Environmental Protection

I recently signed a petition which calls for BP, a British energy company, to stop dumping toxic waste into Lake Michigan, a.k.a. my backyard. Seems like a no-brainer, right?

After further research, this subject is actually much more complicated than I originally understood. In summary, BP received approval to expand an oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana, which would potentially increase pollution in Lake Michigan. After numerous protests, and more than 100,000 folks signing the petition, BP agreed on August 23rd to limit discharges to the lake. But the battle is not over. BP now is under scrutiny over its atmospheric emissions, but Indiana still has a permit allowing the company to increase pollution to the lake.

Two points come from this:

1. There is a great deal of hostility to polluting the Great Lakes.
2. There is a great deal of confusion over who is in charge of keeping the lakes clean.

This confusion comes from the fact that each state creates its own standards for water quality (which must be at least as stringent as those set by the EPA) and issues permits to regulate discharges.

Additionally, the Clean Water Act says that states cannot let pollution rise. However, it also provides a loophole in that a state may in some cases allow a facility to increase pollution if it is able to show that more filth is necessary to produce an important economic or social benefit.

Confusing enough? Politicians need to address this problem quickly.