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(Washington D.C.) - Standing up for one of our great natural resources, the House of Representatives will vote today on a resolution to express disapproval of the State of Indiana Department of Environmental Management for its decision to allow British Petroleum (BP) to dump ammonia and suspended solids into Lake Michigan. This resolution reflects the commitment from Congress to protect the waters of the Great Lakes, a crucial resource for the region.
Under the new permit issued to British Petroleum (BP) by the state of Indiana, 1,584 pounds of ammonia and 4,925 pounds of total suspended solids will be dumped into Lake Michigan every day. Although the State of Indiana maintains that the increased chemical discharges would not violate federal and state water pollution rules, a bi-partisan group of Great Lakes lawmakers were adamant that the Whiting Plant is already a major polluter and any additional pollution would not be tolerated.
Last week, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI), and 30 other House members introduced House Concurrent Resolution 187, a resolution to express Congress’ disapproval of the permit to increase pollution at BP’s Whiting Plant.
“For all that the Great Lakes region and Michigan offer, nothing is quite as valuable as our Great Lakes,” said Rep. Sander Levin, one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “Communities in Michigan have been working for years to steadily reduce water pollution. The decision to increase pollution at the BP refinery goes in exactly the wrong direction. We need to do more – not less – to protect the Great Lakes.”
The decision to increase pollution at the BP refinery goes in exactly the wrong direction.”
H.Con.Res.187 expresses the sense of Congress that:
- Congress expresses its disapproval of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s issuance of a permit allowing BP to increase their daily dumping of ammonia and total suspended solids into Lake Michigan;
- Congress urges the State of Indiana to reconsider issuance of a permit allowing BP to increase their daily dumping of ammonia and total suspended solids into Lake Michigan;
- Congress should take action to protect and restore the Great Lakes;
- The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) actions in the Great Lakes basin should be consistent with the goal of preserving and restoring the Great Lakes; and
- The United States Environmental Protection Agency should not allow increased dumping of chemicals and pollutants into the Great Lakes.
In addition, 19 members wrote to the Administrator of the EPA last week to request a formal review of the permit issued by the State of Indiana for BP’s Whiting plant. This letter, signed by both Democrats and Republicans, was co-signed by Rep. Levin. Please click here to view the full text of the letter, including the names of the co-signers.
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