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Congress condemns dumping into Lake Michigan

Thursday, July 26, 2007 10:21 AM EDT

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph), a member of the Great Lakes Caucus, applauded today's House passage of legislation that condemns the recent state of Indiana decision to allow British Petroleum (BP) to increase the amount of contaminants dumped in Lake Michigan.

House Congressional Resolution 187 expresses the sense of Congress' 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" and states that "the United States Environmental Protection Agency should not allow increased dumping of chemicals and pollutants into the Great Lakes."

The bipartisan measure overwhelmingly passed the House by a vote of 387 to 26.

"While it is imperative that we boost our refining capacity as a nation to lessen our dependence on Mideast oil, we must do so in a responsible manner to ensure that we do not compromise the integrity of our natural resources," said Upton. "Our Great Lakes, and Lake Michigan in particular, provide the very foundation of our livelihood, and the potential increase in dumping of harmful contaminants into our waters wholly unacceptable."

Last week Upton spoke to Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to discuss the state environmental exemptions recently granted to BP to expand its refinery along Lake Michigan in Whiting, Indiana. Upton expressed grave concern to the Governor and strongly urged him to discontinue this dangerous course of action.

With the exemptions, the State of Indiana has essentially given a green light to BP to increase its daily dumping to an average of 1,584 pounds of ammonia and 4,925 pounds of total suspended solids (TSS) into Lake Michigan per day, an inconceivable increase of 54 percent and 35 percent respectively.

"I am encouraged that my colleagues in Congress joined with me today to disapprove of further dumping into Lake Michigan and pass this resolution," said Upton. "The Great Lakes form the largest fresh water system on earth and provide 95 percent of the United States and over one fifth of the world's water supply. Our health - and the health of future generations - depends on our ability to wisely manage this fragile ecosystem."

Increases in ammonia levels promote algae blooms that can kill fish and trigger beach closings. Total Suspended Solids are also harmful to the ecosystem in a variety of respects - these solids settle to the bottom of the water body, often choking or drowning aquatic life and also interfering with fish spawning. TSS discharges also contribute to algae blooms, which not only overtake the native ecosystem by taking nutrients away from the surrounding plantlife, but also feed harmful bacteria which remove all the oxygen, kill aquatic life and ruin beaches.

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