Indiana Senate approves bill to curtail solar incentive
Financial incentives for installing solar panels would be eliminated in the coming years under a bill passed Monday by the Indiana Senate.
Energy & Environmental Law
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7th Circuit rules Duke Energy must pay for wind-generated power
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court decision Tuesday requiring Duke Energy to pay for power generated by a local wind farm only if it passes to a lower grid, deciding instead that the energy company is contractually obligated to pay for any generated power regardless of transmission issues.
2 Indiana men sentenced to prison for biodiesels fraud
Two Indiana men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in what federal authorities say was a multi-million dollar fraud scheme involving biofuels.
After Obama, Trump may face children suing over global warming
A lawsuit brought by children against the Obama administration may force President-elect Donald Trump to decide how far he’ll go to downplay the threat of global warming.
DC appeals court hears arguments in Clean Power Plan case
The federal appeals court in Washington began hearing arguments Tuesday in the legal fight over President Barack Obama's plan to curtail greenhouse gas emissions.
EPA adds Indianapolis groundwater plume to priority list
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday added an 18-acre contaminated groundwater site on the west side of Indianapolis to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites.
Wagner: Who will pay to clean up Indiana’s polluted deep aquifers?
With fewer taxpayer dollars to fund the Superfund program, the responsible parties left standing would have to bear the costs for others that have either gone out of business or filed for bankruptcy.
Sugarman: SCOTUS affirms wetland determinations subject to review
On May 31, the United States Supreme Court once again unanimously delivered a victory for landowners who wish to challenge wetlands determinations handed down by the federal government.
Fight to protect Indiana bat from wind farm renders mixed ruling
The Indiana bat has been part of a long-running battle against a proposed 100-turbine wind farm in Ohio. A lawsuit filed in 2013 by the Bloomington-based Conservation Law Center sought to block a permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that would have allowed the Buckeye Wind Project to kill the protected species.
Regulators OK final settlement over controversial Edwardsport plant
A bitter, costly fight over who will pay for Duke Energy’s $3.5 billion coal-gasification plant, one of the most expensive projects in Indiana history, is finally over.
Law requires tougher standards for Great Lakes pipelines
Congress has ordered stronger safety measures for pipelines carrying oil and other fuels in the Great Lakes region.
High court rejects request to block mercury rule
The Supreme Court of the United States has rejected an appeal from 20 states including Indiana seeking to block a federal rule targeting mercury pollution from taking effect while the government revises the rule to account for compliance costs.
Judge: Substantial progress in Volkswagen emissions talks
Volkswagen and attorneys for vehicle owners affected by the company's emissions cheating scandal are on target to meet a June deadline for a final settlement proposal, a federal judge said Tuesday.
Coal mine environmental risk grows with bankruptcies
As more coal companies file for bankruptcy, it’s increasingly likely taxpayers will be stuck with the very high costs of preventing abandoned mines from becoming environmental disasters.
High court strikes down Maryland power plant subsidies
A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Maryland officials overstepped their authority when they offered financial subsidies to encourage construction of a new power plant in the state.
Peabody, largest US coal miner, files for bankruptcy
Peabody Energy, the nation’s largest coal miner, filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday as a crosscurrent of environmental, technological and economic changes wreak havoc across the industry.
Gardner: Judicial deference and the Clean Power Plan
Justice Scalia’s long and momentous career on the U.S. Supreme Court gave us innumerable important decisions (and scathing dissents) that have shaped the intersection of administrative and environmental law.
Waterhouse: An environmental justice challenge for Indiana
Sadly, many Indiana children are at an even greater risk than children in other states for lead poisoning.
‘No more stringent’ restrained
Manufacturers, agriculture and other big Hoosier industries pegged House Bill 1082 at the top of their legislative agenda this year. So did about 20 environmental, health and public-interest groups that opposed the measure barring Indiana from adopting environmental regulations tougher than federal standards.
Indiana and other states choking on EPA’s new Clean Power Plan
The Clean Power Plan, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gases by imposing caps on states regarding carbon dioxide emissions, has incited a backlash that began before the rule was even published in the Federal Register. A coalition of states, including Indiana, is seeking review of the plan in federal court, claiming the rule exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency’s statutory authority.