Governor signs controversial wetlands bill into law
The bill, which scales back protections on Indiana wetlands, had gained support from the Indiana Builders Association, but numerous environmental, conservation and civic groups opposed it.
Environmental Policy
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Biden to pledge cutting greenhouse gases in half by 2030, sources say
The proposal would require dramatic changes in the power and transportation sectors, including significant increases in renewable energy such as wind and solar power and steep cuts in emissions from fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
Controversial Indiana environmental bills inch near passage
Lawmakers approved two environmental bills Tuesday that critics say could damage the state’s ecosystems by scaling back current policy affecting water, energy and other resources.
Indiana lawmakers dial back controversial wetlands bill
Although the bill still broadly reduces wetlands protections, the Hoosier Environmental Council called the amendment “much less damaging” than the Senate-passed version of the bill.
Q&A: Daniel Poynter on helping Indiana become carbon-neutral
Daniel Poynter, a former software developer and executive coach to social entrepreneurs, spent 11 months in 2019 using his savings to study climate full time.
EPA changes stand, sides with ethanol industry in court case
The federal government announced Monday that it will support the ethanol industry in a lawsuit over biofuel waivers granted to oil refineries under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Autoworkers will face uncertain future in era of electric cars
For workers at GM and other automakers, the future could be perilous. The more environmentally focused plants of the future will need significantly fewer workers, mainly because electric vehicles contain 30% to 40% fewer moving parts than petroleum-run vehicles.
Federal court strikes down major Trump climate rollback
The decision is likely to give the incoming Biden administration a freer hand to regulate emissions from power plants, one of the major sources of fossil fuel emissions.
Indianapolis law professor picked by Biden as EPA deputy
A veteran of the Obama administration, Janet McCabe is a professor of practice at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and director of the IU Environmental Resilience Institute.
Trump signs $3B-a-year plan to boost conservation, parks
Supporters say the Great American Outdoors Act is the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century.
EPA rejects tougher air quality standards, says 2015 limits are sufficient
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said national average ozone concentrations have dropped 25% in recent decades, mainly due to reductions in pollutants that contribute to the formation of smog.
California, 23 other states sue Trump for right to require more fuel-efficient cars
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, marks the latest round in an escalating fight between the White House and California officials over how quickly the nation’s auto fleet must increase its fuel-efficiency.
Trump administration eases Obama-era rules on coal pollution
Monday’s change would loosen some of the requirements for cleaning up the waste streams from coal-fired power plants and give utilities another two years to comply with some of the rules.
EPA proposes looser oversight of oil company emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency’s move would be the latest in a series by the administration easing Obama-era emissions controls on the oil, gas and coal industries, including for methane.
EPA reaffirms glyphosate safe for users as court cases grow
The Environmental Protection Agency reaffirmed Tuesday that a popular weed killer is safe for people, as legal claims mount from Americans who blame the herbicide for their cancer.
Ex-EPA chief Pruitt registers as energy lobbyist in Indiana
Scott Pruitt, the scandal-ridden former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, registered Thursday as fossil-fuels interests in the state fight to block the proposed closure of several coal-fired power plants.
Q&A: What corporate responsibility is—and isn’t
IU Kelley School of Business professor Amrou Awaysheh says the term corporate social responsibility is often misunderstood. It’s not just philanthropy or volunteerism. It’s how companies treat their employees, how they interact with the environment, and the care they take with their supply chains.
Indiana House panel shoots down bill to tighten oversight of huge farms
The panel voted 9-3 to defeat a bill that would have given the Indiana Department of Environmental Management more authority to deny permits to huge farms known as “confined feeding operations.”
EPA too slow on limiting toxic chemicals, critics say
Under pressure from Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it would move toward setting safety limits for a class of highly toxic chemicals contaminating drinking water around the country.
EPA decision on chemical compounds tied to health risks expected soon
The Environmental Protection Agency is looking at how to respond to a public push for stricter regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, in production since the 1940s.