Top Stories from the Indiana Chapter

South Bend Becomes a Cool City
On Earth Day 2008, the mayor of South Bend signed the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement. In doing so, South Bend joined with these Indiana cities in making a commitment to stop global warming: Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Evansville, Fishers-Geist, Fort Wayne, Gary, Hobart, Indianapolis, Lowell, McCordsville, and Michigan City. The Sierra Club was instrumental in bringing this about.

Questions Remain About IDEM's Handling of BP Air Permit Hearing
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management refuses to answer certain questions about the timing of a public hearing on BP's air permit. Who at IDEM was responsible for ignoring state law and providing inadequate notice of the hearing?

EPA Official Fired While Fighting Dow Chemical?
The Chicago Tribune reported that an EPA worker was ousted for her efforts to fight dioxin contamination and make Dow Chemical clean-up soil and sediment contamination that flowed from its Midland, Michigan, plant into Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron.

Indiana Court of Appeals Sends CAFO Approval Back to Jackson County Zoning Board for Reconsideration
Citizens fighting a proposed 8,000 hog CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, i.e. Factory Farm) in Jackson County, Indiana, were given a second chance by the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Earth Day 2008
Every day is Earth Day for Sierra members, but April 22 is the specific time set aside to remind others about the importance of taking care of our planet. Many Earth Day events are planned throughout the state, and we have the resources to help with your Earth Day celebration!

Sierra Club Challenges Duke Energy
Breaking News! The Sierra Club has taken steps to hold Duke Energy accountable for failing to install modern pollution controls at its coal-fired power plant in Edwardsport, Indiana. Specifically, Sierra Club filed a citizen enforcement action in federal court in Indiana seeking an order prohibiting Duke’s illegal pollution.

Earth Hour 2008
On March 29, from 8-9 p.m., millions of people around the world joined together in making a statement about climate change by turning off their lights for Earth Hour.

Climate and Health
National Public Health Week was April 7 to 13. There is a direct connection between climate change and the health of our nation today. Yet few Americans are aware of the very real consequences of climate change on the health of our communities, our families and our children.

Save Our Forests
When Governor Mitch Daniels took office, he appointed a timber industry lobbyist over Indiana's Division of Forests. This was shortly followed by a new timber harvest plan that increased logging of Indiana state forests by 500%. Not only was an environmental impact statement not prepared, but the new harvest area now included designated Back Country areas. Read a report by Chapter Chair, Bill Hayden.

Bush Administration Pulls Trigger on Wolves
Last month the Bush administration announced that it would remove the wolves of the northern Rockies from the Endangered Species List. Under existing state management plans, all but 300 wolves could be killed - that's 80% of the wild wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies! The only chance to stop the slaughter of this iconic species is immediate action in court.

Great Lakes Compact Approved by Indiana
Indiana Senate Bill 45 has been signed into law, which brings Indiana into the Great Lakes Compact. The compact instructs each state in the Great Lakes region to regulate water use and adopt conservation plans for protecting the waters of the five Great Lakes.

The BP Saga Continues
Prompted by an outcry from environmental groups, IDEM has extended its public comment period and moved back its hearing on proposed BP air permits increasing emissions. The written comment deadline was March 21. However, the 1,351 page permit is complex and more time should be awarded for citizen input and review.

Renewable Energy Voted Down
The House Utilities Committee defeated a bill that would have required electric utilities to obtain 10 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2018. The vote was 8 to 3. Read an in-depth report by the Citizens Action Coalition.

IDEM Delays Clean-Up in Northwest Indiana
Environmentalists are concerned about an apparent lack of progress in cleaning up Northwest Indiana's most contaminated waters. Read the Post-Tribune's report and find out how you can submit comments to IDEM.

Cool Cities Program Spreading in Indiana
The Sierra Club's campaign to fight climate change at the local level is growing in Indiana. Club members and allies are convincing city officials to take steps to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by city operations through energy efficiency, buying greener cars and switching to renewable energy.

Sierra Club Updates Coal Policy
The Sierra Club has a newly revised version of the "Coal, Questions and Answers" fact sheet. Stay informed about coal and "new coal" technology.

Bush Administration to Sell Oil Drilling Rights in Polar Bear Habitat
U.S. officials approved the sale of oil and gas leases in the Arctic, but delayed a decision on deeming the animals a threatened species. Read more, as well as the Los Angeles Times editorial on this issue.

U.S. Wind Power Grew 44% Last Year
Wind-power developers built enough new turbines last year to supply electricity to 1.5 million homes and pump $9 billion into the U.S. economy.

Randolph County Puts Moratorium on Factory Farms (CAFOs)
After planning officials endorsed an ordinance that would have turned 75 percent of Randolph County into an agricultural district open to sprawling livestock farms (i.e. concentrated animal feeding operations), county commissioners approved an immediate moratorium on these "animal factories."

Make Healthy Choices for Healthy Oceans
Don't dine out or shop for seafood without the Monterey Bay Aquarium's seafood guide! Available free on their website, take these free printable pocket guides to the market or restaurant to make eco-friendly choices.

A Season to Fight Coal
In the last four years, Sierra Club attorney Bruce Nilles has stopped 58 coal-fired plants from being built in the United States. As a result of his work, energy companies have abandoned their plans, fearing going through the permitting process of getting a new coal plant built.

New Course Catalog Now Available from Yellowstone Association
Think you've seen Yellowstone? Think again! The non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute offers a variety of courses for every interest and ability level. Whether in the backcountry or a classroom at the Buffalo Ranch, you'll learn from nationally renowned experts.

Pollution and Cancer Go Hand-in-Hand
Scientists now understand that most cancer is not born but made. Devra Davis, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health, states that cancer fighting efforts often target the wrong enemies and use the wrong weapons.

"Arctic is Screaming"
In new reports, two top scientists made dire projections about melting Arctic sea ice. "The Arctic is screaming," said Mark Serreze, senior scientist at the government's snow and ice data center. NASA climate scientist Jay Zwally said, "At this rate, the Arctic Ocean could be nearly ice-free at the end of summer, 2012."

Midwest Victory: Federal Judge Orders Coal Plant Clean-Up
On November 7, following legal action initiated by the Sierra Club, the University of Wisconsin and the State Department of Administration were found to be in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. For the past 5 years, they rebuilt the fifty-year old Charter Street Power Plant piecemeal without notifying DNR, without obtaining the necessary permits, and without installing modern pollution controls.

Congress Overrides Presidential Veto of Water Projects
Congress has voted to override President Bush's veto of a bill that would provide major funding for projects in Indiana, as well as the Great Lakes, Everglades, and Gulf Coast. See how your legislators voted.

BP to Pay Largest Criminal Fine for Air Violations
Indiana lawmakers may think BP is a good neighbor, but the company continues to commit serious environmental crimes - here and elsewhere. It took a Texas explosion to prompt the Indiana Occupational Safety & Health Administration to review the refinery at Whiting, Indiana. Don't miss these articles!

Coal-Fired Plant Defeated Due to Global Warming Emissions
A midwestern coal-fired power plant became the first one in the nation to be rejected based on global warming emissions. A mix of public pressure and legal efforts resulted in this victory - and they are girding for the backlash.

Forbes Ranks Indiana 49th out of 50
Forbes Magazine recently published its list of "America's Greenest States." Indiana ranked at the bottom, 49th out of 50, only ahead of West Virginia which is closely tied to the coal industry. Tell your lawmakers that a good environment and a good economy go hand-in-hand.

AEP Agrees to Billion Dollar Settlement to Cut Acid Rain
After a long legal battle, AEP agrees to clean up 46 coal-fired operations in 16 of the plants in its eastern system - a group likely to include at least nine plants in Ohio, Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia. Indiana was not a plaintiff in the suit, and it will be 10 years before AEP reduces chemical emissions here.

IDEM Sees "No Urgency" With Mercury Problems
A $1 million study intended to help lower mercury levels in the Grand Calumet River is still not complete, at least three years after the state's original deadline. How can IDEM issue wastewater permits to plants discharging into the Grand Calumet River -from U.S. Steel to municipalities- without knowing what reductions are needed to comply with laws?

Indiana Dunes in Poor Shape
The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is in poor condition, according to a report released October 9, by the National Parks Conservation Association. Read the full report and its assessment of Great Lakes national parks based on data supplied by park managers and researchers.

Editorials Decry Mercury Decision
Editorials from newspapers around the state agree: Indiana caved again on a pollution challenge. While surrounding states have moved to set their own, more stringent standards, the Indiana Air Pollution Control Board voted for the minimum mercury standard - bowing to the powerful utilities lobby.

As Ethanol Plant Pollutes, Where is IDEM Enforcement?
The coal-fired burner at New Energy's South Bend ethanol plant continues to pollute above its permitted level. Emissions were not even monitored for years. What is IDEM doing about the situation? Sending a certified letter!

Air Board Votes for Minimum Mercury Standards
Ignoring testimony by environmentalists, but pleasing utility companies, the Indiana Air Pollution Control Board voted 11-1 to adopt the minimum federal Clean Air Mercury Rule.

Activists Still Wary of US Steel Permit
Environmental groups are still not convinced that U.S. Steel-Gary Works will not be increasing its discharges to the Grand Calumet River and Lake Michigan when the company's wastewater permit is renewed.

Groups Oppose Forced Elimination of Generational Farms for Industrial Development
"Stop Intermodal, Save Our County" a new LaPorte County group, opposes the forced elimination of generational farms for industrial development. The group is getting support from members of Citizens Against the Privatized Illiana Tollroad, which successfully opposed the taking of farmland for Governor Daniels' proposal to create the Illiana Expressway from Interstate 65 to Interstate 94.

Proposed Edwardsport Plant Too Risky and Politically Driven
The proposed Edwardsport coal gasification plant is a $2 billion taxpayer gamble, reminiscent of the proposed Marble Hill nuclear power plant in the 1970s.

The Problems With Ethanol
In spite of its popularity with presidential candidates, farm-state lawmakers, and others, learn why corn-based ethanol is not the miracle many claim it to be.

Regarding Air Quality, Critics Doubt BP's Promise
Environmentalists from Indiana, Illinois, and Chicago say they are not convinced BP will reduce its emissions, or that doing so would impose a "severe economic hardship" on BP as the company and IDEM argue.

Protest in LaPorte County Over Loss of Rural Land
A sprawling 3,000 acre transportation hub has been proposed for northwest Indiana, encouraged by the governor. Recently 500 people turned out to protest the loss of rural farm land. Read updates from the Post-Tribune.

Stop Unnecessary Coal-Fired Power Plants in Indiana
Edwardsport is the site of the latest battle against dirty coal.