Out of all the large multinational oil companies BP seems to go the greatest lengths to make itself appear environmentally sensitive. Their actions are proving that their ad slogan, "We make the World a little Better" is nothing more than empty PR rhetoric.
BP has recently received permission from the State of Indiana to substantially increase the amount of ammonia and toxic heavy metals such as mercury, lead and nickel it can dump into the Great Lakes.
NPR's All Things Considered had an itemyesterday about the proposed expansion of BP's Whiting, Indiana refinery, and the "firestorm of opposition" the plan is starting to generate.
Details below the fold
The NPR item's transcript reads:
...the plan spells an increase in the amount of pollution the oil company dumps into Lake Michigan. When the expansion is completed in four years, BP will be allowed to increase its discharges of ammonia into the lake by 54 percent and its discharges of suspended solids by 35 percent.
Critics say the suspended solids are essentially diluted sludge and could contain fine particles of toxic heavy metals, such as lead, nickel, even mercury.
"This is the source of drinking water for nearly 8 million people here at the south end of Lake Michigan," says Lee Botts, who founded a regional anti-pollution group in the early 1970s. "The Great Lakes cannot be a sink for pollution and survive to be the source for drinking water and the habitat for life in the lake that we want it to be."
When asked about the new refinery capacity the only benefit BP says it will provide to people in the region is more stable gasoline production a.k.a. not lower prices, just better ability for BP to consistently charge us the highest price possible. How else can they improve on last year's profits of 22.3 billion?
If this is how BP, "makes the world a little better", than I think the concerned citizens of the Great Lakes area and beyond have a little lesson for BP in how we make the world a little better: Consumer Activism.
If BP continues with this plan I propose a boycott be initiated against BP until they make any expansion of the Whiting refinery result in a net decrease in the amount of pollution dumped into the Great Lakes. Anything less, is not making the world a little better, as BP claims to do.
Is anyone with me on this?
Originally posted on Blogging For Michigan, cross posted at MichiganLiberal