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Post Tribune again! IDEM stops giving fines, punishments
http://www.post-trib.com/news/1351758,IDEM.article
December 28, 2008
By Gitte Laasby
Post-Tribune staff writer
MERRILLVILLE -- The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has stopped issuing fines against other state agencies in Indiana that violate their environmental permits.
For instance, the Indiana Department of Transportation violated wastewater permits for rest stops across the state more than 550 times over four years. It discharged sludge and ammonia into streams, causing algae blooms and potential damage to aquatic life. But INDOT got no fines. It got off with a legal slap on the wrist.
Environmentalists are appalled, calling it a "creeping lack of accountability" and commitment to enforcing the law.
"Think of the precedent this sets. It says you can completely disregard violating" the law, said Valparaiso environmental attorney Kim Ferraro. "We're going to tell you to abide by the permit limits but if you don't, that's OK. It's consistent with the idea that enforcement is not important. We might as well not have environmental laws if there's no enforcement. They're environmental suggestions."
(MORE)
December 28, 2008
By Gitte Laasby
Post-Tribune staff writer
MERRILLVILLE -- The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has stopped issuing fines against other state agencies in Indiana that violate their environmental permits.
For instance, the Indiana Department of Transportation violated wastewater permits for rest stops across the state more than 550 times over four years. It discharged sludge and ammonia into streams, causing algae blooms and potential damage to aquatic life. But INDOT got no fines. It got off with a legal slap on the wrist.
Environmentalists are appalled, calling it a "creeping lack of accountability" and commitment to enforcing the law.
"Think of the precedent this sets. It says you can completely disregard violating" the law, said Valparaiso environmental attorney Kim Ferraro. "We're going to tell you to abide by the permit limits but if you don't, that's OK. It's consistent with the idea that enforcement is not important. We might as well not have environmental laws if there's no enforcement. They're environmental suggestions."
(MORE)
Tags: daniels, easterly, enforcement, government, idem, indiana, mitch, state, tom
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