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IDEM Update Indiana Rural Water Association April 21, 2009

IDEM Update Indiana Rural Water Association April 21, 2009. Thomas W. Easterly, P.E., BCEE, QEP Commissioner IN Department of Environmental Management. Current State Budget Balances. Response to Reduced State Income. Eliminated 2009 raises.

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IDEM Update Indiana Rural Water Association April 21, 2009

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  1. IDEM UpdateIndiana Rural Water AssociationApril 21, 2009 Thomas W. Easterly, P.E., BCEE, QEP Commissioner IN Department of Environmental Management

  2. Current State Budget Balances

  3. Response to Reduced State Income • Eliminated 2009 raises. • Strategic Hiring Review—Using attrition to reduce spending. • Reduce/eliminate grants, contracts, etc. • Restrictions on travel and purchasing. • Will maintain essential State services.

  4. IDEM Staffing Levels

  5. IDEM’s Mission and Environmental Goal IDEM is responsible for protecting human health and the environment while providing for safe industrial, agricultural, commercial and governmental operation vital to a prosperous economy. Our goal is to increase the personal income of all Hoosiers to the national average while maintaining and improving Indiana’s Environmental Quality.

  6. Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index • Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy Yale University • Center For International Earth Science Information Network (CFIESIN) Columbia University • http://www.yale.edu/epi/

  7. Develop regulations and issue permits to restrict discharges to the environment to safe levels. Inspect and monitor permitted facilities to ensure compliance with the permits. Enforce against people who exceed their permit levels or violate regulations. Educate people on their environmental responsibilities. How Does IDEM Protect the Environment?

  8. Performance Metrics Mar 2009

  9. Performance Metrics June 2005

  10. New Drinking Water Metric • Percent of Hoosiers Drinking Safe Water: • Percentage of Indiana population that receives drinking water from facilities that are in full compliance with safe drinking water regulations. • Federal (EPA) Goal is 95%. • Indiana Goal is 99%. • Indiana Current Actual is 98.5%.

  11. CSO’s/Long Term Control Plans All 97 State lead CSO Communities and 2 of the Federal lead Communities have entered legal agreements to address their CSO issues. We are working with USEPA to speed the progress on the remaining 8 Federal lead CSO communities. Accomplishments

  12. Accomplishments • All 1,269 tons of VX Agent stored at the Newport Chemical Agent Facility since 1969 has been safely destroyed. VX destruction started in May of 2005 and was completed in August 2008. • Digital Inspector Tool is in use for solid waste inspections including CAFOs, and Auto Salvage Yards.

  13. Administratively extended NPDES permits. In 2005, there were 263 administratively extended NPDES permits Six of those 263 remain to be issued: US Steel Gary Works US Steel Midwest Division Arcelor Mittal Indiana Harbor East Arcelor Mittal Indiana Harbor West Arcelor Mittal Burns Harbor Hoosier Energy Merom Plant Accomplishments

  14. Office of Enforcement

  15. Criminal Convictions • Wabash Environmental Technologies and Derrik Hagerman—Clean Water Act felonies. Sixty months of imprisonment and $237,000 in restitution (Terre Haute). • Miller Environmental and Anthony MuCullough—Clean Water Act felonies. Four months imprisonment and $510,000 in penalties (Shelbyville and Rushville).

  16. Criminal Convictions • Richard Reece—RCRA felonies. Six months in half way house, six months home detention and $60,000 restitution (Muncie). • Hassan Barrel and Alan Hersh—RCRA felonies. Fifteen months of imprisonment plus $2.7 million in restitution (Fort Wayne).

  17. Criminal Convictions • Erler Industries—Clean Air Act Criminal Pleas for false reporting (North Vernon). • $1,000,000 Criminal Fine. • $100,000 to IDEM for Hybrid Vehicles. • $25,000 to the Midwest Environmental. Enforcement Association for training. • Individual Operators and Laboratories—False reporting cases.

  18. Electronic Permits and Reporting Virtual File Cabinet—electronic filing system with over 42,500,000 pages now online. TEMPO—Enterprise wide electronic integration of all IDEM information—part of the insfrstructure to receive and process electronic permit applications and reports Two programs accepting electronic submittals, 401 Certifications and Community Right to Know Agency Initiatives

  19. Agency Initiatives • EDMR—Electronic reporting of waste water discharge monitoring reports. • Currently being piloted by about 100 facilities. • Expect to be available for all facilities in June of 2009. • Active assistance to facilities that announce layoffs and closing to prevent environmental Incidents.

  20. Agency Initiatives • Returned enforcement function to the air, water and land programs and eliminated the separate office of enforcement. • Provide consistent Statewide air quality permitting, monitoring and enforcement services by directly managing the air program functions previously contracted to: Anderson, Evansville, Gary, Hammond, Indianapolis, and Vigo County.

  21. We Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment Questions? Tom Easterly Commissioner Indiana Department of Environmental Management 317-232-8611 teasterly@idem.in.gov

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