BP: The green oil company?

I've seen it argued somewhere (I can't recall exactly where, perhaps either Reason or The Economist) that BP is not really more environmentally conscience than other oil companies such as Exxon, but has instead successfully created the perception that they are by concentrating on PR efforts to "greenwash" their image.

Now I see that, as it turns out, a BP refinery in Texas is the biggest polluter in the country.

The nation's worst polluting plant is the BP PLC oil refinery where 15 workers died in an explosion last year, raising questions about whether the company has been underreporting toxic emissions.

BP's Texas City refinery released three times as much pollution in 2004 as it did in 2003, according to the most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The increase at BP was so large that it accounted for the bulk of a 15 percent increase in refinery emissions nationwide in 2004, the highest level since 2000.

The company is investigating whether it has been accurately documenting pollution, the Houston Chronicle reported on Sunday. There could be more federal fines levied against the energy giant if mistakes are found.

BP already faces a record $21.3 million fine from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 300 safety and health violations found at the Texas City refinery after the deadly explosion in March 2005 that also injured 170 workers.

And back in March, the company was responsible for the largest oil spill in the Prudhoe Bay region of Alaska, reportedly the second largest spill since the Exonn Valdez, when a BP maintained pipeline ruptured.