Photo by Dan Janisse, The Windsor Star
Here’s a distrubing story. You see, apparently pipeline spills are not the only way that the diluted bitumen Enbridge transports can foul Michigan rivers. Let us tell you about “petcoke.”
A byproduct of the refining process, petroleum coke is a fine powder that can be burned like coal and used in other processes, like making asphalt. The Marathon refinery in Detroit– you will recall that they recently completed a multi-million dollar expansion so that they could refine more of the dilbit Enbridge pipes to them– produces enormous piles of the stuff, which they then sell.
Where does it all go?
Well, a good amount of appears to be going, for the short term anyway, right down to the shores of the Detroit River. The Windsor Star over in Canada this week ran the disturbing story of mountains of petcoke sitting unprotected by the side of the river. From all appearances, it seems very unlikely that such a fine, powdery material would not blow or runoff or slide or otherwise leach its way into the river, along which it is piled. (The paper has since run some follow up stories. And here’s another on some protests over the piles.)
Apparently, the Michigan DEQ is now on the case. We wait anxiously to see what sort of action will be taken– but given the record of Michigan politicians and state regulations on these sorts of matters, we’re not all that confident.
Oh, and by the way, when entities like the state department do those calculations to determine the carbon emissions (and climate impact) of tar sands mining, as in their recent report on Keystone XL, the impact of burning petcoke– a far dirtier fuel than coal, evidently– does not get included.
There has been a rather comprehensive thread on EnviroMich to which I contributed the following:
I can respond to some of the questions posed and otherwise add to the knowledge base around this petcoke appearance on the shores of the Detroit River:
a. Petroleum Coke is the left over after the heaviest liquid is heated to the point of leaving only solids. It usually carries over lots of nasty metals, etc.
Wikipedia has an excellent piece on the coking process and on pet coke content: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_coker
b. Marathon Petroleum website includes petcoke as a product, but only from two refineries, not including Detroit. This indicates that the petcoke on the Detroit River is initial production from the HOUP (Heavy Oil Upgrade Project). A portion of the Marathon HOUP website on the project speaks to Canadian bitumen feedstock: http://www.detroithoup.com/about-the-project.html
c. Information on the MDEQ air quality permit includes a provision that trucks hauling petcoke would have “particulate controls”. This seems only to apply to petcoke when under Marathon Petroleum control, not subsequent storage and shipment. (This was confirmed by a Marathon statement to Crain’s Business News)
d. An article critical of Marathon Detroit: http://www.publicintegrity.org/2012/10/31/11566/detroit-refinery-expansion-adds-more-canadian-crude-brings-more-worries
“The refinery expansion in Detroit had its genesis in 2007, when the City Council agreed to give Marathon a $175 million, 20-year tax abatement. The company played Detroit off against two other cities in which it operated refineries, St. Paul Park, Minn., where it has since sold its plant, and Robinson, Ill. “Overall,” Marathon warned in one communication with the city, “the system of property taxation is more favorable for refinery investment in Illinois and Minnesota, as compared to that in Michigan and the City of Detroit.”
In exchange for the tax break, Marathon promised to create 60 full-time refinery jobs and 75 full-time contractor jobs, which, it said, collectively would add $16.5 million to the annual $74 million payroll. Even with the abatement, Marathon said, the city would reap $230 million in new tax revenue through 2030. In much the same way, the American Petroleum Institute has promoted the use of tar sands as an economic boon to the United States that would lead to thousands of new jobs.
Marathon’s plan was an easy sell in one of America’s most desperate urban areas. Whether it was a good deal remains to be seen.”
e. Boilermakers Union provided a congratulatory piece on their involvement in the installation of the coker drums: http://www.boilermakers.org/resources/news/L-169_installs_twin_550-ton_coker_drums ;
f. Petroleum coke is one of the negatives of heavy Canadian crude. There is a screed in circulation: http://priceofoil.org/2013/01/17/petroleum-coke-the-coal-hiding-in-the-tar-sands/
In the website summary it notes that 60% of petcoke is exported (probably because it is too dirty to burn). The article also has a sidebar which includes press reports of the screed. I haven’t critically reviewed the press reports to get a feel for challenges to its validity.
Best Regards,
Robert Whitesides
Promises are one thing …facts another. Have the jobs been generated….are the worker on the job and getting paid(and taxed)?