Draft EPA rule could impact nearly 50 Indiana coal ash dumps
Draft federal regulations for toxic coal byproducts could cover nearly 50 exempted dumps spread across 14 locations in Indiana.
Environmental Protection Agency
Articles
Gary group files complaint over IDEM’s approval of waste processing facility
A group of Gary residents is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to make the Indiana Department of Environmental Management revoke a permit for a waste processing facility and conduct an environmental justice analysis of the site.
BP subsidiary agrees to record $40M penalty and pollution-cutting steps at Lake Michigan refinery
A BP subsidiary will pay a $40 million penalty and install technology to control releases of benzene and other contaminants at its Whiting oil refinery on the Indiana shoreline of Lake Michigan, Biden administration officials said Wednesday.
State is letting AES Indiana discharge toxic water into White River, group says
An Indiana environmental group says the state is allowing AES Indiana to release more than 1 million gallons of contaminated water a day into the White River from coal ash ponds at its Eagle Valley Generating Station.
Judge temporarily blocks clean water rule in 24 states, including Indiana
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a federal rule in 24 states including Indiana that is intended to protect thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways throughout the nation.
IndyBar: The EPA and PFAS
The EPA is cracking down on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a ubiquitous family of chemicals that can be found everywhere from dairy farms and military bases to nonstick pans and food packaging.
Indiana’s third-party testing on toxic train-derailment waste comes back clear
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced late Wednesday that results from third-party testing on the hazardous waste coming from East Palestine, Ohio, show no harmful levels of dioxins.
Holcomb orders inspection of toxic material from Ohio
Gov. Eric Holcomb said Thursday he is ordering third-party testing of hazardous materials being transported from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment to a landfill in Putnam County.
Holcomb objects to decision to ship toxic materials to Indiana landfill
Gov. Eric Holcomb said Tuesday that he strongly objects to the EPA’s decision to transport hazardous materials from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment to a facility in western Indiana, a nearly 400-mile journey.
Huldin: EPA approves Phase I standard: Is your real estate deal ready?
ASTM and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have added new requirements for a Phase I to meet compliance with the all appropriate inquiry requirements.
Guest column: Sackett’s implications for water protections, land development
The U.S. Supreme Court is reconsidering the proper scope of the Clean Water Act in a case that is likely to have sweeping impacts on federal environmental regulation and land development across the country.
Manufacturer to pay $9.8M for environmental cleanup at Elkhart Superfund site
A furniture manufacturer has agreed to pay $9.8 million to fund cleanup efforts at an Elkhart federal Superfund site.
Biden administration launches environmental justice office
President Joe Biden’s top environment official visited what is widely considered the birthplace of the environmental justice movement Saturday to unveil an office that will distribute $3 billion in block grants to underserved communities burdened by pollution.
Oil processing facility in Indianapolis agrees to $310K penalty, clean emissions
Metalworking Lubricants Co. will pay a $310,000 penalty to federal and state agencies for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act by emitting more than 25 tons of hazardous air pollutants per year at its used oil processing facility in Indianapolis.
Decision by SCOTUS might slow transition to cleaner energy
The Supreme Court ruling limiting the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants could have far-reaching consequences for the energy sector—and make it harder for the Biden administration to meet its goal of having the U.S. power grid run on clean energy by 2035.
U.S. Supreme Court limits EPA in curbing power plant emissions
In a blow to the fight against climate change, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday limited how the nation’s main anti-air pollution law can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Bayer’s bid to stop Roundup lawsuits
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Bayer’s appeal to shut down thousands of lawsuits claiming that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer.
Governor’s veto of ethanol warning upheld by Indiana Senate
The Indiana Senate narrowly upheld a veto that Gov. Eric Holcomb issued last year on a bill that would have required additional labeling for fuel pumps distributing E15, a fuel blend that contains up to 15% ethanol in gasoline.
Hamer-Bailey: PFAS liability and commercial property transfers
Over the last few years, one of the most talked about — and confounding — topics in environmental law has been the issue of PFAS contamination (of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). A pervasive part of our modern lives, from Teflon to Scotchgard to firefighting foam, PFAS compounds now seem to be both a blessing and a curse.
Kelln and Harrell: Could Title VI force change in IN enviro policies?
Conceptually, environmental justice is the “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.” The concept of environmental justice is not new, but came to the forefront during the Obama administration in the aftermath of the Flint, Michigan, lead-contaminated drinking water crisis. However, environmental justice never became a coherent strategy and was overshadowed by significant rulemakings around climate change. That has changed in the first year of the Biden administration.