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A modest proposal to solve BP's pollution problem
The front page of the Chicago Tribune had another BP related story today. It says the EPA and other groups are working with BP to find ways to solve their pollution issues at the Whiting refinery project. Long story short, while the EPA can't force BP to do more than the law demands, everyone could benefit from BP taking some steps voluntarily to help clean up Lake Michigan and reduce emissions elsewhere. For example, rather than having BP spend $2 bazillion to make that last final reduction of their effluent, they could spend $1 bazillion on a lot of smaller projects at other locations around the lake and the total pollution reduction could be orders of magnitude greater.
BP seems interested in doing this kind of thing to help their public image. According to the Tribune, BP has "paid Internet bloggers to defend the permit." (HEY: Editor with low self esteem and child starting college open to negotiations. peter.welander@reedbusiness.com ) The article has a sidebar on 7 ways BP could help.
I have suggestion No. 8: BP can pony up the money to buy all the mercury at the ERCO chlorine plant discussed in Monday's posting. If you recall, this plant emits over 1,000 pounds of mercury annually, and has 200 tons on its site. ERCO is changing to a non-mercury process, but it still has all that metal on site.
As a sidebar on mercury, bear in mind that it hasn't been produced commercially in the U.S. since the early '90s. Currently available stocks are more than enough for industrial requirements. It isn't a particularly expensive metal. I haven't found much current pricing, but historically it's sold for <$10 per pound.
So, for the price of perhaps $4 or $5 million, BP could buy all the mercury at the ERCO plant and work with a group like Oceana to make sure it ends up someplace safe where it won't be sold to some third-world buyer where it will ultimately make its way into the food chain.
This is just a suggestion. There are more where it came from.
A modest proposal to solve BP's pollution problem
August 15, 2007
The front page of the Chicago Tribune had another BP related story today. It says the EPA and other groups are working with BP to find ways to solve their pollution issues at the Whiting refinery project. Long story short, while the EPA can't force BP to do more than the law demands, everyone could benefit from BP taking some steps voluntarily to help clean up Lake Michigan and reduce emissions elsewhere. For example, rather than having BP spend $2 bazillion to make that last final reduction of their effluent, they could spend $1 bazillion on a lot of smaller projects at other locations around the lake and the total pollution reduction could be orders of magnitude greater.BP seems interested in doing this kind of thing to help their public image. According to the Tribune, BP has "paid Internet bloggers to defend the permit." (HEY: Editor with low self esteem and child starting college open to negotiations. peter.welander@reedbusiness.com ) The article has a sidebar on 7 ways BP could help.
I have suggestion No. 8: BP can pony up the money to buy all the mercury at the ERCO chlorine plant discussed in Monday's posting. If you recall, this plant emits over 1,000 pounds of mercury annually, and has 200 tons on its site. ERCO is changing to a non-mercury process, but it still has all that metal on site.
As a sidebar on mercury, bear in mind that it hasn't been produced commercially in the U.S. since the early '90s. Currently available stocks are more than enough for industrial requirements. It isn't a particularly expensive metal. I haven't found much current pricing, but historically it's sold for <$10 per pound.
So, for the price of perhaps $4 or $5 million, BP could buy all the mercury at the ERCO plant and work with a group like Oceana to make sure it ends up someplace safe where it won't be sold to some third-world buyer where it will ultimately make its way into the food chain.
This is just a suggestion. There are more where it came from.
Posted by Peter Welander on August 15, 2007 | Comments (0)
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