BP touts emissions plan

The company's program for reducing greenhouse gases follows financial models.

LAURI HARVEY Times (NW Indiana) 8dec00

BP Amoco has committed to a measurable reduction in emissions that contribute to global warming and wants other businesses and industries to adopt its model.

"We've developed a transferable method that allows individual companies to come up with their own solution," said Stephen Simko, environmental superintendent for BP Amoco's Whiting refinery.

Simko shared the model with members of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission's Environmental Management Policy Committee Thursday morning, explaining that BP has voluntarily committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions at its facilities worldwide 10 percent over the 1990 figures by the year 2010.

"It carries the same importance, literally, as our financial goals," he said.

The company views the emission levels as profits and losses, just like a financial model, Simko explained. That process was put in place throughout the company in January 2000. The company operates with an emissions trading program, allowing facilities that are meeting goals to trade their favorable numbers or credits to those which are still struggling with the reductions.

The Whiting refinery is the second largest in the company, Simko said, so emissions there are higher than at most of the other facilities. Still, Simko said, the Whiting facility has an emissions reduction plan in place and is ready to meet its goals.

Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide - the number one contributor to global warming - as well as chlorofluorocarbons, methane and nitrous oxide. Air emissions are an important issue in the Chicago region, as Lake, Porter and Cook counties do not meet federal Clean Air Act standards for the air pollutant ozone.

Lauri Harvey can be reached at harvey@howpubs.com and (219) 933-4169