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Sunday, July 13, 2008
Environment - Update on the drafting of Indiana anti-degradation rule
Gitte Laasby of the Gary Post-Tribune reports today on the status of IDEM's rewriting of the anti-degradation rule. Some quotes:
IDEM, industry representatives, environmentalists and municipal officials have met several times so far to clarify the language in what's called the anti-degradation rule, and will be meeting in smaller groups several more times in the coming months. The next time is Tuesday. [ILB - That would be July 15]Here is a History of Indiana's Antidegradation Implementation Rulemaking, presented to the Water Pollution Control Board on Jan. 9, 2008.The good news is that the group has been working on clarifying how much review of alternatives to increased discharges needs to be done.
"What upset environmentalists with the BP application is that it did not go through a thorough technical review. They simply said, 'We don't have room for the additional treatment, so we're not going to do it.' That's not good enough," Bowden Quinn, conservation program coordinator with the Hoosier Chapter of the Sierra Club, said. "That's why we want better guidelines in the rule as to what would be required."
To the industrial community, it's important the new rules reflect a clear process and are consistently applied to everyone, Kay Nelson, environmental director for the Northwest Indiana Forum, said.
"What we're looking for, from a business, economic development standpoint -- as a state, not just Northwest Indiana -- is that the anti-degradation rule provides clarity so that when the permit is applied for, there is certainty that if you have done all of those things necessary to getting this permit" you will get it, Nelson said.
Ideally, environmentalists would like to see every increase in pollution evaluated. That includes assessing whether the increase is necessary, whether it can be minimized or avoided, and if so, at what cost.
Industry wants a fast permitting process to remain competitive. Companies believe the existing permitting process already asks them to use best available technology to minimize discharges. They say they're already required to meet state water quality standards so people can still use the water for swimming, drinking water and fishing.
Environmentalists counter that the standards for best available technology are set by the Environmental Protection Agency and that some haven't been reviewed for 20 years.
Both industry and environmentalists called IDEM's schedule for the rulemaking very ambitious.
IDEM Commissioner Tom Easterly was hoping the rule would be done by the end of the year. Once the rule is done, the Water Pollution Control Board would still have to approve it, and it would need to be out for public comment.
Here is the IDEM Anti-degradation rewrite webpage. It has information from the first two meetings of the informal anti-degradation workgroup. However, it says nothing about a July 15th meeting. Neither does the official IDEM calendar.
[Update 7/14/08] I'm told this is a subgroup of the workgroup, not the full body.]
Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 13, 2008 12:31 PM
Posted to Environment