A hearing will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 8 to consider an Indiana Department of Environmental Management rule change that would eliminate the requirement to publish air quality notices in newspapers.
The meeting will be at the Indiana Government Center South, 10 N. Senate Ave., Conference Center Room A, in Indianapolis. More information is available at
http://www.in.gov/legislative/iac/20180613-IR-326170395CHA.xml.html.
“Hoosier State Press Association will be at the hearing to oppose a plan that takes the notices out of the hands of Hoosiers who are directly impacted by these permits to pollute and hides them on a website that few Hoosiers will ever see,”said Steve Key, executive director and general counsel for HSPA.
“The rule is tentatively scheduled for preliminary adoption before the Environmental Rules Board,” IDEM Public Information Officer Barry Sneed said in an email.
If adopted, IDEM would publish notice of air permits on its website, not in newspapers.
The second public comment period on the change ended May 18 with 54 of 56 expressing support for keeping the current requirement for posting the public notices in newspapers.
“All comments received at second notice will be summarized and responded to as a part of the packet the board receives,” Sneed said. “The board packet is made available online approximately one week before the board meeting.”
During the first comment period, 551 out of 553 commenters rejected the proposal.
“If the rule is preliminarily adopted, the proposed rule will be published in the Indiana Register for a 21-day public comment period and the rule will be considered for final adoption at a future board meeting,” Sneed said.
