BP subsidiary agrees to record $40M penalty and pollution-cutting steps at Lake Michigan refinery

By JOHN FLESHER
AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Federal officials say a BP subsidiary will pay a $40 million penalty and install technology to control the release of benzene and other contaminants at its Whiting oil refinery in northern Indiana. The actions announced Wednesday will settle a civil case against BP Products North America Inc., which was filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency, They describe the penalty as the largest ever under the Clean Air Act for pollution from a structure. Additionally, the company will invest around $197 million in improvements. Officials said the refinery on Lake Michigan near Chicago violated pollution limits.