Letter to Mary A. Gade, Regional Administrator, Great Lakes National Program Manager, US Environmental Protection Agency

Letter

Durbin Asks for Hold on BP Air Permit Variance

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today sent a letter to the Great Lakes Program Manager at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 5 asking for a hold to be placed on the air permit variance for the British Petroleum (BP) Whiting refinery until the public has a chance to weigh in. The air permit variance may allow the refinery to emit more tiny particles into the air than state law normally allows. The permit is scheduled to take effect today, Monday, July 23 before the public hearing on August 9th, which was scheduled to give attendees the opportunity to express their views.

Today's actions follow Durbin's recent work with Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) to keep BP from dumping into Lake Michigan. On July 20, Durbin sent at letter to the President of BP requesting a meeting to discuss the recently approved a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the BP Whiting refinery which would allow an increase in ammonia and sludge pollution discharges into Lake Michigan by 54 percent and 35 percent respectively. On July 18, Durbin and Emanuel sent a letter to Tony Hayward, Chief Executive Officer of BP calling on him to reconsider the decision to increase dumping into Lake Michigan.

On July 16, Senator Durbin sent a letter to Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to express his strong opposition to a permit that will allow BP's Whiting refinery in Indiana to discharge more pollution into Lake Michigan. Also on July 16, Durbin and Emanuel sent a letter to the EPA Administrator, Stephen L. Johnson expressing strong concern over the issuance of the permit and requesting for a hold to be placed on the permit until certain assurances have been met.

The following is the text of the letter:

July 23, 2007

Mary A. Gade
Regional Administrator, Great Lakes National Program Manager
US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5
77 W. Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604

Dear Regional Administrator Gade:

I write to request a hold on the air permit variance approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) for the BP's Whiting refinery facility, pending public input.

The air permit variance approved by the IDEM Commissioner's order takes effect Monday, July 23, despite the fact that a public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, August 9. The purpose of the August 9 forum is to hear the views of attendees on the proposed revisions to the implementation plan.

The public should have a full understanding of BP's request for the variance and an opportunity to make an informed objection to the Commissioner's order, should they wish to. To accommodate public input, I respectfully request that you require IDEM to extend the objection period to BP's air permit variance to 30 days after the public hearing scheduled for August 9.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding your decision on this matter.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

Source