But people like the Kochs wouldn't allow their own neighbors to hang clothes on the line, grow vegetable gardens in their own yards, etc., much less piles of powdered coal chemicals in the open air.http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/04/30/3432796/koch-getting-sued/
BY EMILY ATKIN ON APRIL 30, 2014
Two environmental groups on Monday sent a letter to billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, saying they intend to file a lawsuit against them for polluting a primarily low-income area of Chicago with thick, black, oily dust.
The letter sent by the Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) gave official 90-day notice of intent to sue the Koch brothers and 10 of their companies, including the KCBX Terminals Company, in federal court. The lawsuit will seek to hold them liable for the harmful effects of pollution caused by coal and petroleum coke, or petcoke — a dusty byproduct of tar sands oil refining — which their companies allegedly help store in large piles along the Calumet river on Chicago’s southeast side.
Because petcoke can be used as fuel, KCBX buys it from the Detroit Marathon Oil Refinery and stores it in piles by the river until it can be shipped and sold on the international market. When the wind blows, though, the dusty petcoke blows from the piles into the air, settling onto people’s homes and into the river.
The resulting soot has harmed human health, the environment, and overall quality of life, the groups’ letter said.
“Koch’s neighbors have kept the windows and doors of their homes closed in an effort to limit their exposure to dust, only to discover that some still finds its way inside,” the letter said, sparing little detail into the lives of those who reside near the piles:
“They have tasted dust in their mouths and seen dust settle on their skin and discolor their clothes. …. They have been unable to gather for barbeques and outdoor markets without having black dust fall on their faces and clothes and contaminate their food. They have been forced to suspend outdoor games by storms that fill the air with swirling black dust. They have worried about letting children play outside. They have smelled foul odors that leave them feeling nauseous and exhausted. They have struggled to breathe.
This noxious pollution is part of daily life for Koch’s neighbors. It worsens each time the wind blows.”
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Despite months of complaints, however, Illinois officials have denied there is a public health problem from swirls of black petrochemical dust blowing through the air. In January, the Illinois Pollution Control Board rejected state Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed emergency rules to control the piles, saying there was no imminent threat to public health and safety from petcoke. [Have to wonder if the Koch brothers make nice big campaign contributions to those Illinois officials. How would they rule if this were affecting their own neighborhoods?]
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As petcoke is a byproduct of refining tar sands oil, its presence in the United States stands to increase if the controversial Keystone XL pipeline is approved. If approved, the pipeline would bring tar sands oil from northern Canada down to refineries in Texas and Louisiana, where the byproduct would also likely be stored and shipped overseas.
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