Lake Michigan pollution to get 2nd look

Chicago -- BP Oil and Indiana plan to take a second look at a plan to increase pollution in Lake Michigan to satisfy necessary Midwest energy demands, a report says.

BP Vice Chairman Stephen Elbert said the company would look into new technology that might reduce those discharges from the planned expansion of its Whiting, Ind., refinery, the Chicago Tribune reported.

When BP got the new water permit earlier this year, federal and state regulators agreed there was not enough room at the 1,400-acre site to upgrade the refinery's water treatment plant to keep more pollution out of the lake.

The permit allows BP to dump an average of 1,584 pounds of ammonia and 4,925 pounds of suspended solids into the lake every day.

"Unfortunately, we're not able to design and operate an emission-free refinery," Elbert said.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.