BP Whiting Refinery neighbors demand clean air, protections and accountability after recent incidents - The Times of Northwest Indiana

BP Whiting Refinery neighbors demand clean air, protections and accountability after recent incidents

HAMMOND — Residents who live near the BP Whiting Refinery said they couldn't breathe, worried for their children's health and feared an explosion after the recent operational upsets there.
Public meeting for BP Products North America Inc.'s Whiting Business Unit draft renewal air permit

Upset residents and local environmentalists called for clean air, enforcement actions and more protections. They demanded to know what BP and state regulators would do to prevent future incidents like the recent chemical leaks and power outage that's resulted in excessive flaring, noxious odors and clouds of black smoke.

Columns of flame rose from the refinery flare stacks a short distance from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's public hearing at the Calumet College of St. Joseph.

Ashley Williams, the executive director of Just Transition Northwest Indiana, asked IDEM to deny the permit.

"BP is one of the top corporations destroying the planet and the climate, so much so that the city of Chicago is suing them and rightfully so," she said. "Over the past few weeks, we've talked to countless neighbors about the pollution incidents at BP, some who neglected a warm meal out of fear of turning on their stoves, others who have evacuated their families and still have not returned home because they do not think it is safe. Neighbors who are being kept up all hours because of alarms and hellish flaring. This is not fantasy. This is life in the sacrifice zone of Northwest Indiana."

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A BP spokesperson said the company has long been a major employer and investor in Northwest Indiana for more than 100 years and aimed to operate in a safe way complying with environmental laws and regulations. The company said it would listen to the community and try to address their questions.

Local environmental Carolyn McCrady from Gary said the BP Whiting Refinery has repeatedly failed to comply with the Clean Air Act over the years.

"What steps are being taken to prevent this from occurring again?" she said. "Is IDEM going to impose any penalties to prevent downwind neighbors from being subjected to unlawful pollution? These things don't happen overnight. We know there could have been an explosion if the excess gas wasn't burned off while it was building in the tanks. We can't even imagine what it would have meant to this area if there was an explosion. It happened in 1955 and could happen again. The reason it keeps happening is they just patch it over and do the minimum after getting itty-bitty fines."

Beth Dybala with the Calumet Area Industrial Commission said BP was a major economic driver in the Region.

"Renewing the air permits will continue to generate the employment of more than 1,800 workers, mostly union jobs, and an additional 1,800 contractors at the facility, an annual allocation of $9 million to vendors for work performed at the facility and the support of 61,000 jobs around the facility and the production of 7% of the asphalt in the United States," she said.

Local environmentalist Thomas Frank from East Chicago urged IDEM to consider the cumulative impact of pollution from the refinery and steel mills

"We have a concentration of the largest, dirtiest, no-good industries in human history here in Indiana," he said. "IDEM is not protecting human health."

Jenny Acker, an environmental engineer with IDEM, said the state could not consider environmental justice when reviewing the permit, just any new laws and regulations that went into effect since the permit was last renewed five years ago.

IDEM Assistant Commissioner Matthew Stuckey said the state agency can only follow the laws on the book and the best way to get change was to convince elected representatives to change the law.

PHOTOS: The IDEM hosts public meeting on BP Whiting Refinery

Jim Kinney of Chicago holds a sign at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Concerened citizens pack Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Patricia Walter asks questions of the panel at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Daniela Guerrero of Chicago wants answers at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Paul Myers gives his thoughts at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

IDEM's Jenny Acker responds to a question at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Thomas Frank speaks at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Allen Carter from IDEM begins Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Ignacio Perez and Roy Arambula sign in to Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Thomas Frank speaks at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Susan Thomas questions IDEM members Brian Williams, left, Matt Stuckey, Jenny Acker and Allen Carter at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Thomas Frank speaks at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Paul Myers gives his thoughts at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Daniela Guerrero of Chicago wants answers at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Thomas Frank and Anthony Diaz hold signs outside of Calumet College at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

IDEM's Jenny Acker responds to a question at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.

Jim Kinney of Chicago holds a sign at Thursday's Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) public meeting.