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Pet Coke Company Plans Storage Warehouse

Michael Puente
/
Illinois Public Radio

A company that handles petroleum coke on Chicago Southeast side says it will build a large warehouse to store the potentially harmful substance.

Some nearby residents think the plan doesn’t go far enough.

KCBX Terminals submitted plans for a large enclosure along the Calumet River as a way to comply with stricter standards set by the city.

Pet coke, a byproduct that comes from refining crude oil, is like coal dust and can become easily airborne.

Tom Shepherd is with the Southeast Environmental Task Force.

He says a new warehouse won’t do anything to contain the pet coke as its being transported to and from KCBX.

“Right now there’s railcars that are coming in day and night. They are uncovered. There are barges moving up the river to other local refineries. Those are sometimes covered, sometimes they’re not.  I don’t think the enclosure is the answer to all of the problems we’ve seen them have,” Shepard said.

If approved, it will take KCBX two years to build the warehouse.

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