Before you read this blog post, navigate to your favorite search engine, type in “Detroit petroleum coke,” and peruse the results for a moment (don’t forget to come back and keep reading).

If you’re new to this issue, you might be able to quickly piece together a story about a “…three-story pile of toxic by-product…” that has helped “…Detroit’s riverfront gain national attention” amidst “growing outrage, and calls for action…” from “worried residents.” You may see that even with “…study results released…, concerns linger” and “…unanswered questions…” remain as to the ecological and human health risks posed by the growing pile of oil refinery waste on the banks of the Detroit River. On the other hand, you could be left thinking the headlines are making a big deal out of something that is “…not hazardous…” or even “…not that much of a problem at all”. And maybe the bright side of the issue is that it “…helps a struggling coal plant stay in business.”

If you dig in beyond the headlines, you get the full story (or at least what journalists, activists, and politicians know at this point):

The Marathon oil refinery in southwest Detroit started refining petroleum from the Alberta oil sands last fall. That refining process creates petroleum coke as a waste product—petcoke, if you will. Residents don’t think it looks as cute as it sounds, however, especially when it’s piled three stories high on the banks of the Detroit River. While a black mountain of Canadian oil waste waves its welcome to travelers crossing into the U.S. over the bridge from Windsor, Ontario, residents on both sides of the border are waving their fingers at Koch Carbon, Detroit Bulk Storage, and Marathon for their roles in creating an eyesore and potential public health problem. Samples have been collected and tested, public meetings have been held, bills have been introduced, articles have been written, and some of the petcoke has begun meandering back to Canada to be burned in a Nova Scotia powerplant.

It’s kind of a mess. An environmental, political, economic, and social mess that is, unfortunately, all too familiar to Detroit residents.

Click here for the full story.