To honor environmental achievements and spur the renewed commitment of business, industry, citizens, and government, Governor Eric J. Holcomb has issued a proclamation designating September 15 to 21, 2019 as Pollution Prevention Week in Indiana. Indiana’s proclamation [PDF] coincides with National Pollution Prevention Week, also observed the third week of September.

The week will feature the 22nd Annual Indiana Pollution Prevention Conference and Trade Show. The conference is open to all public and private sectors who wish to exchange ideas, share experiences, and promote practices that help the environment. Presentations include discussions with industry leaders on sustainability, pollution prevention, and saving energy in manufacturing, as well as an interactive conference track that focuses on wastewater issues. New organizations will be inducted into Partners for Pollution Prevention during the conference, and there will be a Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence presentation.

Are you interested in having your business recognized as one of Indiana’s top environmental leaders? Do you want regulatory benefits such as reduced reporting or advanced notice for compliance inspections? The IDEM encourages you to apply for the Environmental Stewardship Program, which is a voluntary, performance based leadership program designed to recognize and reward Indiana regulated entities for going above and beyond compliance with environmental regulations. Any regulated entity in Indiana may apply regardless of type, size, or complexity. Applications are now being accepted through October 31, 2019.

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]

On August 14, 2019, the Indiana Environmental Rules Board affirmed a decision by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Commissioner to increase the Office of Air Quality (OAQ) Title V program fees by 27%, including all fees from Part 70 sources under 326 IAC 2-7, FESOP sources under 326 IAC 2-8, and SSOA sources under 326 IAC 2-9.

• Air Permits