Whiting, Ind., is home to BP's Whiting Refinery, the fourth-largest in the U.S. Its sprawls over 1,400 acres and sits on the shore of Lake Michigan. The facility is capable of processing 405,000 barrels of crude a day.

 

BP is investing $3 billon to expand the plant to process heavy Canadian crude oil derived from oil sands. The expansion would increase the amount of ammonia it discharges into the lake by 54 percent. In addition to air-bound emissions, local residents will face the increased likelihood that their drinking water may be contaminated.