Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott and a Whiting residents organization are asking for more transparency from BP.
Following a Dec. 26 gas release from the BP Whiting Refinery, McDermott wrote a letter to Chris DellaFranco, vice president of the refinery, detailing complaints from residents.
McDermott told DellaFranco that residents called the Hammond Fire Department “to report a strong, offensive odor.” The fire department asked for additional information from BP and were told that a notice would be put out as soon as the legal team reviewed the notification’s verbiage.
“The delay in providing available information to the emergency responders for the City of Hammond is unacceptable,” McDermott’s Jan. 1 letter said. “It is understood that not all the information surrounding a release may be immediately available, however in this case, crafting a public release places the Hammond Fire Department — our professional emergency responders — at a distinct disadvantage.”
Lisa Vallee, member of the Whiting-Robertsdale Environmental Action Committee, said the group was formed a couple days after the Dec. 26 gas leak. Vallee, who is also the organizing director for Just Transition Northwest Indiana, lives in Hammond’s Robertsdale neighborhood, which is adjacent to — and shares a zip code with — Whiting.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. speaks before the annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride at Wicker Park in Highland on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune)
Other residents had been concerned about BP, Vallee said, and she thought it was a good opportunity to get together and plan how to react.
A majority of the group’s members are lifelong Whiting residents.
“They’re really concerned about the lack of transparency and how long it took us to find out any information on what was going on,” Vallee said. “The scent that day was so noxious and consuming. It’s really hard to put into words how awful that was.”
WREAC members have gone to Whiting City Council meetings to express concerns about BP, Vallee said, which she believes is great because people are ready for action.
BP Spokesman Cesar Rodriguez said in an email that the Whiting refinery is committed to maintaining communication with leaders and residents.
“We strive to be a safe, responsible operator and good neighbor to the communities where we operate,” the statement said. “As we have done in the recent past, we will continue to provide local government agencies and others in the community with timely and accurate information.”
Rodriguez said in an email that the refinery has improved how it communicates with emergency responders and community leaders. The refinery works with the Lake County Emergency Management Association to issue alerts, Rodriguez added.
The company has also hosted multiple events for residents to voice their concerns about the refinery. BP also provides regular updates through its community committees, external email updates, its website and communication with community contacts, Rodriguez said, adding that a social media page will be created as well.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management was not involved in Hammond’s correspondence to BP, the agency’s Public Information Officer Barry Sneed said in a statement.
IDEM can’t impose additional reporting requirements, Sneed said, but the agency encourages all permitted facilities to engage with communities and provide up-to-date information.
Vallee feels that the company’s representatives say the same thing after each incident, and she wants more action from BP to see concerns are being heard.
A lot of residents have health conditions, Vallee said, which she thinks makes transparency even more important. Vallee has lupus and said she’s affected on days with high pollution in the air.
“There are people we meet in the community who have autoimmune conditions or other issues that make them part of the sensitive category of people,” she said. “We are constantly having to deal with this. And (BP representatives) are saying the same thing, ‘Oh, you’re fine. It’s fine. Nothing to worry about, nothing to see here.’”
To Vallee, it’s important that local leaders, including council members and mayors, hold BP accountable and help their constituents.
Vallee thinks WREAC will continue to grow and more residents will voice concerns about BP and its practices. She encourages people to learn about groups that can help.
“You’re not alone, and you have every right to be concerned,” Vallee said. “Find other people who are interested or come to one of our meetings and get involved. It’s not just a place to talk about this, it’s a place to build community.”
