State of the Air: INDIANA

7,642

WE HAVE MORE THAN 7,642 INDIANA MEMBERS

In his 2015 State of the State address, Governor Mike Pence said, “Indiana is a pro-coal state and we must continue to oppose to overreaching schemes of the EPA and bring this war on coal to an end.” But Pence and the Indiana legislature are declaring war on our children’s right to breathe clean air.

In response, here’s what we’re working on in Indiana:

Mercury: We are supporting strong limits on harmful mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.

Climate Change: We are fighting global warming by supporting policies that will reduce carbon emissions, and decrease dangerous co-pollutants, such as mercury. In a state dominated by coal with the poor air quality to match, State Senator Scott Schneider has introduced a bill that states Indiana’s refusal to comply with the EPA Clean Power Plan, which set a modest CO2-reduction goal for Indiana of 20 percent by 2030. We’re fighting against the so-called “Reliable, Affordable and Safe Power Act” (SB 569), which isn’t safe for our children’s health or their futures. Take action here.

Clean Energy: We are ensuring that our energy future is renewable, clean, and healthy — for the sake of our children’s health. According to the Solar Foundation’s 2014 Job Report, Indiana had a surge in solar installation in 2014 and will install more solar capacity this year than in all previous years combined. At a time of unprecedented growth in this industry, State Rep. Eric Koch is sponsoring a bill (HB 1320) to end net metering and effectively kill rooftop solar in Indiana. We’re fighting back against this regressive bill which only serves utilities – not consumers, and certainly not our kids.

Energy Efficiency: In 2014, the legislature abolished Energizing Indiana, a statewide energy efficiency program. This year, Governor Mike Pence and bill sponsor State Senator James Merritt have proposed SB 412, which abdicates governmental responsibility for enforcing efficiency and allows utilities to set their own electricity-savings goals – with no oversight. The bill eliminates any incentive to save energy and burn less coal. It’s unacceptable, and we’re fighting it.

Chemical Policy Reform: We are fighting to keep toxic chemicals out of the products we use every day, through the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families coalition.

Natural Gas Pollution: We are demanding strong protections from methane, volatile organic compounds, and other harmful air pollutants associated with fracking and natural gas development.

Indiana’s electricity generation by source, 2014*:

Coal (83.6%)
Natural Gas (8.9%)
Other Renewables (4.3%)
Hydroelectric (.5%)
Petroleum-Fired (.1%)

*Source: US Energy Information Administration

Indiana has 85 power plant facilities on EPA’s High Priority Violator (HPV) list--which means they may be in violation of the Clean Air Act

2 of the top 25 polluting coal-fired power plants in the nation are located in Indiana

Indiana’s coal-fired power plants are some of the dirtiest in the nation. The state consistently ranks at the bottom of national lists of healthy states to live in, in part because of its poor air quality.

Indiana is in the top five states for toxic emissions from power plants, according to the Environmental Integrity Project, along with Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Twenty-five Indiana counties would fail to meet the EPA’s proposed new ozone standard, based on current pollution measurements.

The American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2014 report revealed that Indianapolis’ year-round particle pollution (soot) levels actually worsened that year. Our capital ranked the 20th-most polluted city in the nation for year-round particle pollution, a worse ranking than 2013.

EPA Testimony: Protecting Kids From Smog In Indiana

BY Wendy Bredhold ON February 2, 2015

    The Environmental Protection Agency is holding hearings on a stronger ozone standard in Washington, D.C., Arlington, Texas and Sacramento, California. I spoke in Texas; here is my testimony. My name is Wendy Bredhold and I am the Indiana field organizer for Moms Clean...

TOPICS: Asthma, EPA, Indiana, Ozone

Pro-Coal Indiana Governor Mike Pence Wages War on Children’s Health

BY Wendy Bredhold ON January 14, 2015

Indiana Moms waited to hear what Governor Mike Pence had to say about air quality, energy and health during his State of the State address on Tuesday night. Governor Pence didn’t tell us how Indiana plans to tackle its responsibility to the Clean Power Plan,...

TOPICS: Indiana, Politics

Indiana: Vote For Children’s Health!

BY Wendy Bredhold ON October 23, 2014

When my daughter was only about four months old, I took her to the polls with me on Election Day. I wanted to impress on her from the beginning the importance of exercising her right to vote – a right hard-fought by our foremothers...

TOPICS: Indiana, Motherhood, Politics

Climate Deniers: “You’re Entitled To Your Own Opinion, Not Your Own Facts.”

BY Wendy Bredhold ON April 25, 2014

My local newspaper in Evansville, Indiana, recently published two letters on the editorial page denying that climate change is caused by human activity. After those letters ran, a friend of mine found herself in a discussion with a woman who said there are respected scientists...

TOPICS: Carbon Pollution, Climate Change, Indiana

EPA Listening Sessions: Protect Our Communities – Regulate Carbon

BY Wendy Bredhold ON November 12, 2013

Moms Clean Air Force joined a busload of Hoosier Sierra Club folks who testified at the EPA listening session on carbon pollution standards for existing coal-fired power plants in Chicago last Friday. It was so satisfying to tell EPA officials about how air pollution from...

TOPICS: Carbon Pollution, Clean Air Rules and Regulations, EPA