Letter to Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Letter

Letter to Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Emanuel, Durbin Oppose IN Decision on BP Air Emissions

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel (IL-5) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (IL) released the following letter to United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. The letter expresses their concern regarding the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's (IDEM) recent decision to grant BP PLC's Whiting, Indiana, facility a variance to their air permit.

The following is the text of the letter:

The Honorable Stephen L. Johnson
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20460

Dear Administrator Johnson:

We are writing to express strong concern regarding the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's (IDEM) recent decision to grant BP PLC's Whiting, Indiana, facility a variance to the facility's air permit issued by the state pursuant to federal air pollution standards.

As a result of your Agency's 1998 refinements for estimating PM10 emissions, BP's Whiting refinery would be required to cut its particulate emissions in half to remain in compliance with its existing permit under Indiana's current State Implementation Plan (SIP). IDEM's decision, however, allows BP to continue emitting PM10 at twice its permitted level.

Particulate matter can cause serious respiratory illnesses and aggravate conditions such as asthma. The air permit issued by IDEM for BP's Whiting facility also would allow the refinery to increase the amount of carbon monoxide it discharges into the atmosphere.

In addition, public concern recently led BP to scrap its plans to increase dumping of ammonia and total suspended solids into Lake Michigan from the Whiting refinery, a plan that also was approved by IDEM. The refinery expansion also will increase carbon dioxide emissions. While carbon dioxide emissions are not currently regulated, this raises concerns about global warming. That so many environmental goals were so readily ignored in the consideration of this expansion tells us that the proposed exemption from soot requirements should be subjected to careful review.

Just as water quality and the health of the Great Lakes are an important priority for local residents, air quality is also a serious concern. We respectfully request that your agency reject IDEM's attempts to exempt BP's Whiting facility from tougher PM standards.
We look forward to hearing from you regarding your decision on this matter.

Sincerely,

Rahm Emanuel
Member of Congress

Richard J. Durbin
U.S. Senator

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