United Press International reported from Whiting, Indiana on August 23, 2007 that British Petroleum in the United States of America has backed off plans to increase pollution discharges into Lake Michigan after public outrage over its recent receiving approval of a dumping permit for its Whiting, Indiana refinery.
The Whiting Indiana refinery, located three miles south of the Illinois-Indiana border, is planning a $3.8 billion expansion and the British Petroleum oil company had won approval from the state of Indiana to dump substantially more liquid ammonia and sludge into Lake Michigan, the drinking water source for millions in the United States Midwest.
British Petroleum America chairman and president Mr. Bob Malone said, “Ongoing regional opposition to any increase in discharge permit limits for Lake Michigan creates an unacceptable level of business risk for this $3.8 billion investment and we will not make use of the higher discharge limits in our new permit.”
British Petroleum promotes itself as an environmental consciousness corporation in advertising began facing a blistering and withering criticism after the Chicago Tribune ran a story about the project in July 2007. More than 100,000 people signed petitions opposing the Whiting, Indiana dumping permit allowing increased dumping in the lake.
British Petroleum said the refinery expansion project that will create 2,000 construction jobs and 80 permanent jobs at the 118-year-old refinery will be changed and could even be canceled.
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