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In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Latest News, Lead, lead pipes, News, pipes, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Citizens Energy launches lead service line replacement program

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Citizens Energy Group announced it would begin a multi-year program to replace thousands of lead service lines owned by its customers.

The company said it received an order from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission granting it permission to launch a five-year, $22.7 million effort to replace customer-owned lead service lines at about 2,500 homes.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/citizens-energy-lead-service-line-program/

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In: Collaboration, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, forever chemicals, Forever Chemicals Featured, Illinois, Indiana, infrastructure, Latest News, Municipalities, News, PFAS, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
IDEM Testing Confirms “Forever Chemicals” in Some Public Water Systems

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Final results of the first phase of statewide community water system testing confirmed the presence of PFAS chemicals in the treated drinking water of nearly a dozen Indiana communities.

The presence of PFAS chemicals in drinking water could be exposing thousands of Hoosiers to a series of adverse health conditions ranging from increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers to high cholesterol levels.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/testing-confirms-forever-chemicals-water-systems/

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In: Collaboration, Drinking Water, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Lead, Forever Chemicals Featured, Indiana, infrastructure, Latest News, Lead, News, PFAS, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Indiana Finance Authority COO Testifies at House Drinking Water Hearing

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Federal funding mechanisms for improving Indiana’s water infrastructure work but need more flexibility to help eliminate lead service lines, PFAS and other issues, according to testimony from one of the state’s top finance officials.

Jim McGoff, Indiana Finance Authority chief operating officer and director of environmental programs, testified March 29 before the U.S.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/indiana-finance-authority-house-drinking-water-hearing/

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In: coal ash, Collaboration, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Groundwater Contamination, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The States, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Northern Indiana residents doubt outcome of coal ash cleanup

By Beth Edwards, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Some northern Indiana residents remain skeptical that communities in the area will be free of contamination from toxic coal ash, despite a renewed commitment by government agencies and one of the state’s biggest energy companies to clean up polluted sites and transition to renewable energy sources.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/indiana-residents-coal-ash-cleanup/

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In: Collaboration, Forests and Plants, forever chemicals, Forever Chemicals Featured, Indiana, Latest News, News, PFAS, Protect, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, wetlands
Researchers find wetland plant can filter PFAS chemicals

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Researchers have found that a common wetland plant native to Australia can remove toxic “forever chemicals” from the surrounding environment.

In a 190-day greenhouse experiment, a team of Chinese and Australian researchers found that Juncus sarophorus, a wetland plant also known as the broom rush, could tolerate and accumulate PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS, three of the most commonly studied PFAS chemicals.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/researchers-wetland-plant-pfas-chemicals/

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In: Collaboration, Drinking Water, Equity and Environmental Justice, Indiana, Latest News, Lead, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, study
Indiana University study links lead exposure to juvenile delinquency

By Timberly Ferree, Indiana Environmental Reporter

In the first direct analysis of its kind, a study by Indiana University researchers has found a link between lead in drinking water, specifically from private wells, and juvenile delinquency.

“There’s not been a direct analysis on lead exposure and children’s outcomes later in life before.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/study-lead-exposure-juvenile-delinquency/

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In: Collaboration, Forever Chemicals Featured, Latest News, News, PFAS, Research, Science, Technology, Research
New study says elevated levels of PFAS found in anti-fogging sprays and cloths

By Timberly Ferree, Indiana Environmental Reporter

A new Duke University-led study has found that the anti-fogging sprays and cloths used to prevent condensation on eyeglasses contain toxic PFAS chemicals.

Researchers tested five top-rated anti-fogging cloths and four top-rated anti-fogging sprays sold on Amazon and found all the products to contain fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and fluorotelomer ethoxylates (FTEOs).

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/elevated-levels-pfas-sprays-cloths/

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In: Collaboration, Indiana, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, wastewater
Missed Acid Delivery at Root of Midwest Plant Iron Discharge: US Steel Correspondence

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

In a document sent to the state, U.S. Steel Corp. said a chain of events kicked off by a missed acid delivery to its Midwest Plant in Portage led to a large discharge of iron into a nearby waterway in late September.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/missed-acid-delivery-midwest-plant-iron-discharge/

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In: Climate change, Collaboration, Indiana, infrastructure, Latest News, Municipalities, News
Nearly Two Dozen Communities Awarded State Water Infrastructure Fund Grants

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Hundreds of Indiana municipalities applied for millions of dollars of state and federal money to fund much-needed water infrastructure projects, but only a few made the first cut.

The Indiana Finance Authority selected 22 municipalities out of more than 500 that applied to receive $63 million in grants from the first round of State Water Infrastructure Fund program funding.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/communities-awarded-state-water-infrastructure-fund-grants/

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In: Collaboration, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, Indiana, Latest News, News, Policy, Politics, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, wetlands
Local Governments, Organizations Ask Indiana Legislators to Consider Alternatives to Bill Repealing State Wetland Protections

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

More than 60 organizations, including local governments, environmental and conservation groups and water management agencies, sent a letter to Indiana state legislators, asking them to consider policy changes instead of supporting a bill seeking to remove all state protections for Indiana wetlands.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/local-governments-environmental-organizations-indiana-legislators-state-wetland-protections/

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In: biden administration, Collaboration, epa, Latest News, News, Politics, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Biden climate team: “Hard work ahead” to rebuild climate efforts

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Members of President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team said rebuilding the government’s ability to combat climate change will be more difficult than initially thought.

According to E&E News, Biden officials said agency review teams found deeper budget cuts, wider staff losses and more systematic elimination of climate programs and research than they realized.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/biden-climate-team-rebuild-efforts/

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In: Collaboration, epa, Illinois, Indiana, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Wisconsin
EPA Region 5 refutes internal watchdog report finding possible major issues in record keeping

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regional office in the Midwest is refuting the findings of an internal investigation that found that a lack of record-keeping controls and standard operating procedures could be preventing it from fulfilling federal record-keeping responsibilities.

The EPA’s Office of Inspector General found that Region 5, which oversees EPA activities in Indiana and five other states, could not verify whether employees were using the agency’s official record-keeping system, preserving records for litigation holds and agency use, or knew how to report and investigate a suspected loss of records.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/epa-region-5-internal-watchdog-report-record-keeping/

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In: Collaboration, forever chemicals, Forever Chemicals Featured, Indiana, Latest News, News, PFAS, Research, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Indiana universities receive grants to study PFAS impact on water quality

By Timberly Ferree, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Indiana University and Purdue University have each been awarded $1.6 million Environmental Protection Agency research grants to better understand the potential impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on water quality and availability in rural communities and agricultural operations across the United States.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/indiana-universities-pfas-impact-water-quality/

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Survey analysis finds race plays role in perception, vulnerabilities to climate change in Indiana

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

People across the U.S. are taking to the streets to protest racial inequity, saying that people of color experience a wholly different experience in the country than white Americans. New findings from a statewide survey indicate that the disparity extends to how Hoosiers of different races perceive climate change and its risks.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/race-perception-vulnerabilities-climate-change-indiana/

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In: Collaboration, indigenous communities, Lake Superior, Latest News, Minnesota, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Wisconsin
Tribes, advocacy groups sue EPA over rule narrowing scope of federal waterway protections

By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter

A group of native American tribes and labor and environmental groups filed suit to stop the implementation of a new federal rule that limits the scope of waterways under federal protection.

The Quinault Indian Nation, Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Pascua Yaqui Tribe filed suit in Washington state against the U.S.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/tribes-advocacy-groups-sue-epa-federal-waterway-protections/

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In: Collaboration, Groundwater Contamination, Indiana, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Public Health, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Contaminated Ground: Indiana’s City of Mineral Water faces specter of health threats

By Beth Edwards, Indiana Environmental Reporter

Once known as the City of Mineral Water for the healing power of its spring-fed spas, Martinsville, Indiana, now faces the specter of health threats caused by the contamination of its water supply.

For the past 20 years, slow-moving groundwater plumes contaminated with potentially dangerous chemicals have seeped into the city’s municipal well field and drinking water plant.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/contaminated-indiana-water-health-threats/

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