Letter to The Honorable Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Letter
Letter to The Honorable Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Durbin Asks EPA for Answers on Lake Michigan Pollution
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin late yesterday sent a letter to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Stephen Johnson, asking for data on the current levels of pollution in Lake Michigan, the sources of the pollution, and the health and environmental consequences.
"While stopping BP's plan to dump additional waste was progress," said Durbin. "We have a lot of work ahead of us. Lake Michigan is not just another body of water- it is a treasure to be protected. In order to move forward, we need a comprehensive assessment of the current levels, sources and consequences of pollution in the Lake. Once we've gathered this information, we will develop a strategy."
"Thirty Years after the passage of The Clean Water Act, there are still warnings about the safety of eating fish caught in Lake Michigan," Durbin said. "We can do better."
Yesterday, Durbin and Emanuel met again with the Chairman and President of BP America, Bob Malone to reaffirm BP America's August 23 announcement that they have reversed their decision to add to the pollution in Lake Michigan by expanding their Indiana Whiting Refinery.
Text of the letter appears below:
The Honorable Stephen L. Johnson
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator Johnson:
The recent outcry over the re-permitting of the BP Whiting refinery that allows the facility to increase its discharges of ammonia and suspended solids has focused public attention on the health of Lake Michigan, a precious natural resource that provides drinking water for 10 million people. During these public discussions additional questions have arisen as to the current levels of pollution in Lake Michigan, the sources of the pollution, and the health and environmental consequences of the pollution.
Access to better data will help policymakers as they work to ensure the wellbeing of the lake. I appreciate that these issues are technically complex, but improving the environmental health of the lake requires better information about the threats to its water quality.
I have the following specific requests:
1. Please provide me with the number of permits that are currently in effect for Lake Michigan discharges.
2. Provide a list of the contaminants that EPA permits consider.
3. List the levels of these contaminants in the lake today and the trends they have shown over the past 20 years.
4. Identify the significant point sources for each of these pollutants.
5. Identify which of these contaminants, at their current levels in the lake, present the greatest risk to human health and the environmental health of the lake.
6. Compare the levels of regulated discharges to those from unregulated sources of lake pollution.
Please respond to this request by October 10, 2007. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
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