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Friday, January 23, 2009

Environment - Still more on "U.S. EPA raises concerns about IDEM changes"

Following up on the Gary Post-Tribune story yesterday (see here and here), Gitte Laasby has a related story today. Some quotes:

City officials in Evansville share outrage from Hammond and Gary over changes in enforcement at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

They call the changes "absurd" and criticize IDEM's management for "emasculating" the agency. City officials are now taking their frustration to the Indiana General Assembly, where Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. has been asked to testify to a state House committee.

Several bills also are in the works and the EPA has sent a letter with concerns to IDEM.

"We had very little expectation anything we said or did to communicate with (IDEM Commissioner Thomas) Easterly or Gov. (Mitch) Daniels would matter," said Dona Bergman, director of Evansville's Environmental Protection Agency. * * *

Bergman said Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel talked to Daniels, and that Evansville EPA staff contacted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5.

As the Post-Tribune reported Thursday, the regional office of the EPA sent a letter to IDEM Tuesday raising questions about the changes.

McDermott welcomed the intervention. He and a Hammond environmental manager were asked to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee in early February, "probably to answer questions about this whole situation," McDermott said.

"Maybe this has something to do with the change in administration in Washington. I welcome EPA's involvement." * * *

Bergman is not optimistic that bills requiring IDEM to enter local contracts will go anywhere, but hopes EPA and public awareness will help.

"There are obviously people at (EPA) Region 5 who are concerned," she said. "I think there are a number of mid- and low-level IDEM personnel who want to do a good job, who really care about the environment and protecting the environment. They're very distraught by the system ... and now a management team that seems bent on emasculating the entire agency."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 23, 2009 09:22 AM
Posted to Environment