Tag: british petroleum

Bp’s Green Image Tarnished

One of the world’s largest oil companies
was hit with criminal indictments and hundreds of
millions of dollars in fines. Mark Brush has more on
the cases against British Petroleum:

Transcript

One of the world’s largest oil companies
was hit with criminal indictments and hundreds of
millions of dollars in fines. Mark Brush has more on
the cases against British Petroleum:


BP settled three different criminal cases brought by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency
and the Department of Justice.


The government found that the company ignored warning signs of a Texas refinery explosion
that killed 15 people. It was found negligent in a pipeline oil spill in Alaska. And BP
settled charges of a propane price fixing scheme. All told, the company with pay 373 million dollars in fines and restitution.


Eric Schaeffer is a former enforcement officer with the EPA. He says there’s a
philosophical divide between the company’s headquarters and it’s managers on the
ground:


“And that split in the company in their personality – that kind of schizophrenia – I hope is
going to go away after this settlement.”


BP apologized for breaking the law and say they will fix the problems.


For the Environment Report, I’m Mark Brush.

Related Links

Refinery Pollution Back-Down

British Petroleum says it will not use a new permit which would have
allowed the company to dump more pollution into the Great Lakes.
Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

British Petroleum says it will not use a new permit which would have
allowed the company to dump more pollution into the Great Lakes.
Tracy Samilton reports:


The new permit gave BP’s Indiana refinery permission to dump more
pollutants into Lake Michigan. BP said it would need those higher
limits because of refinery expansion. Politicians, citizens and
environmentalists throughout the Great Lakes protested, often and
loudly.


In the end, BP backed off. The company says it will use its old permit
and seek a technological fix to limit pollution as it expands. Cameron
Davis of the Alliance for the Great Lakes says BP tried to play the
country’s needs for energy against the environment:


“It was amazing to see that debate somehow rear its head again this
time around and I think the results show most people just don’t buy it any
more.”


Davis says his group will keep pursuing a lawsuit it filed to challenge
the new permit, just in case BP doesn’t keep its word.


For the Environment Report, I’m Tracy Samilton.

Related Links

Refineries Expanding on Great Lakes

The demand for gasoline is leading oil companies to expand refineries around the
Great Lakes region. But those expansions are leading to howls of protests from citizens,
politicians and environmentalists. Lester Graham reports:

Transcript

The demand for gasoline is leading oil companies to expand refineries around the
Great Lakes region. But those expansions are leading to howls of protests from citizens,
politicians and environmentalists. Lester Graham reports:


British Petroleum went through all the proper channels, public hearings and
permitting processes to expand its refinery in Whiting, Indiana, not too far from
Chicago. The permit allows BP’s refinery to increase the amount of ammonia and
total suspended solids discharged into Lake Michigan.


But when word got out that it would be increasing the amount of pollution released
into the lake, suddenly citizens, Members of Congress, the Mayor of Chicago and
environmental groups lashed out.


BP has now suspended its expansion plans until the first of September. It’s looking over
suggestions on how to reduce the amount of additional pollution into the Great
Lakes.


Meanwhile, another refinery – this one in Detroit – is looking at expanding, which
likely would cause additional pollution. That Marathon plant sits on the River Rouge, a short
distance from the Detroit River which connects the upper Great Lakes to Lake Erie.


For the Environment Report, this is Lester Graham.

Related Links

Oil Refinery Expansion on Hold

An oil refinery is expanding in part to meet growing demand for gasoline. The
refinery planned to dump more waste into the Great Lakes. Laura Weber reports
the refinery company is now delaying those plans:

Transcript

An oil refinery is expanding in part to meet growing demand for gasoline. The
refinery planned to dump more waste into the Great Lakes. Laura Weber reports
the refinery company is now delaying those plans:


British Petroleum plans to expand its Indiana refinery near Lake Michigan.
State and federal authorities have given BP permission to dump more ammonia
and sludge into the lake.


This is the first time a company has been allowed to dump more pollution into the
Great Lakes since the Clean Water Act was passed in 1977.


But BP is putting its plans on hold after meeting with Congressional leaders.
US Senator Debbie Stabenow says Congress wants to make sure BP will dump the
least amount of waste possible:


“There is a real question in my mind, particularly, when we’re talking about a Great
Lake that’s impacted by a variety of state actions. I think this is an important thing
to look at.”


The expansion plans are delayed until September. A BP spokesman says if there is
additional dumping, it will not harm the Great Lakes ecosystem.


For the Environment Report, I’m Laura Weber.

Related Links