The Waste-Disposal Program of
the Sinclair Refining Company,
East Chicago, Indiana
James A. Fowler
Technical Department, Sinclair Refining Company
East Chicago, Indiana
.The basic features of the waste-disposal program adopted by the
Sinclair Refining Company, East Chicago, Indiana, were the result
of many years of study and observation by the Refinery engineers.
The improvements in the waste-disposal system made as a result of
the suit Illinois vs. Indiana et al.—United States Supreme Court, filed
October 9, 1943, were made in accordance with this program. In the
suit referred to, Sinclair, along with other industrial establishments
in the Calumet Area, was charged with the pollution of Lake Michi¬
gan and ordered to submit to the court a plan for improvements in
the waste-disposal system of the East Chicago Refinery. A plan was
prepared and submitted to the court in July, 1946. This plan was
accepted and was the basis for a stipulation, which in turn was the
basis for a stay of the proceedings in the case for a period of two
years, during which time the Company was bound to complete the
work specified in the stipulation. Because of the great difficulties
involved in construction work during the two-year period allowed by
the stipulation, Sinclair was unable to complete the required work in
the allotted time. A time extension of one year was applied for by
Sinclair and granted by the court. The required work svas completed
in the additional time, and, after inspection, Sinclair was dismissed
from the case on October 24,  1949.
The basic features of the Sinclair Waste Disposal Program are:
1. Separation of sanitary sewage from Refinery wastes and disposal
of the sanitary sewage in the East Chicago city sewer.
2. Reduction of the over-all volume of Refinery wastes to a mini¬
mum, primarily by the installation of cooling towers for re¬
cycling all cooling and condenser water.
3. Construction of an American Petroleum Institute oil separator
of adequate size for the reduced over-all effluent.
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