Schakowsky Statement on Dumping Industrial Waste into Lake Michigan

SCHAKOWSKY STATEMENT ON DUMPING INDUSTRIAL WASTE INTO
LAKE MICHIGAN

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) delivered the following remarks on the House floor today to voice her strong support for H. Con. Res. 187 - Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the dumping of industrial waste into the Great Lakes. The resolution was introduced by Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) after British Petroluem (BP) received approval from the State of Indiana and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to dump 54 percent more ammonia and 35 percent more liquid waste into Lake Michigan.

"I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. Let me just give you a few numbers here. 30 million. That's the number of people who depend on the great lakes for our drinking water. 20%. That's the percent of fresh surface water on the entire planet that is represented by the great lakes. 6 billion dollars. That's the amount of money that BP earned in the last quarter. One of the most profitable companies on the entire planet, and a company that has spent a considerable amount of money promoting its green image.

I want to quote to you from a Chicago Tribune "Voice of the People... article that was written by the BP Whiting refinery individual, and he talks about — he minimizes -- the problem. He says, "of the 23 substances regulated in the permit, ammonia and total suspended solids are the only 2 limits that will increase when compared to the current permit.... No problem. Only 2 out of 23. And later, consistent with BP's bragging about its environmental excellence, says — about itself -- "this is just one of the ways we've demonstrated our focus on continual improvement in environmental performance. Our commitment to continuous improvement will carry on as we modernize the refinery.... Meantime, increasing the amount of ammonia and total suspended solid waste.

What's the consequence of those emissions? The health consequences can't be understated. Dumping ammonia represents a direct threat to millions of Americans living in the Great Lakes region. For example, ammonia in the water promotes algae blooms that can kill fish and trigger beach closings. So here's another number — 1,584 pounds of ammonia — a 54% increase every day. Every day, into our precious Lake Michigan . And, 4,925 pounds of liquid waste consisting of suspended particulate matter — a 35% increase every day into Lake Michigan.

In addition to putting our health at risk, the decision to allow BP to increase their dumping also puts the lake's ecosystem in jeopardy. Increasing the amount of liquid waste consisting of suspended particulate matter dumped into the lake each day endangers the marine life by making the water cloudy thereby making it more difficult for fish to find ample amounts of oxygen. This is a big deal. This is a serious problem. And it's incredible that the environmental protection agency, that BP, and that the state of Indiana would allow it. It's an outrage, we can stop it. Thank you."