Detroit: Say no to refinery expansion
January 10, 2008
By ED McARDLE
In the debate over record gas prices, some experts point to dwindling supplies unable to meet soaring demand, while others stress lack of refinery capacity in the United States. Marathon Oil believes it has the answer.
In a recent speech to the Detroit Economic Club, Marathon Oil CEO Clarence Cazalot announced possible salvation from higher oil prices by increasing production at his Detroit-based refinery by 15%, to 400,000 gallons per day. The expansion would process heavier crude oil extracted from the Canadian tar sands in northern Alberta.
Cazalot pointed out this would relieve some of our dependence on oil from unstable areas of the world and create 130 full-time jobs. This project has garnered support from business groups, the Detroit mayor and City Council. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has scheduled a public hearing on the air pollution permit for today at 6 p.m. at the Kemeny Center, 2260 S. Fort St. in Detroit.
But didn't the International Panel on Climate Change tell us that we must reduce our global warming carbon emissions 80% by the end of the century to avoid the worst catastrophes of global warming, and that we had better start now? Shouldn't we be looking for ways to reduce our consumption of oil, not increase it?
That would include avoiding this type of heavier oil from the Alberta tar sands. According to Worldwatch and the National Resources Defense Council, it takes three times as much global warming emissions to extract this oil than regular crude.
Marathon has joined the oil rush with a $6-billion investment in the tar sands. Industry projections estimate that production will triple by 2015 and use as much natural gas daily to extract and process the tar that could supply all of the homes in Canada.
Canada has signed the Kyoto Treaty, but instead of reducing its carbon emissions by 7%, they will increase by 25%, due in large part to the huge amounts of energy used to extract this oil.
The tar sands, which underlay a virgin boreal forest the size of Florida, are considered the world's second largest oil reserve behind Saudi Arabia. The northern boreal forest is the other lung of our planet, like the Amazon, sucking up CO{-2}.
Huge lakes of contaminated wastewater resulting from the processing are contained by some of the largest dams in the world. The environmental destruction of land, water, air quality and wildlife is on a planetary scale and can only get worse.
Shipping the Canadian crude thousands of miles by pipeline has its own dangers. The Enbridge pipeline from Alberta through Wisconsin and the Chicago area has a record of numerous spills.
According to the air permit, most all pollutants will decrease except for carbon monoxide, which will increase by 200 tons per year. Typically, refineries emit a multitude of harmful pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, VOCs (such as benzene), and particulate.
Many of the emissions are linked to cancer, asthma and heart attacks.
Another concern is the wastewater, which will require a permit from the Detroit water and sewerage plant.
What to do? First, let's urge our friends to oppose Marathon's expansion plans. Then let's pledge to purchase only fuel-efficient cars, drive less, carpool, use public transportation and, if you must drive, to limit your top expressway speed to 60 m.p.h. when you safely can. This would reduce the need for more fuel, reduce pollution and CO{-2} emissions.
We have to get serious about global warming. Otherwise we will be scraping the bottom of the Canadian oil barrel for years to come.
ED McARDLE, of Melvindale, is conservation chair for the southeast Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club. Write to him in care of the Free Press Editorial Page, 615 W. Lafayette, Detroit, MI 48226 or at oped@freepress.com.
