SR0306 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0306 LRB095 12807 CMK 38199 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The beaches of Lake Michigan provide a significant source of tourism income for the State of Illinois and other states bordering the Lake; and

WHEREAS, The British Petroleum oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana is planning an expansion that would increase the refinery's discharges into the Lake significantly, including 54% more ammonia and 35% more sludge on a daily basis; and

WHEREAS, The total amount of ammonia that British Petroleum will be discharging into the Lake on a daily basis is 1,584 pounds and the total amount of sludge that British Petroleum will be discharging into the Lake on a daily basis is 4,925 pounds; and

WHEREAS, Ammonia promotes algae blooms that can kill fish and trigger beach closings on the Lake; and

WHEREAS, The sludge that will be discharged into the Lake by British Petroleum is full of concentrated heavy metals, including mercury; and

WHEREAS, Last year, 81% of Illinois beaches were declared unsafe due to algae and other pollution problems; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we strongly urge the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois delegation to the United States Congress to block the permit allowing British Petroleum to increase ammonia and sludge discharges into Lake Michigan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to each member of the Illinois delegation to the United States Congress, to the President of the United States, George W. Bush, to the administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Stephen L. Johnson, and to the Great Lakes National Program Manager for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Mary A. Gade.