Residents Voice Opposition to IDEM's Control

(posted Feb 8)

Some Indianapolis residents are not convinced their air quality will improve under the auspices of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Phrases such as “wild west era” and “third world country” were used by Ken Maddox and Glenn Pratt to describe Indianapolis' future air quality if the Indianapolis Office Environmental Services were to close. OES conducted a public hearing Feb 5 to gather public input about its fate after IDEM announced it would end its practice of outsourcing air permit processing to local agencies in an effort to save $2 million a year.

In a Dec 1 news release, IDEM stated its plans to streamline air permitting, monitoring and compliance processes for all 92 counties. The city and IDEM's MOU ends February 28.

DPW Deputy Director Kyle Walker does not want IDEM to confuse cooperation by the OES during the transition as agreement with IDEM's unilateral decision. He let it be known for the record that the city was not part of the decision making nor consulted by IDEM.

Losing IDEM's funding could mean losing jobs at OES. The agency is losing 50 percent of its budget due to the contract severance. The city has not decided how it can continue operations. Walker said the mayor is interested in citizens' comments.

The city has had a long history of controlling and permitting air quality. Indianapolis has had an air control board since the 1950s.

Resident Dr. Bill Beranek said “Change for sake of change is dangerous and foolish.” He contends removal of local control is “not well advised” or and well thought out. All major metropolitan areas in the United States have air pollution local control because they know the federal penalties for air quality violations are high. Federal penalties are assessed on local governments, not the state. He said it is short sighted and “unthinkable” to nix the local air agency.

Beranek's testimony was based on his own experience with IDEM. He was a member of the commission that recommended the creation of IDEM in 1984. He also chaired of task force to make IDEM more efficient.

His recommendation called for an immediate creation of a central Indiana air quality district to meet the next round of air quality challenges, regardless of how well IDEM is performing. “We need to control our own destiny.” As far as Beranek is concerned, clean air is critical to a good quality of life and economic development.

Resident Glenn Pratt complimented the city's air board and its responsiveness to people. He thinks IDEM will be ill-equipped to handle all of the local air quality enforcement issues across the state. Pratt said this should have been taken to the state legislature for a summer study committee, instead of IDEM just cutting the cord. He asked for the mayor and air pollution control board to go to the governor to retain control.

He said the state's method of addressing complaints and enforcement by sending letters is ineffective. The idea of saving a few dollars now will cost the state more in the future. It will also diminish the health of our people and economic development opportunities.

Pratt said the EPA sent a letter to IDEM Commissioner Thomas Easterly about its planning changes. “If EPA is concerned, we should certainly be concerned.” The letter requested a meeting between the two parties to discuss concerns.

IDEM PIO Officer Robert Elstro said “The meeting is internal between IDEM and US EPA. The two agencies meet routinely as a part of normal communications.”

Jeff Miller, president of Eagle Creek Woods Homeowner Association, said IDEM will now require the complainant to have the address of the alleged violator in order for IDEM to send a letter. He said it would be poor service for Indianapolis residents since they are accustomed to the city's quick on-site inspections.

Speaking as a life-long asthmatic, Miller said “Public health is often spoke about only after economic development components are considered, just like my speech has been constructed tonight. But honestly, isn't that really backwards? Shouldn't the real question be, what is the best health decisions for the residents of Metropolitan Indianapolis, and especially those both young and old, who have breathing challenges that they face in their day to day lives.”

IDEM's action has raised concern with legislators. Miller said a legislator has introduced SB 456 to return control to the local level.

Dan Murray, IDEM Assistant Commissioner of Air, said the agency suffered from a four to five year backlog under the previous administration. When Easterly and he were appointed in 2004, the two men were charged with increasing efficiencies and ending the backlog. He explained with that accomplished, the agency now has the capacity to take over monitoring and programming. He said the city is in attainment for PM 2.5 and Ozone, and encouraged Indianapolis to continue with its remaining programs.

Murray said that air quality issues are regional to the midwest, not limited to just central Indiana. He said 80% to 90 % of pollution in central Indiana is background concentration, so it will be state and federal agencies tasked with improving air quality. He asked the city to look at its urban excess that places the city in Ozone warnings days.

He encouraged the city to partner with the state. As of now, the permitted sources have received a letter about the change of control to IDEM. Their permits will be amended without charge.

IDEM is expected to purchase or lease the city's air monitoring equipment once fair market value has been established. Murray expects the existing monitors to stay in place.