A state review of laws regarding Great Lakes water quality is running six weeks behind schedule.
The governor ordered the review in August because of public concerns over a permit allowing BP to increase pollution discharges into Lake Michigan. Governor Mitch Daniels asked for the review to be finished within six weeks, but project leader James Barnes says he can't say when the study will be completed.
Barnes is a former dean of IU's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He says the project is taking longer than expected because of the complexity of the federal and state laws that govern Great Lakes water quality.
Daniels has also asked Barnes to assess state officials actions in implementing state and federal laws while preparing the permit for BP's refinery about 15 miles southeast of Chicago. In June, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management granted BP a wastewater permit allowing its Whiting refinery to increase the amount of ammonia it dumps into the lake. Since then, BP said it was abandoning its plans to increase the amount of pollution, but warned that could jeopardize plans for a 3.8 billion-dollar expansion to process heavy Canadian crude oil.
Save
Email
Print
0 comments
