Hoosiers ask Braun, IDEM to maintain environmental rules protecting air, water and land
IDEM opened a public comment period in June to solicit input on existing rules after Gov. Mike Braun ordered the agency to review environmental regulations and policies deemed excessive and burdensome. Braun's executive order, Creating Opportunity through Reduction of Excessive Environmental Regulation, asked IDEM to report opportunities to revisit or rescind regulations by July 1.
The agency received more than 1,300 comments, the vast majority of which said Braun's order would weaken public health and environmental protections in the state, according to an IndyStar analysis. A letter-writing campaign initiated by the Hoosier Environmental Council accounted for more than 900 of the submitted comments.
The HEC's campaign focused on sustaining regulations on four topics: wetlands protection, hazardous waste disposal, open burning and industrial stormwater permitting.
Fewer than 30 submissions asked IDEM to review or rescind regulations.
Sam Carpenter, executive director of HEC, said the advocacy group is calling on Braun to respond to these comments.
'We think the governor should acknowledge them and say how he's going to prioritize these issues,' Carpenter said. 'We are at a point where our natural resources, through development and other means, have become more and more restricted, more and more limited, more and more has been destroyed.'
Braun, in a written statement following the public input period, wrote 'we can be good stewards of our environment without stifling growth through excessive government mandates, and I'm proud to be leading that initiative here in Indiana.'
The governor's office did not respond to IndyStar's inquiry on the number of Hoosiers submitting comments requesting IDEM to not water down existing regulations.
David Van Gilder, senior policy and legal director with HEC, said the group will continue raising awareness around Braun's order for deregulation.
'Hoosier Environmental Council is in favor of smart regulations,' Van Gilder said. 'We're not looking for extra bureaucracy or red tape, what we're looking for is our natural resources, our environment and our health to be protected.'
Outside of HEC's campaign, other groups and individuals also submitted comments relating to Braun's order asking IDEM to roll back rules.
Indiana Conservation Voters, the White River Alliance, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project, Just Transition Northwest Indiana and Save the Dunes submitted comments on behalf of their organizations.
The ICV's submission, supported by hundreds of signatures, recommended regional experts uphold science-based regulations and IDEM hold hearings for regulations up for review.
'We urge IDEM to prioritize the burdens of hard-working Hoosiers and hold a public hearing and chance for comment for each and every rule and regulation you intend to rescind or alter,' the letter said.
While mostly individuals wrote in asking IDEM to keep environmental regulations in place, about 25 industry groups and businesses made submissions recommending deregulation.
The Indiana Energy Association, a trade organization representing investor-owned utilities across the state, wrote that a few of IDEM's regulations and policies 'may be unduly burdensome, significantly raise the cost of living for Hoosiers, are not supported by current law and the best available science, or do not benefit Indiana's environment.'
The IEA's comments touched on issues of river temperature requirements, hazardous waste regulations and certain emissions monitoring.
Coal mining company Peabody Midwest Mining submitted comments saying certain coal-burning utility regulations are being reconsidered by the U.S. EPA following the agency's deregulation push under President Donald Trump and IDEM should follow suit.
'Peabody support the current administration's efforts to identify and revise unnecessary and overly-burdensome regulations that have been imposed on the utility and fossil fuel industries,' the company's comments said.
As the state continues its review of environmental policy, Van Gilder said HEC will continue to raise the group's concerns with the governor.
'We very politely, strongly, respectfully call on an appropriate reaction from the governor on these comments,' he said.
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
a day ago
- Indianapolis Star
Diego Morales' work ethic isn't the problem. It's his corruption.
The one piece of credit I will give to Diego Morales is that he's a grinder. On that point, he and I agree. Morales racked up a gazillion miles attending far-flung Lincoln Day dinners across Indiana in the 2010s, when he was an aspiring politician. He served food. He shook hands. He ingratiated himself to fellow Republicans, ranging from statewide office-holders to rank-and-file voters. He showed up. Every day. Morales became a statewide elected official solely on the strength of that hustle. It has continued since he took office. The question is: To what end? When the Republican base got mad at former Gov. Eric Holcomb over his perceived squishiness, they took it out on Holli Sullivan, who was Holcomb's handpicked secretary of state. Morales was there to capitalize. Disaffected Republicans nominated Morales over Sullivan in 2022, despite Sullivan's competence and Morales' resume full of lies. Morales won the general election, taking over a secretary of state's office that had previously fired him for poor performance (remember, you can be a hard worker and also bad at your specific job). Morales' political rise has depended on a lot of luck. But he also made his own luck. That's why Morales' performative defense of his record is so ludicrous. Morales chose a July 23 Motor Vehicle Advisory Board meeting as an appropriate venue to go off on a 15-minute rant. He insisted "I don't care" about critics while also repeatedly lashing out at "fake news," which in his view includes WIBC-FM (93.1), IndyStar and, presumably, me. His impromptu one-man-show included a peculiar rebuttal to the "fake news." "I have put more miles on the car than two secretaries of state combined," Morales said, just warming up. "My work ethic is unmatched," he added. "You know who's the crazy guy who arrives in the Statehouse between 5 and 5:30 a.m.?' OK, sure. That's sort of missing the point, though, right? Morales' work ethic isn't the problem. It's his corruption. It's that Morales is "crisscrossing Indiana's 92 counties," as he put it, in a taxpayer-funded $90,000 GMC Yukon Denali. While we're on this point, why is Morales driving 2,000 miles per month, anyway? How is that an efficient use of time for a secretary of state, much less something to brag about? Back when Morales was running for secretary of state, I reported that he once lied about his residency status and almost certainly voted illegally in 2018. Morales, who lived in Indianapolis, was running for Congress in the 4th District. He pretended to live in a Plainfield condo in the district so he wouldn't be viewed as a carpetbagger. He twice voted in Hendricks County, while taking a property tax homestead deduction in Marion County, signaling that's where he really lived. It's fairly common for congressional candidates to lie about where they live. But Morales took it to the next level. I reported at the time that Morales directed staff to visit the condo and program lights on timers to make the home seem occupied. His campaign even put up Christmas decorations. I think that anecdote explains a lot about Morales. He's sharp. He's detail-oriented. He puts in effort. But he applies those presumptive virtues toward deceiving others and serving his own interests. One of the hardest parts of writing about Morales is deciding which scandals to reference, because the list is tediously long for reader and writer alike. Here goes: Morales' $90,000 SUV came from Kelley Automotive of Fort Wayne, which also happens to be one of his top donors; he has awarded millions of dollars in no-bid contracts; he continues to employ his brother-in-law to a six-figure salary and give him generous bonuses, along with other staff; he keeps traveling overseas for unclear reasons with unclear funding sources; and he spends taxpayer money on knickknacks with his name on them, including chip clips, which I use to keep my pretzels fresh. Morales also has faced credible sexual assault allegations and exaggerated his military record, which he loves to cite yet neglects to mention that he left the Indiana National Guard before meeting his obligation. Based on all this, I've argued that the Indiana General Assembly should impeach Morales. That's not likely to happen. Instead, the Indiana Republican Party seems hopeful about replacing him at next year's nominating convention. Morales has already announced he's running for reelection, setting up what promises to be a contentious fight. Republican challengers are lining up to take down Morales, while Democrat Beau Bayh — the son of Evan Bayh — is also positioning himself to run for secretary of state. Everyone knew who Morales was when he ran for secretary of state the first time. He's no doubt emboldened by his ability to lie and "fake news" his way through everything so far. But his act is wearing thin, even outside the high-information bubble of Central Indiana. Sources tell me Morales is becoming the butt of jokes across the state at Lincoln Day dinners, the Republican events where he once endeared himself to attendees. Perhaps Morales is feeling the pressure and that's why he lashed out. Or maybe he's lost in his own delusion and truly believes that his value to Indiana taxpayers can be measured by an odometer. "I'm a leader and I'm setting the tone for the rest of our team here in the secretary of state's office and for this board," Morales said during his Motor Vehicle Advisory Board diatribe. "My work ethic is unmatched and I hope the fake news will write that." There it is. I've written it. But Morales isn't going to win another term by beefing with the fake news. He's going to have to convince Republican delegates that he isn't insulting their intelligence. He did it once. It's going to be a much tougher sell next time around.
Indianapolis Star
a day ago
- Indianapolis Star
Report: Head of EPA visits Indianapolis to announce major environmental policy change
U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is expected to announce a major policy proposal during a visit to Indianapolis on July 28 Zeldin has focused his tenure at the EPA rolling back environmental rules, slashing staff and advancing President Donald Trump's Unleashing America's Energy agenda. Zeldin will announce the repeal of what is known as the "endangerment finding," according to a report in E&E News, a publication of Politico. The EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions hinges on the endangerment finding — and rolling it back could exacerbate the threats posed by climate change to human health. Governor Mike Braun, Attorney General Todd Rokita and U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, are expected join Zeldin for the announcement at Kenworth of Indianapolis off East 30th Street. Greenhouse gases weren't always classified as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Concerns about motor vehicles emissions rising throughout the early 2000s led to a petition where 19 organizations called upon the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA rejected the petition, arguing that the gases weren't considered air pollutants subject to the Clean Air Act. Litigation ensued. And in 2007, the Supreme Court categorized greenhouse gases as 'without a doubt' air pollutants. In 2009, the endangerment finding gave the EPA authority to regulate six greenhouse gases — including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — as threats to human health. That move contributed to regulations on emissions from cars, trucks, power plants and the oil and gas industry. Repealing the endangerment finding would be a step backward and is not supported by science, said Gabe Filippelli, a biogeochemist and professor of Earth sciences at Indiana University. 'One could argue that it is just another attempt to prop up the dirtiest of businesses we still have in the U.S., which includes coal burning power plants,' Filippelli said. Climate changes poses a real danger for Hoosiers, and revoking these rules is a case of businesses winning and communities losing, he said. The EPA balances economic needs with environmental protection, but the two issues are not at odds. 'We need business and electricity,' Filippelli said, 'but not at the expense of people's health.' IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at Follow him on BlueSky @ or X @karlstartswithk.
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
New Indiana IREAD law sparks parent concern as student retention set to rise
Parents are stressed, and kids are coming home crying. These are the emotions more families say they're experiencing this summer because of a new law that will likely mean more third graders are kept from progressing to the fourth grade. The law that is affecting this year's rising fourth graders will hold back students who do not pass the state's standardized early literacy test, or IREAD, by the end of the third grade and don't meet one of the mandated exemptions. Some parents were left confused this summer as their second- or third-graders were told they have to go to summer school to improve their reading due to the new law; others think holding them back will do more harm than good. One parent who spoke to IndyStar said that their rising third grader is dealing with stress and anxiety over passing the test, especially while trying to get the proper help for their severe dyslexia. 'I don't know how, for an 8 or 9-year-old, that you tell them they're not good at reading and then make them do the year all over when it's already been a struggle for them, and then what, just tell them to try harder at school?' one parent told IndyStar. 'It's just putting kids in a bad education situation for the rest of their lives,' said the parent, who asked not to be named to protect their child's privacy. However, lawmakers like Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, who supported the bill, say this is a necessary step to help young readers continue to grow in school. 'We must recognize we do kids a much bigger disservice when our schools advance students who are not ready to move on in their studies,' Bray told IndyStar. 'Kids learn to read and then read to learn, so ensuring our Hoosier students are prepared for their next level of education is absolutely critical.' Educational experts often cite third grade as a pivotal point in a student's life, where, if foundational reading skills aren't mastered, it could lead them to be academically behind for the rest of their lives. Final scores for this year's IREAD results won't be released until August, but schools are already anticipating the need to adjust staffing and classroom sizes as more students are held back. Indiana schools have historically had the authority to hold students back if they don't feel that they're ready to advance, but the state has been increasingly promoting students over the past decade, according to state data. According to the Indiana Department of Education's third-grade literacy data, in 2012, the state promoted just 4.7% of its third graders who didn't pass IREAD, but in 2023, that had grown to 17% being promoted. This trend also follows national data, where from 2000-2016, retention rates have been dropping. Wayne Township schools for the 2023-24 school year saw about 65% of its third graders pass IREAD, the third-worst proficiency rate among Marion County's 11 school districts. However, in the 2022-23 school year, they allowed 29% of third graders who didn't pass IREAD to continue to the fourth grade. Under the law passed last year, if a student meets one of these exemptions, they can move on to fourth grade: Some English language learning students will also get an exemption from being retained, at least for the next two school years. This year, House Bill 1499 was passed, which allows schools whose third-grade population is comprised of at least 50% English language learners can register those students as exempt from retention if they are unable to pass IREAD. However, this exemption will only last until the start of the 2027-28 school year. This could impact an estimated 550 third-grade English language learners across 25 public schools in Indiana, according to the bill's fiscal note. For this upcoming school year, Wayne Township anticipates needing additional third-grade class sections at two of its 11 elementary schools. 'All students who don't pass IREAD this summer will participate in targeted instruction and intervention next year,' said Jeannine Templeman, Wayne Township's chief communications officer. Indianapolis Public Schools saw the lowest IREAD proficiency rates among Marion County's districts in 2024 at 59%. However, IPS Communications Director Alpha Garrett told IndyStar that they are not concerned about overcrowding in its third grade classrooms for the upcoming school year. Garrett said they are concerned about how IREAD has become more 'high-stakes' in nature and what kind of impact it will have on students' and staff's experiences. One IPS parent whose son did not pass IREAD in second grade told IndyStar she felt misled because of the school's emphasis on getting students to pass it before being held back is required. 'They made it seem like it was mandatory that they pass in the second grade, when really they're testing them on things that aren't even in his grade level yet,' the IPS parent said, who is not being named over concerns that their child would be bullied. 'They made it seem so scary, and didn't explain it well enough that it would be OK if he didn't pass this year.' The IPS parent's son has been getting extra help in summer school this year, but continues to feel anxious about what this test will mean for him heading into third grade. Garrett said that students who are retained in third grade will be placed with a teacher state evaluations show is a "highly effective" educator. Mandatory summer school for third graders who don't pass IREAD was also included in the legislation that requires retention, along with two other chances to pass the test before fourth grade. However, for the next two years, the state will be working with less money for summer school as the budget for 2025-27 allocated around $17.4 million for both years, which is around a $918,000 annual decrease from the 2023-25 budget. In total, Hoosier students now have five chances to pass the test throughout the second and third grades. If students pass IREAD in the second grade, they do not have to retake it. The Indiana Department of Education said schools will be given priority reimbursement for summer school based on how many second- and third-grade students they're serving. Republican leadership in the House and Senate also point to the $170 million from the Lilly Endowment given to the state in 2022 to specifically help with early literacy, as well as a new $100 million allocated to the state department under the 'Freedom and Opportunity in Education Fund' for the 2025-27 budget. Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said during the session that some of the $100 million could go toward summer learning. But there is competition for that money, since Jenner also plans to use it for expanding ILEARN checkpoint testing, teacher recruitment efforts, student data tracking efforts and literacy training for teachers, among other things. The Indy Summer Learning Labs is another tool more schools across the state are using for summer learning, with now over 140 sites across the state serving over 12,000 students. The learning labs support five weeks of free or low-cost summer school during June and July for rising students in first through ninth grades. The labs dedicate the morning hours of the day to learning math and English language arts, and the afternoon is open for extracurricular activities. Liberty Grove Schools at Elder Diggs School 42, an IPS innovation charter school, is one of those learning lab sites this year. The labs are supported by funding from the state's Learning Recovery Grants and are run by the Mind Trust. The Indianapolis-based education organization is typically known for its work around curating charter schools, but it also provides the curriculum and other financial support for lab sites. Liberty Grove founder, Morrise Harbour, wishes they could invite all 250 of their K-6 students to summer school, but they could only afford to offer it to 75. 'We have to offer as many opportunities to our students as possible," Harbour told IndyStar. "Now, they don't have to be mandated to come, but what we're saying is 'if we can afford for you to come, then come.'' Harbour said additional staffing to support retained students may be needed, but they won't know until IREAD results are finalized. This summer, they had 17 third graders retaking IREAD and therefore had to attend the mandatory summer schooling, but 19 other third graders chose to join them at the summer learning lab. Since Liberty Grove Schools opened on the west side in the 2022-23 school year, they've been able to raise their IREAD scores from 29.3% proficient in 2023 to 41% in 2024. The school says they've been using the "science of reading" practices in the curriculum since the start, so adjusting to the retention law has been easier for them than maybe other schools. Every school in the state was required to adopt an early literacy curriculum that supports the science of reading from the state-approved list for the 2024-25 school year. The science of reading is a body of research that focuses on how brains learn to read, with a heavy emphasis on phonics and phonemic awareness, along with teaching fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Harbour thinks that, along with more money, more time to get districts adjusted to the law would help schools like his that serve predominantly low-income students. For the 2024-25 school year, all of Liberty Grove's students qualified for free and reduced lunch. 'Any change of this magnitude where it almost seems like it's all or nothing, in a lot of ways, it takes time,' Harbour said. 'So, obviously, just some time for schools to adjust.' While the state will see more third graders being held back starting this year, Indiana overall has seen growth in its reading proficiency rates in recent years. Overall, statewide IREAD proficiency rates have been steadily increasing since scores dropped in 2021, which is a different story than the 10 years prior, which saw scores steadily declining since the test was first administered in 2013. Last year's scores showed that 82.5% of third graders were reading at grade level, which is still far off from pre-COVID levels of 87.3%. Indiana's fourth-grade reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the "nation's report card," also showed good results, with Indiana's average score improving for the first time since 2015. Indiana ranks sixth in the nation in fourth-grade reading proficiency. Some Indianapolis parents are even taking the chance to become trained in the kind of curriculum that educators are using to teach reading to young students. Elisah Smith is a parent to a rising fourth grader in Warren Township and also participated in the RISE Indy Freedom Readers program, which trains parents for 16 weeks on the science of reading practices. Smith's daughter was able to pass IREAD, in part she says, because the teachers at her Warren Township elementary school were transparent about the specifics around the test. "I think the more transparent you are with parents, the less stress it is for the kiddos, and letting the kiddos know that this is their opportunity to take it, but there will also be other opportunities, too, if you don't pass it," Smith told IndyStar. Smith plans to volunteer in Warren Township to help other young readers once the school year begins. Advice that she would give other parents who have a child struggling to read is to seek help. "Don't be afraid, and don't keep that a secret," Smith said. "There are literacy programs out there and we are not here to judge the parent. We are here to make sure that the student is successful."
