Environmental Protection Agency

Amendment Would Give Indiana The Power To Grant Coal Ash Permits Instead Of Feds

By Rebecca Thiele • Mar 29, 2021
(Appalachian Voices/Flickr)

An amendment to a state Senate bill would let Indiana approve permits for coal ash waste instead of the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Groups concerned about coal ash pollution worry the state wouldn’t be as protective of public health and the environment.

Environmental Groups To EPA: Reduce Nutrient Pollution In The Ohio River

By Rebecca Thiele • Dec 21, 2020
(Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey)

Indiana environmental groups have joined several others in asking the Environmental Protection Agency to limit nutrient pollution in the Ohio River. They say excess nitrogen and phosphorus from things like fertilizer, manure, and wastewater treatment plants are causing harmful algae blooms and depriving the river basin of oxygen.

Indiana Groups Sue EPA For Not Regulating Certain Steel Mill Pollutants

By Rebecca Thiele • Sep 21, 2020
Samantha Horton / IPB News

The Environmental Protection Agency is facing a lawsuit for not setting limits for certain hazardous air pollutants at steel mills — like mercury and the cancer-causing chemical benzene.

EPA Applauds Indiana Counties, Cities That Now Meet Air Quality Standards

By Rebecca Thiele • Sep 4, 2020
(Courtesy of Google Maps.)

Morgan County joins Indianapolis and Muncie in meeting some of its air quality goals this year. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the county now meets the standard for sulfur dioxide — a toxic gas that can make it more difficult to breathe and, in some cases, can be life threatening.

EPA Doesn't Plan To Tighten Standards For Smog

By Rebecca Thiele • Jul 15, 2020
(Marco Verch/Flickr)

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to pass on another opportunity to tighten air pollution standards. In April, the agency proposed not changing the standards for particle pollution. It announced on Monday it also doesn’t plan to tighten the standards for ozone — commonly known as smog.

EPA Under Trump Makes Major Rule Changes During COVID-19 Crisis

By Rebecca Thiele • Jun 22, 2020
(FILE PHOTO: Jeanie Lindsay/IPB News)

It’s safe to say there have been other things on Hoosiers’ minds than the environment these days. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected the health of Indiana residents, but also jobs and local economies. Meanwhile, people across the country are protesting acts of violence by police officers against black men and women. 

Air Quality Improves In Indianapolis, Muncie, Lake And Porter Counties

By Rebecca Thiele • Apr 30, 2020
(Ludo Raedts/Wikimedia Commons)

 

Some parts of Indiana that have struggled with pollution are now meeting federal air quality standards. That’s according to three years of data from state and federal environmental agencies. Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency say that’s good news for people with asthma and other lung conditions. 

When two coal plants in the Indianapolis area switched to natural gas, that decreased harmful sulfur dioxide in the air. That means the Indianapolis metro now meets all federal air quality standards.

Coronavirus: State Releases ICU Bed Numbers, EPA May Waive Some Pollution Penalties

By Lauren Chapman • Mar 31, 2020
Lauren Chapman / IPB News

 

The Indiana State Department of Health announced Monday three new deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing Indiana’s total to 35. More than 11,500 have been tested, and as of Monday, 1,786 Hoosiers have tested positive for the virus. 

State Officials Release ICU Bed, Ventilator Count

Environmental Groups Sue ArcelorMittal Over Past Violations

By Rebecca Thiele • Dec 13, 2019

Two environmental groups made good on their promise to sue steelmaker ArcelorMittal on Wednesday. They say the company hasn’t been held accountable for more than 100 violations at its northwest Indiana facility — including a chemical spill that killed more than 3,000 fish in August. 

Residential Soil Cleanup In East Chicago Superfund Expected To Wrap Up Next Spring

By Lauren Chapman • Oct 18, 2019

Residential soil cleanup in East Chicago’s Superfund site is expected to wrap up next spring. But that isn’t the end of the Environmental Protection Agency’s work in the neighborhood. 

'Protect This Place': Indiana Dunes National Park Status Puts Pressure On Nearby Industry

By Rebecca Thiele • Oct 11, 2019

The country’s newest national park isn’t like many of the others — it’s surrounded by some of the largest industrial companies in the U.S. While Indiana Dunes’ new designation has drawn national attention, so have recent industrial spills in nearby Lake Michigan waterways.

But will the park’s designation pressure industrial companies to clean up their act? 

EPA Administrator Visits, Announces Water Infrastructure Funding For Indiana

By Rebecca Thiele • Oct 10, 2019

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler was the special guest on Wednesday at an environmental conference put on by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. 

IU Program To Monitor PFAS In The Great Lakes Basin

By Rebecca Thiele • Oct 2, 2019

Indiana University will use part of a nearly $6 million federal grant to monitor a chemical that polluted groundwater at military bases, including Grissom Air Reserve Base near Kokomo. The Environmental Protection Agency is making research on PFAS a priority. 

Pines Resident To Speak Out Against Proposed Changes To Coal Ash Rules

By Rebecca Thiele • Oct 1, 2019

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed getting rid of the limits for how much coal ash can be used as fill at construction sites. A resident from the northwest Indiana town of Pines will speak against the proposal at a public hearing on Wednesday. 

State Dept. Of Environmental Management Applauds Repeal Of Obama-Era Water Rule

By Rebecca Thiele • Sep 13, 2019

The Environmental Protection Agency announced it has finalized its repeal of the Obama-era rule that would have expanded federal protections for smaller water bodies like streams and ponds.

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