An Indiana university and an Illinois laboratory are teaming up to examine BP's wastewater treatment technology, trying to address concerns regarding BP's Lake Michigan wastewater discharges.
Details are still be arranged, but members of the Purdue Calumet Water Institute and Illinois' Argonne National Laboratory will meet soon to establish research responsibilities, said Wes Lukoshus, Purdue assistant vice chancellor for advancement.
The review comes at the request of U.S. Representatives Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., and Judy Biggert, R-Ill., both of whom met with officials from BP and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, which issued BP its controversial discharge permit.
"This is a great opportunity for an independent third-party to apply emerging technologies to protect Lake Michigan," Visclosky said in a statement.
The goal of the third-party review is to determine whether BP is doing everything it can technologically to make sure it's not polluting the lake, Visclosky spokesman Justin Kitsch said.
Officials hope researchers might uncover technologies that BP could incorporate into its plans to expand its Whiting plant and increase ammonia and suspended solids pollution in the process, Kitsch said.
BP spokesman Tom Keilman said the company has a track record of trying to improve its operations and looks forward to working with the groups to identify new processes.
"BP will then investigate whether any of these technologies can be applied to its Whiting plant...before renewal of our discharge permit in 2012," Keilman said.
Environmental groups have called BP's proposal to increase discharges a step back in years of attempts to make Lake Michigan cleaner.
Purdue's Water Institute was created to help private and public entities find solutions to water-related problems. Lukoshus said he does not see funding BP gave the Initiative as creating any conflict in the technology review. BP has given at least two donations to the program, one worth $50,000.
Keilman echoed Lukoshus, noting that Purdue and Argonne "have outstanding reputations and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that."
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