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Thomas W. Easterly, P.E., BCEE, QEP Commissioner IN Department of Environmental Management

25 Years of Environmental Progress Indiana Rural Water Association 2012 Spring Conference April 17, 2012. Thomas W. Easterly, P.E., BCEE, QEP Commissioner IN Department of Environmental Management. IDEM’s Mission. We Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment

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Thomas W. Easterly, P.E., BCEE, QEP Commissioner IN Department of Environmental Management

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  1. 25 Years of Environmental ProgressIndiana Rural Water Association2012 Spring ConferenceApril 17, 2012 Thomas W. Easterly, P.E., BCEE, QEP Commissioner IN Department of Environmental Management

  2. IDEM’s Mission We Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment IDEM’s mission is to implement federal and state regulations to protect human health and the environment while allowing the environmentally sound operations of industrial, agricultural, commercial and government activities vital to a prosperous economy.

  3. How Does IDEM Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment? • 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.

  4. How Does IDEM Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment? • Use compliance assistance and/or enforcement when people exceed their permit levels or violate regulations. • Educate people on their environmental responsibilities.

  5. 25 Years of Progress http://www.in.gov/idem/files/state_of_environment_2011.pdf

  6. 25 Years of Progress • Air Quality: • At the end of 2009, for the first time since ambient air quality standards were developed, all of Indiana met all of the health based ambient air quality standards (including the 0.075 ozone standard). • During 2010, the new 0.15 microgram per cubic meter lead standard became effective and almost 700 people may be breathing air above that new standard. IDEM is working to make sure that those Hoosiers have clean air to breathe.

  7. State Air Quality Status 2008 to 2010 Attains Does Not Meet the PM Standards Does Not Meet the Ozone standard Does Not Meet the Ozone and PM Location of the State Capitals State Boundaries

  8. 25 Years of Progress • Cleanup of Contaminated Sites: • Indiana has a fully funded Excess Liability Trust Fund to pay for petroleum clean ups from currently operated tanks. • Indiana has issued updated Remediation Closure Guidance. • Exposure to hazardous constituents is under control at 58 of Indiana’s 66 RCRA Corrective Action sites, while Groundwater contamination is under control at 55 of those 66 sites.

  9. 25 Years of Progress • Cleanup of Contaminated Sites: • Since 2005, Indiana has cleaned up more than 2,500,000 illegally dumped waste tires. • 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.

  10. 25 Years of Progress • Water Quality Improvements: • IDEM has assessed the water quality in 83% of Indiana’s waters to identify areas in need of improvement and has updated our Water Quality Monitoring Strategy to increase targeted monitoring. • IDEM has used the 319 grant process to fund watershed improvement projects over the past five years that have prevented annual discharges of: • 500,508,000 pounds of sediment • 546,871 pounds of nitrogen • 332,270 pounds of phosphorus

  11. 25 Years of Progress • Water Quality Improvements: IDEM has documented the water quality improvements from these program efforts and removed the watersheds listed on the next slide from the list of impaired waters.

  12. 25 Years of Progress • Water Quality Improvements: • Big Walnut Creek http://www.in.gov/idem/nps/files/watershed_success_epa_bigwalnut.pdf • Clifty Creek http://www.in.gov/idem/nps/files/watershed_success_epa_clifty.pdf • Pigeon Creek http://www.in.gov/idem/nps/files/watershed_success_epa_pigeon.pdf • Bull Run/West Creek http://www.in.gov/idem/nps/files/watershed_success_epa_bullrun.pdf

  13. 25 Years of Progress • Administratively extended NPDES permits. • In 2005, there were 263 administratively extended NPDES permits • The last backlogged permits were issued in 2011—all permits are current

  14. Comparison of Region 5 States Permitting Program Status compiled by U.S. EPA Region 5 for March 10, 2011 State Environmental Directors Meeting

  15. (573) (650) (385) (295) (597) (467) (Total Number of Title V Permits)

  16. 25 Years of Progress • Water Quality: Combined Sewer Overflows • All 98 State lead CSO Communities and 7 of the 10 Federal lead Communities have entered legal agreements to address their CSO issues. • We are working with U.S. EPA to speed the progress on the remaining 3 Federal lead CSO communities. • At least 27 of the CSO communities have completed their projects to address the release of untreated sewage during rain events.

  17. Fish Tissue Mercury • Mercury emissions in Indiana have decreased by approximately 20% over the past 14 years. • Measured mercury deposition has decreased by 7% during this time. • In spite of these reductions, there is no apparent change in mercury fish concentrations in Indiana.

  18. Protection of Human Health • U.S. EPA’s “acceptable” fish mercury levels are 0.3 mg/kg which is 300 ppb. • While the average fish tissue mercury levels in Indiana have not changed, they are less than one half of this level. • Indiana has historically called a stream impaired for mercury if a single analytical result (average of 3 fish) exceeded 300 ppb.

  19. Protection of Human Health • At the end of 2010, U.S.EPA issued new guidance on the proper interpretation of the fish tissue data. • U.S.EPA’s guidance indicates that a properly calculated average mercury value is the appropriate interpretation of the limit. • IDEM is currently reevaluating its mercury data using the U.S.EPA guidance.

  20. Mercury Air Toxics Rule (MATS) Proposal Published: May 3, 2011 Final Rule Published: February 16, 2012 • Annual rule cost $9.6 billion. • Annual rule HAP benefit $500,000 to $6,000,000 (0.00209 IQ points per exposed person or 510.8 IQ points per year in U.S. out of 31 billion IQ points). • Rule cost is between $1,600 and $19,200 per $1 of HAP benefit. • Estimated annual co-benefits $37 to $90 billion.

  21. IDEM 2011-2012 Goals and Challenges

  22. 2011-2012 IDEM Major Goals • Complete Antidegradation Rulemaking Process. • Done WPCB Final Adoption March 14, 2012. • Obtain U.S. EPA approval of attainment designations for PM2.5 for all of Indiana: • Evansville and Cincinnati and Northwest Indiana are Final and effective. • U.S. EPA projects that Indianapolis and Louisville will be Final in 30 to 60 days.

  23. 2011-2012 IDEM Major Goals • Complete CAFO/CFO Rulemaking Process. • Done Final Adoption November 9, 2011. • Adopt Remediation Closure Guidance and Remediation Program Guidance as NPDs. • Done, presented to SWMB February 21, 2012. • Effective March 22, 2012. • Start Rulemaking for Numeric Nutrient WQS.

  24. 2011--2012 IDEM Challenges • Administratively reissue NPDES General Permits and address antidegradation requirements. • Develop and implement plan for seamless implementation of water program responsibilities currently assigned to: IDEM, ISDH, IDNR, IDHS, and ISDA.

  25. Questions? Tom Easterly Commissioner Indiana Department of Environmental Management 317-232-8611 teasterly@idem.in.gov

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