Two City Council committees voted today to ban the use of BP gas cards to refuel municipal vehicles. The move comes in response to BP's plan to increase dumping of chemicals into Lake Michigan at its plant in Whiting, Ind.

Ald. Ed Burke said BP officials refused to come to a joint meeting of the the energy and environmental protection committee and the public utilities committee to discuss limiting pollution at the northwest Indiana refinery.

"If they do not respect this body or process, we shouldn't do business with them," said Burke, who sponsored the measure. Burke also called for a larger boycott of BP from the city and citizens.

BP spokesman Scott Dean said the company is not concerned with the possible boycott by the city. He added that the company's chemical discharges have been approved by state and federal regulators.

"The permit meets and does better then E.P.A. standards," said Dean.

The full City Council will vote on the measure Sept. 5.

Burke also said the city should consider pulling business from companies whose directors also serve on BP's board. That list includes McDonald's and Goldman Sachs, among other corporate giants.

Burke was far from alone in expressing his frustration with BP.

"They are stealing our money at the gas pump, now they are stealing our water," said Ald. Thomas Allen.

Ald. Virginia Rugai said the committee will continue to try convince BP to appear, but said that a subpoena should be ready in case they don't.

The committee also heard from witnesses testifying about the consequences of the dumping.

Sadhu Johnston, the commissioner of the Department of Enviroment, told the committee BP's expanded refinery will dump 1,500 pounds of ammonia a day into Lake Michigan, a 54 percent increase.

The committee will reconvene when more information about the expanded operations is received from BP and Indiana officials.