Flasback To 2009: BP Refinery Put On Hold By EPA Is Finally Completed

Flashback: this was one of the first posts I ever did for this blog, back in October, 2009:

October 25, 2009: Surprise! BP refinery expansion in question.

While pundits keep repeating the mantra that no refinery has been built in the United Stated since 1976, when an oil company finally decides to add refining capacity, the current administration puts it on hold. The refinery had met all regulatory requirements and was surprised when the EPA said BP had 90 days to submit new information on air pollutant emissions. BP spokesmen say that this does not mean the project is scrapped but they are disappointed. Everyone thought the regulatory obstacles had been cleared. Not in ObamaNation.

Flash forward. I was curious to see if this expansion project was ever approved by the Obama administration. Lo and behold, it was. In a  press released dated December 18, 2013 -- BP announces completion of the refinery expansion --

BP announced today all of the major new units associated with the Whiting modernization project have been successfully brought on stream.  The start-up of the new 102,000 barrel per day coker in mid-November marked the last major milestone of the multi-year, multi-billion dollar modernization project at the facility in Northwest Indiana.

The refinery is working through post-start-up troubleshooting activities and expects to be ready to begin the ramp up of progressively higher Canadian crude processing from year-end through the first quarter of 2014 as previously announced.

Some comments:

• I am amazed none of the links were broken, including the original Reuters link
• I was impressed that BP pressed on
• now, if the federal and state governments will approve the new pipelines and pipeline expansion programs bringing in Canadian crude oil