Local and National Environmental Justice Groups Challenge BP Refinery Proposal as Major Deadly Threat to Residents Health
- Recent Independent Tests of Toxic Particle Fallout Raise Concerns
Calumet Project • Coalition for a Clean Environment • Global Community Monitor
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release March 3, 2008
Contact: Bessie Dent of Calumet Project: 219-845-5008; Steve Kozel: 219-808-3013; Ruth Turpin, Coalition for a Clean Environment: 219-933-4825; Denny Larson, GCM: 415-845-4705
Local and National Environmental Justice Groups Challenge BP Refinery Proposal as Major Deadly Threat to Residents Health
Recent Independent Tests of Toxic Particle Fallout Raise Concerns
(Whiting, Indiana) A coalition of local and national Environmental Justice groups released independent tests of toxic particle fallout collected in a residential neighborhood adjacent to Whiting Schools as evidence that BP’s proposed refinery expansion should be approved with the best environmental protections. The groups challenged recent questionable BP statements that a 21% increase in particulate pollution is not a major threat to local communities.
“The Whiting area is already too polluted from the cumulative impact of industrial pollution and we can not tolerate BP’s proposed increases of potentially deadly emissions,” said Bessie Dent of the Calumet Project. “When BP claims that there is ‘no risk’ of dumping tons more particles in our air, they have destroyed what little credibility they have left.”
BP has projected it will increase its emissions of microscopic particulate matter by 21 percent annually after the project is complete. When local residents asked about the potential risks associated with it, saying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined fine particulates can collect in lungs, aggravate asthma and even cause premature deaths, BP's permitting manager on the project, Lori Washington stated, "it's our understanding, there is not an increased risk associated with the increase in particulate matter." However according to the America Lung Association, more than 2,000 peer reviewed studies since 1996 have validated research that particle pollution can cause illness, hospitalization and premature death.
As evidence of their concerns, members of the Calumet Project placed a metal collection plate in a residential area near the BP refinery for 2 weeks in September of 2007. Following prescribed quality control procedures, Coalition members wiped a square ten centimeter area on a clean sample collection paper supplied by a US EPA approved laboratory. The sample wipe was chilled to keep the material from deteriorating, packaged, and shipped overnight to the EPA approved lab for testing. The results were forwarded to an internationally recognized expert, Dr. Mark Cherniak for interpretation.
Dr. Cherniak identified five hazardous substances from the particle fallout from Whiting for major concern. He calculated the measured densities to present them in micrograms per square meter so they could be compared to EPA health standards. All of the five are substances are polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) whose effects include increased risk of cancer that may develop over a long exposure even at low levels. Dr. Cherniak is convinced that this sample represents a health risk to the people who have to breathe it day in and day out. Oil refineries are a known source of PAH pollution.
“Not only is existing particle pollution a clear threat to our health as BP neighbors, but now we have proof that those particles carry an additional toxic punch from polyaromatic hydrocarbons,” said Steve Kozel of the Calumet Project. “We simply can not tolerate a 21% increase in dangerous particle pollution from the BP Refinery Tar Sands expansion.”
“BP’s outrageous proposal to abandon their past corporate promises to go ‘beyond petroleum’ and now use the dirtiest and most dangerous type of crude oil, tar sands, is simply beyond belief,” said Denny Larson of the Global Community Monitor. “The emission estimates contained in the draft permit clearly underestimate the amount of toxic releases from upsets, malfunctions and flaring as a result of using the more contaminated tar sands crude oil.” Recent reports by the Environmental Integrity Project have confirmed that “upset” pollution from malfunctions at oil refineries is a major source of air pollution that is largely unaccounted for (www.environmentalintergrity.org)
While regional environmental groups have raised concerns about the BP expansion, the Environmental Justice concerns of ‘fenceline” or nearby neighbors have not received the attention they deserve and that is required by the Presidential Order on Environmental Justice. The Calumet Project and the Coalition for Clean Environment are the only Environmental Justice groups that represents the already over-burdened neighbors of the BP Whiting refinery.
According to Scorecard.org, a website that uses self reported data by pollution sources, Lake County ranks in the top 10% of the "dirtiest/worst" counties in the nation for emissions of PM 10 and PM 2.5 particle pollution. Also according to Scorecard.org, additional cancer risk to the average individual is increased by 990 out of a million from hazardous air pollution sources in Lake County already. And according to Scorecard.org, the population of Lake County is the second worst in the state, with more than 200,000 people are exposed to a cancer risk of 1 in 1,000 already. This is another reason; the area can not bear the risk of any additional pollution from BP's expansion.
The groups urge the public to attend the Indiana Department of Environmental Management public meeting and hearing on the BP Whiting Refinery air permit to be held Friday, March 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hammond Civic Center, 5825 Sohl Avenue, Hammond, Indiana 46320. The groups complained that the March 14th, Public Meeting on the BP refinery expansion is only 2 hours and will not allow the actual fenceline neighbors to fully comment. They seek an extension to the 30 day comment period for another 60 days to insure adequate public input, pointing to the City of Hammond approval of a much smaller BP Asphalt plant project that took six months to ensure public comment.
The Calumet Project and the Coalition for Clean Environment plans to continue independent air testing around the BP refinery in conjunction with their national partner group, Global Community Monitor (GCM). GCM trains polluted community members to do their own environmental monitoring based on sound science. GCM has trained communities in 20 countries and more than 2 dozen states since inception in 2001.
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