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City urges residents to complain about IDEM

Feb 5, 2009

Link to this article in the Post-Tribune

The city of Hammond has sent out e-mails asking residents to complain to their legislators about recent changes in enforcement at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

City officials sent an e-mail Wednesday to subscribers of the city's event list. The e-mail referenced IDEM's cancellations of contracts with local air pollution control agencies, including the Hammond Department of Environmental Management. The e-mail said the action was taken "under the guise of 'streamlining.' "

"Citizens can expect to see no savings, only a much slower response to their environmental complaints and less oversight of industry. Ironically, even industry (at least the environmentally compliant industry) prefers to deal with the local agencies due to their personal and timely service. Plus the federal Clean Air Act and Indiana State Law promote using local air pollution agencies to help enforce air pollution regulations," the e-mail stated.