Although Indiana has not completed adoption of the U.S. EPA Pharmaceutical Rule, a portion of the rule prohibiting the flushing of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals becomes effective in all states regardless of whether the state has adopted the rule. The following is an excerpt from the U.S. EPA website on this issue:

“Section 266.505 of title 40 of the CFR prohibits all healthcare facilities and reverse distributors from discharging any hazardous waste pharmaceuticals to a sewer system that passes through to a publicly owned treatment works (POTW). The sewer prohibition applies to RCRA hazardous waste pharmaceuticals that are also controlled substances under the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations and collected household pharmaceuticals (see 40 CFR section 266.506). We note that although the sewer prohibition applies to healthcare facilities and reverse distributors with respect to hazardous waste pharmaceuticals, EPA strongly discourages sewering of any pharmaceutical in any setting (with few exceptions, such as sterile water, 0.9 percent sodium chloride (saline) and Ringer’s lactate solution).”

Additional information is available on the U.S. EPA website.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) continue to work with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the federal agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to coordinate the response to a reported fish kill in the East Arm of the Little Calumet River in Portage, Ind.

For questions about this incident, please contact IDEM. Media should contact IDEM's Media Relations Office.

U.S. EPA and IDEM will accept public comments about the proposed Safety-Kleen PCB treatment and storage permit through Aug. 31. More information is provided on the U.S. EPA website.

• U.S. EPA/IDEM Joint Fact Sheet [PDF]

IDEM’s Office of Air Quality has completed an extensive evaluation of revenues from Title V permit fees, and after careful consideration, and consistent with the provisions of the Indiana General Assembly’s House Enrolled Act 1278 which directs the Environmental Rules Board to approve a fee increase, IDEM is proposing to increase Title V permit fees. This proposed increase is necessary so that IDEM can continue to provide quality permit service in the air program and to ensure that IDEM has sufficient revenue to maintain the other portions of the air program funded through Title V fees.

• Indiana Air Permit Fee Information and Request for Fee Increases for Title V Permit Fees [PDF]