July 15 Chicago Tribune
�BP gets break on dumping in lake�
Factual Errors
1. Hawthorne claims BP will dump �industrial sludge� into Lake Michigan. BP�s wastewater discharge will consist of 99.996 percent water, with a small amount (30 ppm) of solids. These solids are primarily salts. This discharge does not qualify as �sludge� by any reasonable definition of the term.
2. Hawthorne says that BP will dump more �toxic waste� into Lake Michigan. BP�s discharge is not �toxic� by any reasonable standard.
3. Hawthorne says that the use of a mixing zone runs �counter to a provision of the Clean Water Act that prohibits any downgrade in water quality near a pollution source.� This is not true. Mixing zones are commonly used in order to ensure that wastewater discharges meet water quality limits.
A familiar example of a mixing zone is a chimney. If a residential fireplace were allowed to discharge its emissions at ground level, neighbors could be overwhelmed by smoke. This does not imply that the amount of smoke is troubling, in terms of overall environmental effect. A chimney is tacit recognition of the fact that even a small amount of pollution can have a significant impact on a close neighbor. So fireplaces have chimneys, which allow air pollutants to mix in the air before they can cause a problem.
It�s the same way with wastewater. A mixing zone ensures that relatively small discharges like BP�s don�t have an unintended local effect�exactly like a fireplace chimney.
Slants
1. Hawthorne claims that BP�s increase in ammonia and solids discharge are �significant.� Solids discharged will increase from 22 parts per million (ppm) to 30 ppm. Ammonia discharges will increase from 6.2 ppm to 9.5 ppm.
Compared to existing industrial, agricultural and natural contributions of these compounds to the lake, those discharges are not even close to significant. Ammonia does not even rate as a pollutant of concern among the hundreds of pollutants that EPA monitors in the lake. Solids are on EPA�s watch list (the lowest tier in EPA�s hierarchy of concern), but BP�s discharge contains far less solids than typical drinking water.
2. Hawthorne says that ammonia can produce algae blooms that can kill fish. Technically true. But Hawthorne does not point out that 9.5 ppm of ammonia (as BP proposes to discharge) isn�t even close to the concentration needed to create an algae bloom.
3. Hawthorne says that sludge is full of concentrated heavy metals. Sludge can be (but isn�t always) full of heavy metals. Nonetheless, 30 ppm of solids hardly qualifies as �sludge,� as we have seen. In addition, BP�s solids are mostly chloride and sulfate solids, neither of which is a heavy metal or toxic, by anyone�s standards.
4. Hawthorne says that processing Canadian crude could require more energy and increase greenhouse gas emissions. Yes, it could. It could also result in a decrease in greenhouse gases, by saving the energy used to power supertankers, push foreign oil through pipelines or by keeping refining capacity out of less efficient foreign refineries. �Could increase greenhouse gases� is a statement that �could� apply to changing the type of food that your flatulent dog consumes.
5. Hawthorne refers to a steady flow of �oil, grease and chemicals� into Lake Michigan. �Steady flow� implies that such discharges have continued, unchecked. EPA data says otherwise. Since the passage of the Clean Water Act in the 70s, water quality in Lake Michigan has improved remarkably and given rise to multi-billion dollar fisheries industry.