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Monday, April 18, 2005

Environment - Stories today

"The Pines groundwater update set for Tuesday: Results from tests in Beverly Shores to be announced" is the headline to this story today in the Munster (NW Indiana) Times.

"Measure eases rules on sewer overflows" is the headline to this story about Senate Bill 620, reporting on the Governor's signing of the bill.

"State lawmakers turn to environment: Most of bills are headed to conference committees" is the headline to a story by Martin DeAgostino from the Sunday South Bend Tribune. Some quotes:

Lawmakers hope to stuff a grab-bag of environmental measures into two or three larger bills in order to secure their passage this year, according to legislators and lobbyists.

The topics range from Indiana's waste-tire fund to wetlands, from brownfield development to underground fuel-storage tanks.

Several other bills with environmental implications are in play as well. One bill grants large tax incentives for so-called "clean coal technology," and another eases the permit-review process for landfill operators.

Most of the bills are headed to conference committee, where lawmakers will negotiate differences between House and Senate language. But conference is also where new language can emerge under deadline pressures that don't allow close study.

The process will be more opaque this year because only some of the bills have had Senate hearings. That resulted from a House Democratic boycott that sidetracked 131 House bills on a deadline day for passage.

Although many environmental bills have been revived in broadly related Senate bills, no Senate committees have reviewed them. "None of those issues had hearings over here in the Senate," said Sen. Beverly Gard, chairwoman of the Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee. * * *

Waste-tire assistance fund. The bill applies a per-tire fee of 25 cents to more types of tires than current law does, and it divides the revenue flow into two specific streams. House sponsor David Wolkins, R-Winona Lake, favored a 75-cent fee increase to promote more tire recycling and waste-pile cleanup. But he could not sell it to reluctant colleagues who feared a "tax increase" label.

Underground fuel-storage tanks. Separate bills expand a tank-inspection fee to diesel fuel and dedicate more money to a cleanup fund for leaking tanks. The fund has dwindled from $80 million to $5 million, not nearly enough to remediate soil and groundwater contamination. Gard said restoring the fund to solvency would be the single most beneficial environmental action this year.

Brownfield development incentives. Legislation authorizes state and local authorities to waive or reduce delinquent taxes if a new owner with development plans did not contribute to existing contamination. It also authorizes up to $200,000 in state tax credits for remediation efforts by developers who are not responsible for existing contamination.

Most of those measures are now contained in an omnibus environmental bill that is destined for separation, according to Wolkins and Gard. Other measures, including clean-coal technology and landfill permit reviews, are in stand-alone bills that seem poised for passage.

For an industry viewpoint on this year's environmental legislation, see this page, from the Indiana Cast Metal Ass'n.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 18, 2005 01:49 PM
Posted to Environment