Natural Gas Odor Is From Cleanup After Leak At Whiting Refinery: BP

TINLEY PARK, IL — A natural gas odor in the air outside noticed by residents in several south suburbs Wednesday is reportedly from the cleanup following a leak at the BP Refinery in Whiting, Indiana.

The Village of Tinley Park received several 911 calls early Wednesday morning reporting the smell. The odor has also been reported by residents in nearby Oak Forest, with the odor traveling west and some in Mokena, Frankfort and New Lenox also noticing it.

The smell is lingering after a leak at the refinery on Jan. 18, according to a statement from BP. A storage tank at the refinery's tank fields was leaking last week, and was "stopped and contained within the area" by Jan. 19. Emergency response and operations crews immediately began cleanup efforts.

Notifications were made to required local and state regulatory entities. The refinery continues to operate normally.

"We are aware that some in the surrounding communities may be experiencing odors while cleanup work at the tank confinement area is taking place," a BP spokesperson said. "Operation crews are working around the clock to rapidly clean up the impacted area and are undertaking additional measures to try to mitigate the odors as they continue cleanup efforts."