Nearly 300 Hoosiers tell IDEM: Don’t roll back Indiana’s environmental protections

Indiana Conservation Voters today submitted 284 signatures on a letter to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) urging the agency to uphold clean air and water protections in the face of a potentially harmful regulatory review ordered by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun. Today is the deadline for comments to be submitted.

The comments come from Indiana residents across the state who are calling on IDEM to prioritize public health and environmental safety instead of enabling polluters to cut corners.

“These aren’t industry lobbyists or corporate donors,” said Delaney Barber Kwon, ICV Director of Government Affairs. “They’re real people who just want clean water to drink, safe air to breathe and a future where Indiana is a healthy place to live. IDEM needs to listen to their voices as they consider rolling back these protections.”

Under Gov. Braun’s Executive Order 25-38, IDEM is reviewing environmental rules that may be rolled back if deemed “unduly burdensome” or stricter than federal minimums. Advocates warn that this process could eliminate crucial safeguards that protect Hoosiers from pollution. 

FROM THE LETTER

• “We support policies and regulations that maintain a balance between a healthy economy and healthy communities. We believe these goals are not mutually exclusive and can help drive each other.”

• “We appreciate the goal of this administration to improve efficiency, however, searching for opportunities to rescind regulations written and maintained by knowledgeable stewards will disrupt, not improve, efficiency. Overall, we believe most of these ordinances, regulations, and policies were written to ensure growth and prosperity as opposed to stalling it.”

• “Because they are often not in the room, 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.”

ABOUT INDIANA CONSERVATION VOTERS

Indiana Conservation Voters (CV) is a statewide nonprofit focused on clean energy, air and water. Our mission is to champion legislation that improves our state’s environment, economy and competitive edge. With our core values of cooperation, power and integrity, we are dedicated to creating meaningful change for all Hoosiers by working with a wide range of stakeholders and educating lawmakers and the public about our priorities.