that the powers could be used on the UK come as the Trump administration continues to push Sir Keir Starmer to water down or scrap Britain's digital service tax, which applies to US tech giants. The two sides continue to negotiate despite the trade deal struck earlier in May. Anna Leach, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, said the Section 899 powers would put more pressure on the Prime Minister in the talks. 'It adds further pressure to the ongoing UK-US trade negotiations – the terms for the deal announced on May 8 already 'commits' (but does not legally bind) both the US and the UK to negotiating 'an ambitious set of digital trade provisions',' she said. Scrapping or watering down the digital services tax, which is forecast to raise more than £1bn per year, would be a blow to Rachel Reeves, who is already facing pressure to find billions of pounds more to fund an about-turn on winter fuel payments to pensioners. Downing Street has previously insisted the tax is not up for negotiation. At present, businesses operating in the US are subject to various state and federal-level taxes, but the powers contained within the new bill would allow an additional levy to be added on top. It would apply not just to corporate profits but also gains from investments into US assets, potentially including government debt. The powers would only penalise companies that take money out of the US. It comes as Mr Trump pushes businesses to invest and keep more money in the country. Peter Roskam, a former Republican member of the House of Representatives, and now head of law firm BakerHostetler's federal policy team, said the proposal 'brings a sledgehammer to the idea that the US will allow itself to be characterised as a tax haven by anyone'. However, experts said the threat would make foreign investors and businesses less willing to commit to the US. Ms Leach said: 'This would stoke uncertainty further, undermine returns and reduce the attractiveness of the States as an investment destination. 'This is perhaps helpful to the Chancellor who is seeking to persuade investors to place their bets on the UK market.' Chris Sanger, tax partner at EY, said: 'It would impose an additional cost on foreign businesses operating in the US. That might mean the governments outside the US would change their rules, or it might mean that companies, much as they are seeing with tariffs, have an additional cost of operating in the US, which may make them less competitive in the US market.' George Saravelos at Deutsche Bank said the tax threat could pose a risk to the US's own public finances. The rule appears to allow Mr Trump to impose the border tax on foreign investors who buy US government bonds – effectively lending to the country – if they attempt to transfer the interest earned from those bonds back to their home countries. Mr Saravelos described it as a 'weaponisation of US capital markets' that would put investors off financing the US state. He said: 'The adverse impact on demand for US Treasuries and funding the US twin deficit at a time when this is most needed is clear.' Jordan Rochester, at investment bank Mizuho, said investors would demand a higher rate of interest from the US government to compensate for any higher charges, driving up the White House's borrowing costs. 'Just the threat of it being used could spook investors, trigger another sizeable market sell-off, and make the administration think twice about its actual use,' he said. Mr Trump's tax and spending bill contains a wide range of provisions and policies, but predominantly sets out trillions of dollars of tax breaks partly funded through cuts to healthcare. The bill was narrowly passed by the House of Representatives earlier in May and has now moved to the Senate for approval. Commenting on its passage, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'This is arguably the most significant piece of legislation that will ever be signed in the history of our country.' HM Treasury was contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Trump plots tax raid on foreign companies in threat to Britain
Donald Trump is seeking new powers to hit foreign businesses with taxes if they take money out of America, in a crackdown that could hit Britain. Proposals contained within Mr Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax and spending bill would hand the president the ability to impose levies on individuals and companies from countries deemed to have 'discriminatory' tax policies. It has raised fears that Mr Trump could use the powers on Britain. The president has repeatedly criticised digital taxes on US tech giants, claiming they are unfair. Prominent British businesses with major operations in the US include Barclays, BP and BAE Systems. The so-called Section 899 powers would allow the president to impose levies of up to 20pc on money taken out of the US. Ron Estes, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, said: 'If foreign countries want to come into the United States and tax US businesses, then those foreign-based businesses ought to be taxed as well.' Fears that the powers could be used on the UK come as the Trump administration continues to push Sir Keir Starmer to water down or scrap Britain's digital service tax, which applies to US tech giants. The two sides continue to negotiate despite the trade deal struck earlier in May. Anna Leach, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, said the Section 899 powers would put more pressure on the Prime Minister in the talks. 'It adds further pressure to the ongoing UK-US trade negotiations – the terms for the deal announced on May 8 already 'commits' (but does not legally bind) both the US and the UK to negotiating 'an ambitious set of digital trade provisions',' she said. Scrapping or watering down the digital services tax, which is forecast to raise more than £1bn per year, would be a blow to Rachel Reeves, who is already facing pressure to find billions of pounds more to fund an about-turn on winter fuel payments to pensioners. Downing Street has previously insisted the tax is not up for negotiation. At present, businesses operating in the US are subject to various state and federal-level taxes, but the powers contained within the new bill would allow an additional levy to be added on top. It would apply not just to corporate profits but also gains from investments into US assets, potentially including government debt. The powers would only penalise companies that take money out of the US. It comes as Mr Trump pushes businesses to invest and keep more money in the country. Peter Roskam, a former Republican member of the House of Representatives, and now head of law firm BakerHostetler's federal policy team, said the proposal 'brings a sledgehammer to the idea that the US will allow itself to be characterised as a tax haven by anyone'. However, experts said the threat would make foreign investors and businesses less willing to commit to the US. Ms Leach said: 'This would stoke uncertainty further, undermine returns and reduce the attractiveness of the States as an investment destination. 'This is perhaps helpful to the Chancellor who is seeking to persuade investors to place their bets on the UK market.' Chris Sanger, tax partner at EY, said: 'It would impose an additional cost on foreign businesses operating in the US. That might mean the governments outside the US would change their rules, or it might mean that companies, much as they are seeing with tariffs, have an additional cost of operating in the US, which may make them less competitive in the US market.' George Saravelos at Deutsche Bank said the tax threat could pose a risk to the US's own public finances. The rule appears to allow Mr Trump to impose the border tax on foreign investors who buy US government bonds – effectively lending to the country – if they attempt to transfer the interest earned from those bonds back to their home countries. Mr Saravelos described it as a 'weaponisation of US capital markets' that would put investors off financing the US state. He said: 'The adverse impact on demand for US Treasuries and funding the US twin deficit at a time when this is most needed is clear.' Jordan Rochester, at investment bank Mizuho, said investors would demand a higher rate of interest from the US government to compensate for any higher charges, driving up the White House's borrowing costs. 'Just the threat of it being used could spook investors, trigger another sizeable market sell-off, and make the administration think twice about its actual use,' he said. Mr Trump's tax and spending bill contains a wide range of provisions and policies, but predominantly sets out trillions of dollars of tax breaks partly funded through cuts to healthcare. The bill was narrowly passed by the House of Representatives earlier in May and has now moved to the Senate for approval. Commenting on its passage, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'This is arguably the most significant piece of legislation that will ever be signed in the history of our country.' HM Treasury was contacted for comment. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
On 'personal time' in Hungary, SOS Diego Morales touts Trump, Indiana at CPAC conference
Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales posted a photo on social media on May 30 highlighting that he was spending "personal time" in Europe with his wife. Less than an hour later, he was on stage at a Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary where he gave a speech touting President Donald Trump's leadership and Indiana's investment "in international partnerships" during his time in office. Morales spoke for just under six minutes on the second day of the CPAC Hungary event during a segment titled "No border, No order." But Morales made a point to highlight a recent visit Hungarian officials made to the Indiana Statehouse when his wife, who is a Hungarian immigrant, was recognized as the honorary consul of Hungary to Indiana. "President Trump believes in America first, but that does not mean America alone," Morales said. "In Indiana, we are also investing in international partnerships. Just recently, we welcomed the Hungarian ambassador, the deputy speaker of the house and other dignitaries to strengthen economic and cultural ties." In his remarks he praised Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban as "a great leader" and highlighted his 2022 victory "as the first Hispanic Latino elected to a statewide office." He drew connections between Trump and his elected office. "As Indiana Secretary of State, I oversee our elections in Indiana, and I am proud to say that under Republican leadership, including President Trump's renewed focus on election integrity, we have strengthened confidence in our electoral system," Morales said. But the CPAC Hungary speech comes amid heightened criticism of the secretary of state's travels in recent months for trips that statewide elected officials and lawmakers have criticized for going beyond the scope of his office. In March, he traveled to India for a privately-funded "economic development" trip, which is outside the primary functions of his office. A spokesperson for Morales this week said he was away for the week on "personal time," language he has used in multiple posts on X about his travels in Hungary. But social media posts and news articles indicate he has also taken meetings with Hungarian officials. "Secretary Morales receives invitations for meetings and functions throughout the year as his title remains Indiana Secretary of State at all times," Spokeswoman Lindsey Eaton said in an email to IndyStar on May 28. Morales' speech was not his first at the CPAC Hungary event. He also spoke at the conference in 2023. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany. Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar politics and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales said at CPAC Hungary
