Petcoke is a bi-product of the tar sands oil processing at the BP refinery in Whiting across the state line in Indiana. The petcoke sits in piles near the homes of East Siders who must endure the petcoke dust the wind blows into residential areas.

Petcoke is known to aggravate respiratory ailments like asthma and contains at least one known heavy metal carcinogen. BP hopes to greatly expand its processing of tar sands oil which would generate even more petcoke.