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Hammond officials hoping for better communication from BP, following December leak

Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. speaks at his Jan. 22 Mayor's Night Out event.
screenshot from City of Hammond, Indiana YouTube video
Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. speaks at his Jan. 22 Mayor's Night Out event.

Hammond officials say they're hoping for better communication from BP, following last month's supply line leak.

During Wednesday's Mayor's Night Out event, Fire Chief Bernie Grisolia estimated his department got more than 30 calls from residents complaining about the smell on the morning of December 26, but his staff didn't have answers. "We did assure the residents they did not have a gas leak themselves," Grisolia said. "Unfortunately, the communication from BP was lacked, and we're hoping to have better communications in the future."

In an emailed statement to Lakeshore Public Media, a BP spokesperson said, "bp’s Whiting refinery is committed to maintaining strong communication with community leaders and residents. We strive to be a safe, responsible operator and good neighbor to the communities where we operate. As we have done in the recent past, we will continue to provide local government agencies and others in the community with timely and accurate information."

Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. said he sent a letter to BP voicing his frustration. "It felt like if you lit a match, it would blow up. It was that strong," McDermott said. "I've never experienced anything that strong, personally. It smelled like a gas station times 50."

Meanwhile, Hammond Director of Environmental Management Ron Novak said it took BP days to provide the city with the safety data sheet. "It's important to know what product we're dealing with, an estimate of how much the quantity is, where the wind direction is, who's being impacted there," Novak added.

In its statement, BP says its Whiting refinery "has implemented improvements related to how we communicate with emergency responders and other community leaders so residents can get information more quickly and effectively." It also says it works with the Lake County Emergency Management Agency to issue alerts. It held community listening sessions and set up a community engagement group last year, the statement said. BP says it's also planning to create a social media page for the Whiting refinery.

McDermott said the situation has him questioning BP's role in a proposed Midwest hydrogen hub. "Listen, I think the hydrogen hub's an interesting idea, but if BP's going to be the one that does it, they should get their stuff straight at the plant, the one that they run every day, that they don't," the mayor said. "It seems like they don't have control of the situation."

Now, the city is also looking to set up its own emergency notification system, to send text and email alerts.

Note: this story has been updated with a response from BP.

Michael Gallenberger is a news reporter and producer that hosts All Things Considered on 89.1 FM | Lakeshore Public Media.