Black Dust
The Dust Bowl of the 30s belongs to history, but a new dust bowl has taken its place. The Dust Bowl was considered one of the worst environmental catastrophes in U.S. History. Along with agricultural disasters, “Dust pneumonia was also particularly problematic for individuals with asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, or other existing respiratory infections, (“Existing). On the South Side of Chicago, the black dust that blankets entire communities is difficult to remove from the skin and clothes but what is even more difficult to remove are the companies responsible for this health
hazard to the urban communities.
Over the past several years, petroleum coke, or Petcoke, has been reported as a health hazard in the South Side area of Chicago. This by-product is refined in Alberta, Canada and sent to Chicago's South Side for storage/transfer. Then it is shipped overseas and sold for profit. “China is the top global Petcoke importer, and accounts for 20 percent of US exports…In April 2013, the US Energy Information Agency announced that US Petcoke exports were at record highs; the US sent 184 million barrels of Petcoke abroad in 2012, which was 20 million more barrels that in 2010.” (Horn).
Because of heavier environmental regulations in the United States, Petcoke is labeled as, “too dirty to be used in most states. It’s been called ‘dirtier than the dirtiest fossil fuel’ by US Representative Gary Peters” (Horn). The sole use of this deadly by-product, is to generate profit. Petcoke is at the bottom of the barrel, which is scraped so that nothing goes to waste.
Eventually, this by-product will harm the environment. Presently Petcoke is polluting our fresh drinking water and endangering the health of the people who live near the storage facility. The product is dangerous to the human body. “It can wreak havoc on the human respiratory system.” (Petcoke). According to the US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA),
“Significant quantities of fugitive dust from pet coke storage and handling operations
present a health risk. EPA is particularly concerned about particles that are 10
micrometers in diameter or smaller (referred to as PM10) because those are the particles
that generally pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs. Once inhaled, these
particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.” (“Health
Effects)
Children who walk to school or play in the park return home looking like miners after a long day of work. This is not nature at work; it is human greed that is creating the Dust Bowl of the twenty-first century.
Some current proposals address the South Side petcoke problem. The first step is to call 311 when dust is visible near the storage facility. Investigations will follow, but it is difficult to prove that the source of dust is from the facility because the representatives of the industry find ways around such issues. As for the quality of the air that the dust pollutes, the,
“EPA required Beemsterboer and KCBX to monitor the concentration of dust (also
known as particulate matter or soot) in the air near the three pet coke sites… The State of
Illinois has filed suits against all three facilities for violations of various air and water
pollution regulations…The Chicago Public Department of Public Health has new rules
requiring that all large bulk material storage facilities encloses their material within two
years…Illinois EPA filed emergency rules for regulating pet coke with Illinois Pollution
Control Board on Jan. 16, 2014. The IPCB denied the motion to adopt an emergency rule
and will proceed with the proposal on a normal schedule.” (“What).
KCBX, a Koch brothers company, and other companies do not monitor for all sizes in air particles; particularly, those that can be inhaled and harm the human body. However, it is a step, a small one, but a step in the right direction. The North facility is no longer operable, but the product will be moved to the South facility. Also, “KCBX removed the filter-based air monitors at the South facility (with EPA approval) in March 2016, but they continue to operate five continuous PM10 monitors at the site.” (“Health). In February of 2015, Mayor Rahm Emanuel denied the KCBX company the request for fourteen additional months in order to enclose the piles of pet coke at the facility (Spielman). They must spend over $120 million in order to build an enclosure for the by-product. This is a step-up because then the nearby neighborhood residents will be spared the full negative effects of the black dust that has covered their neighborhoods for years.
However, the continuation of this facility means that activists, politicians, and the representatives of these petcoke companies/facilities need to work together into inputting further safety measures for the product so that human error and ignorance such as not covering ships filled with the byproduct do not contaminate the waters of Lake Michigan or blacken our urban communities. Environmentalists and residents need to address this problem and all the loopholes that these companies are taking to get away with polluting the lake and surrounding environment.
The most plausible proposal is to convert to renewable energy. In actuality such companies like KCBX will scrape the bottom of every barrel so they can profit from it. The perpetrators will not live to see what they do to the environment, but they do not care because they do not live in the affected areas. Activists and opponents to this continuous violation must protest and seek attention in the media. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time that civilization will deal with such issues. Activists need to reach out to communities in similar situations and connect with one another to address this issue.
In a highly technical world, people are citizen journalists. They can document environmental issues through pictures and audio (interviews) showing violations in their community. Energy and the environment do not make the headlines in national or local news. Pop culture and the fancy lifestyles of the rich and famous dominate the news. There is little notice of the progress made by environmentalists, such as shutting down the North plant and the family-owned facility. Only the South facility is operational in spite of the fact that it is causing damage.
The issue of pollution to our Great Lakes by corporations such as KCBX is political. Corporations sacrifice our drinking water and the health of our future generations for the sake of profit. This is the only reason that corporations pour their muck into the water and destroy the environment. In order to remedy this situation, essentially, you have to make these lobbyists start hating money.
In their mission statement, the KCBX company claims that they “are committed to conducting our operations safely with respect for the environment and our neighbors (“KCBX). As a citizen of Chicago in the South Side community, I am directly affected by the fate of the Great Lakes. But I am also a citizen of the planet, and what affects me affects the entire population of our world. The issue is close to home although it is not visible to the communities that are affected. We do not know how our water is treated. We do not know the source of our energy. We do not know what damage has been done to the sources of food, water, and energy. We do not know the long-term effects to those sources. Perhaps we should consider how we add to the damage by ignoring the real price we pay for our basic needs.
A consumer has a choice: to buy or not to buy. It is the tool of change. Do not buy the product and the producer will respond. The simple act of refusal is available to all of us, as drastic as it may sound.
Works Cited
"Eating, Sleeping, Breathing Dust: Health Hazards of the Dust Bowl." GEOL 105 Natural Hazards
RSS. N.p., 03 Apr. 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
<http://geol105naturalhazards.voices.wooster.edu/eating-sleeping-breathing-dust-health-
hazards-of-the-dust-bowl/>.
"Health Effects of Petroleum Coke." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
<https://www.epa.gov/petroleum-coke-chicago/health-effects-petroleum-coke>.
Horn, By Steve. "Chicagoans Want the Koch Brothers to Stop Polluting The City | VICE News." VICE
News RSS. N.p., 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
<https://news.vice.com/article/chicagoans-want-the-koch-brothers-to-stop-polluting-the-city>.
"KCBX." Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
Petcoke: Toxic Waste in the Windy City. VICE News. N.p., 27 Feb. 2014. Web.
<https://news.vice.com/video/petcoke-toxic-waste-in-the-windy-city>.
Spielman, Fran. "Emanuel Denies KCBX Request for More Time to Build Petcoke Storage Facilities." Sun
Times. N.p., 16 Feb. 2015. Web.
"What Is EPA Doing about Pet Coke in Chicago?" EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web.
03 Oct. 2016.<https://www.epa.gov/petroleum-coke-chicago/what-epa-doing-about-pet-
coke-chicago>.
hazard to the urban communities.
Over the past several years, petroleum coke, or Petcoke, has been reported as a health hazard in the South Side area of Chicago. This by-product is refined in Alberta, Canada and sent to Chicago's South Side for storage/transfer. Then it is shipped overseas and sold for profit. “China is the top global Petcoke importer, and accounts for 20 percent of US exports…In April 2013, the US Energy Information Agency announced that US Petcoke exports were at record highs; the US sent 184 million barrels of Petcoke abroad in 2012, which was 20 million more barrels that in 2010.” (Horn).
Because of heavier environmental regulations in the United States, Petcoke is labeled as, “too dirty to be used in most states. It’s been called ‘dirtier than the dirtiest fossil fuel’ by US Representative Gary Peters” (Horn). The sole use of this deadly by-product, is to generate profit. Petcoke is at the bottom of the barrel, which is scraped so that nothing goes to waste.
Eventually, this by-product will harm the environment. Presently Petcoke is polluting our fresh drinking water and endangering the health of the people who live near the storage facility. The product is dangerous to the human body. “It can wreak havoc on the human respiratory system.” (Petcoke). According to the US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA),
“Significant quantities of fugitive dust from pet coke storage and handling operations
present a health risk. EPA is particularly concerned about particles that are 10
micrometers in diameter or smaller (referred to as PM10) because those are the particles
that generally pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs. Once inhaled, these
particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.” (“Health
Effects)
Children who walk to school or play in the park return home looking like miners after a long day of work. This is not nature at work; it is human greed that is creating the Dust Bowl of the twenty-first century.
Some current proposals address the South Side petcoke problem. The first step is to call 311 when dust is visible near the storage facility. Investigations will follow, but it is difficult to prove that the source of dust is from the facility because the representatives of the industry find ways around such issues. As for the quality of the air that the dust pollutes, the,
“EPA required Beemsterboer and KCBX to monitor the concentration of dust (also
known as particulate matter or soot) in the air near the three pet coke sites… The State of
Illinois has filed suits against all three facilities for violations of various air and water
pollution regulations…The Chicago Public Department of Public Health has new rules
requiring that all large bulk material storage facilities encloses their material within two
years…Illinois EPA filed emergency rules for regulating pet coke with Illinois Pollution
Control Board on Jan. 16, 2014. The IPCB denied the motion to adopt an emergency rule
and will proceed with the proposal on a normal schedule.” (“What).
KCBX, a Koch brothers company, and other companies do not monitor for all sizes in air particles; particularly, those that can be inhaled and harm the human body. However, it is a step, a small one, but a step in the right direction. The North facility is no longer operable, but the product will be moved to the South facility. Also, “KCBX removed the filter-based air monitors at the South facility (with EPA approval) in March 2016, but they continue to operate five continuous PM10 monitors at the site.” (“Health). In February of 2015, Mayor Rahm Emanuel denied the KCBX company the request for fourteen additional months in order to enclose the piles of pet coke at the facility (Spielman). They must spend over $120 million in order to build an enclosure for the by-product. This is a step-up because then the nearby neighborhood residents will be spared the full negative effects of the black dust that has covered their neighborhoods for years.
However, the continuation of this facility means that activists, politicians, and the representatives of these petcoke companies/facilities need to work together into inputting further safety measures for the product so that human error and ignorance such as not covering ships filled with the byproduct do not contaminate the waters of Lake Michigan or blacken our urban communities. Environmentalists and residents need to address this problem and all the loopholes that these companies are taking to get away with polluting the lake and surrounding environment.
The most plausible proposal is to convert to renewable energy. In actuality such companies like KCBX will scrape the bottom of every barrel so they can profit from it. The perpetrators will not live to see what they do to the environment, but they do not care because they do not live in the affected areas. Activists and opponents to this continuous violation must protest and seek attention in the media. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time that civilization will deal with such issues. Activists need to reach out to communities in similar situations and connect with one another to address this issue.
In a highly technical world, people are citizen journalists. They can document environmental issues through pictures and audio (interviews) showing violations in their community. Energy and the environment do not make the headlines in national or local news. Pop culture and the fancy lifestyles of the rich and famous dominate the news. There is little notice of the progress made by environmentalists, such as shutting down the North plant and the family-owned facility. Only the South facility is operational in spite of the fact that it is causing damage.
The issue of pollution to our Great Lakes by corporations such as KCBX is political. Corporations sacrifice our drinking water and the health of our future generations for the sake of profit. This is the only reason that corporations pour their muck into the water and destroy the environment. In order to remedy this situation, essentially, you have to make these lobbyists start hating money.
In their mission statement, the KCBX company claims that they “are committed to conducting our operations safely with respect for the environment and our neighbors (“KCBX). As a citizen of Chicago in the South Side community, I am directly affected by the fate of the Great Lakes. But I am also a citizen of the planet, and what affects me affects the entire population of our world. The issue is close to home although it is not visible to the communities that are affected. We do not know how our water is treated. We do not know the source of our energy. We do not know what damage has been done to the sources of food, water, and energy. We do not know the long-term effects to those sources. Perhaps we should consider how we add to the damage by ignoring the real price we pay for our basic needs.
A consumer has a choice: to buy or not to buy. It is the tool of change. Do not buy the product and the producer will respond. The simple act of refusal is available to all of us, as drastic as it may sound.
Works Cited
"Eating, Sleeping, Breathing Dust: Health Hazards of the Dust Bowl." GEOL 105 Natural Hazards
RSS. N.p., 03 Apr. 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
<http://geol105naturalhazards.voices.wooster.edu/eating-sleeping-breathing-dust-health-
hazards-of-the-dust-bowl/>.
"Health Effects of Petroleum Coke." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
<https://www.epa.gov/petroleum-coke-chicago/health-effects-petroleum-coke>.
Horn, By Steve. "Chicagoans Want the Koch Brothers to Stop Polluting The City | VICE News." VICE
News RSS. N.p., 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
<https://news.vice.com/article/chicagoans-want-the-koch-brothers-to-stop-polluting-the-city>.
"KCBX." Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
Petcoke: Toxic Waste in the Windy City. VICE News. N.p., 27 Feb. 2014. Web.
<https://news.vice.com/video/petcoke-toxic-waste-in-the-windy-city>.
Spielman, Fran. "Emanuel Denies KCBX Request for More Time to Build Petcoke Storage Facilities." Sun
Times. N.p., 16 Feb. 2015. Web.
"What Is EPA Doing about Pet Coke in Chicago?" EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web.
03 Oct. 2016.<https://www.epa.gov/petroleum-coke-chicago/what-epa-doing-about-pet-
coke-chicago>.