Pet Coke Storage Plan Stirs Up Political Dust In Detroit [DOCUMENTS]
City requires roof over Marathon’s pet coke pit; company says enclosure isn’t necessary.
Marathon Petroleum is asking the City of Detroit for permission not to build a roof over a 30-foot pit at its oil refinery near I-75 and Fort Street. The pit contains a fine black powder known as petroleum coke, or “pet coke.” Other industries have stored pet coke in piles along the Detroit River, exposing it to the wind. In the past, residents of southwest Detroit and Windsor have complained about clouds of black dust blowing through their neighborhoods. To address the problem, Detroit passed an ordinance requiring pet coke to be stored inside enclosed structures. Marathon is seeking a variance from the city that would allow the company to continue storing and processing pet coke without enclosing it. Marathon says a roof would not only be costly, but also unnecessary, because the company moistens the substance and takes other steps to keep it from blowing into the Oakwood Heights and Boynton neighborhoods.
Nick Schroeck is the director of clinical programs at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He says pet coke is more than just a nuisance.
“Any particulate matter can be an irritant,” Schroeck says. “For people with breathing difficulties, it can be harmful.”
Oakwood Heights and Boynton are in the 48217 ZIP code, which is considered one of the most polluted areas in the United States. They are also in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, represented by Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. She and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) have proposed legislation requiring the federal government to set rules for storing and transporting pet cokes and to study pet coke’s impact on public health. In Lansing, state Senator Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) has introduced a bill to ensure that when a company is fined for air pollution, the money goes directly to affected communities.
Click on the audio player to hear Nick Schroeck’s conversation with WDET’s Pat Batcheller.
More from WDET:
Text of HR 1675 Requiring Federal Pet Coke Storage and Transportation Standards
Text of Michigan Senate Bill 0060 (2019) Directing Funds to Communities Affected by Air Pollution
Fighting for Air in 48217–a 2017 Report By the Detroit Journalism Cooperative
Marathon Application and Variance Request by WDET 101.9 FM on Scribd
