That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The nuke plants in IL all seem to be leaking glow in the dark water nowadays. Good thing I’m down river from all of them.
Uh, but it’s still MTBE, not MBTE Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), . Get it right. Also, why should the government or anyone else shield a manufacturer from the damage caused by their unreasonably dangerous product? I don’t want MTBE in my drinking water…
It’s funny. I can remember having a cow when gas prices hit $1.50 heh. $3.00 a gallon is starting to sound as bad in price as packs of cigarrettes. I’m all for encouraging people to quit smokeing, but I think we like our independence too much to ride bikes and car pool. Go light rail I suppose.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The nuke plants in IL all seem to be leaking glow in the dark water nowadays. Good thing I’m down river from all of them.
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I think ‘up-river’ would have been a little better idea my three-eyed friend.
the only reason that their have been no refineries built is that they will cost money to builb. if the executives spend money it will lower profits.then their BIG
For years now they could have built new or increased refining capacity here or more easily abroad and simply shipped product into the US. Why havent they done this?
Because they are too smart to kill the Cash Cow
Its has little anymore to do with environmental issues, if it did gas prices would only be high in those markets where special blend gas is required by law, yet prices are going up nationwide. Instead Big Oil has learned the lesson of Enron, choke the supply, make up excusses for it (real or artificial), and reap windfall profits
Keep refining capacity low by intentially limiting production capacity by intentially withholding expansion or new facility construction, thus causing strain on worldwide oil demands, add in do everything lobbyingly possible to prevent increases in milage or efficiency regulation standards, aided by an Oil Freindly political machine = extreme oil profits year after year.
Is anyone here going to explain how a company that making MULTI-BILLIONS of dollars in PURE PROFIT every QUARTER cannot afford to build new capacity? The only answer is pure GREED. Its like Andrew Carnegie, the world richest man at the time and noted world class level greedy-ba$tard cheap-skate, when told by his Doctor that he should have a glass of Champaigne every night to help him sleep, bitterly complained that “I’m telling Doc, I just can’t afford it, will Soda-water do?”
Well nobody said doing the right thing would be the easy thing (using ethanol to reduce emissions). I do find it puzzling that with this supposed shortage of oil and the easier renewable resource corn as an option, the market isn’t too interested seemingly to encourage to embrace the costly but necessary investment. Of course, as was said before, the most shareholder don’t really equate good decision making/ investment as a future benefit-they are more interested in the ROI alone and as the oil companies answer to them, their hands are rather tied.
Maybe more government involvement would be in order.
I would like to know how and why the whole ethanol thing works so well for Venezuala (I believe it is them) and doesn’t work so well for North America? What are the facts concerning them and what can be done to mimic the same results in our neck of the world?
Actually, while the oil companies can expand capacity to a limited extent, it isn’t as easy or cheap as you seem to think.
Permitting, which is an environmental problem and outside of certain efforts to streamline the process in a few places the permitting process for a new refinery takes about ten years. A new refinery costs $110s of Millions at least once it is up and running. Some larger oil companies are look
And where are you going to put the new refineries?
There has to be rail access, and water access, most likely deep draft port or channel access.
I can tell you from personal experience here on the Houston Ship Channel, there aint any more room!
You can stand on the Sidney Sherman Bridge looking east, and as far as you can see is nothing, and I mean nothing, but refineries.
There are so many, so closely packed together that from the air, you can identify the ship channel from several miles away, it looks like a glowing white river of lava at night, running from Galveston Bay almost to downtown Houston.
And who wants a refinery in their back yard?
Any takers?
Anyone at all?
Guess not…funny, no one minds using the products these places make, as long as they make it somewhere besides next to where you live and play…
Uh, but it’s still MTBE, not MBTE Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), . Get it right. Also, why should the government or anyone else shield a manufacturer from the damage caused by their unreasonabl
I’m not an oil refiner, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn last night.[:o)] Dave-I don’t think the government required the use of MTBE. I think I’ve read that was the additive of choice to replace lead.(?)
No I don’t offhand, but it’s been all over the news lately. Two plants over by Joliet, IL and one up in Byron(near Rockford) IL have all sprung leaks in the coolant water here and there.
My bad, it was more of a sarcastic remark than anything.
This makes me glad I grew up in a place where I didn’t really have any concern with smog or the like. All I know is high fuel costs suck all the way around. I have to agree with LC’s perspective, but I can feel FM’s frustrations.