HEC ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES

1. HEC ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES all. together. now.

2. About the Hoosier Environmental Council • OUR MISSION: • The Hoosier Environmental Council is the voice of the people for the environment in Indiana-the organization with the passion and the plan to tackle our environmental challenges and help make our state a healthier, better place to live and do business.

3. What the “HEC” does HEC do? Education Presentations, e.g. “Greening Your Community” events Annual “Greening the Statehouse” forum Webinars E-news, Action alerts, HEC mailer, Personalized outreach

4. What the “HEC” does HEC do? • Legal & Technical Assistance • Workshops in pollution-afflicted communities – rights & action • Rural: CAFO workshops • Urban: Enviro Justice workshops • Technical assistance • Well & soil testing • Public health effects expertise • Legal Assistance • Outdoor wood boiler • CAFO – existing & proposed

5. What the “HEC” does HEC do? Advocacy • Legislative • Lobbying, Grasstops, Grassroots • Regulatory • Courts

6. Energy, Land, Water, Climate, and Environmental Justice The Issues

7. The Issue: Clean Energy • HEC Supports: • Efficiency initiatives • Distributed generation • (net metering) • Replacing coal-fired plants • with renewable energy

8. The Issue: Sustainable Ag • HEC Supports: • Local farmers (including urban farms) • Organic practices • Limiting factory farms

9. The Issue: Land Use • HEC Supports: • Permanent and dedicated funding source for the Indiana Heritage Trust • Annual funding for land acquisition for Indiana’s federal outdoor lands • Sustainable timber harvesting • Protecting green spaces throughout the state, including the Mounds area

10. The Issue: Transportation • HEC Supports: • A multi-modal (rail, transit, auto, walking) and efficient transportation system that gives Hoosiers real transportation choices • Transportation solutions that use alternative energy sources and reduce our dependence on personal vehicles

11. The Issue: Clean Water • HEC Supports: • Use of strategically sited native-plant rain gardens to prevent stormwater runoff. • Use of buffer strips or riparian zones to prevent agricultural runoff. • Use of low-or-no-phosphorus fertilizers to prevent urban runoff. • Preventing harmful coal fly ash from contaminating waterways. • Proper handling and treatment of manure from Confined Feeding Operations (CFOs) and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).

12. The Issue: Climate • HEC Supports: • Enacting a Renewable Electricity Standard • Improving our net metering policies • Updating our building codes • Expanding weatherization programs to gain the most possible savings from energy efficiency • Comprehensive federal climate and energy legislation (cap-and-trade)

13. The Issue: Environmental Justice • HEC Supports: • Retaining long-standing local air pollution control agencies • Maintaining a statewide mercury monitoring network. • Ensuring that industrial-scale livestock operations (CAFOs) are located a safe distance away from homes, schools, community centers, and wilderness areas • Diversifying away from coal-fired power plants responsible for mercury emissions and fine particle pollution. • Careful regulation of pesticides.

14. Regulatory Advocacy: Coal Ash • 84 pits, mostly unlined… >1 ton per year, per Hoosier • Hazardous waste, yet less regulated than common household trash…until… • New EPA coal ash pit decommissioning & disposal rules –IDEM implementing • doesn’t guarantee against future groundwater contamination • HEC pushing for stronger safeguards – IDEM & citizen involvement & monitoring • Push for renewables

15. Special Project: The Mounds Greenway • Continuous trail between Muncie and Anderson • Connect the Muncie White River Greenway to the Anderson White River trail. • Protect the free flowing White River & riparian habitats • Preserve many parks, including Mounds State Park • Would include picnic areas, river access sites, trailheads, parking, and an interpretive center at Rangeline Preserve

16. How To Get Involved Grassroots Advocacy 101

17. BEING AN HEC ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE • Your time commitment as an EA is entirely up to you! • Calls to Constituents • Background research • Third House Party Attendance • Visiting your legislators at the statehouse regarding important bills • Tabling at Events (Earth Month, other festivals, for both HEC & Mounds) • Organizing/Attending GYC Events

18. Stay informed – HEC Website www.hecweb.org

19. Stay informed – HEC Bill Watch www.hecweb.org/billwatch2019

20. Help Raise Awareness www.facebook.com/hecweb www.twitter.com/HEC_ED www.instagram.com/hoosierenvcouncil www.youtube.com/user/hecweb1

21. Identify & engage your elected officials bitly.com/INLegis http://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/

22. Make a Bigger Impact • Meet your legislators in person • At their office • At a Third House meeting • Out of session: Meet them for coffee! • Call your legislators • Send a personalized email to your legislator

23. How to Talk to Your Elected Officials: • Be Courteous • Get to know them as a person • Prepare in advance – know your material • Follow Up • Don’t Critique • Don’t go off topic

24. Writing Letters to the Editor Writing a Letter to the Editor (LTE for short) is the perfect way for you to help make a difference for Indiana’s environment! No matter the topic, here are a few helpful TIPS to help get your LTE published: Take time to look up your newspaper’s submission guidelines. Inspire others with a “call to action”. Personalize your letter. Share your success! Need more help getting started? Contact me to learn more!

25. Host Phone Banks • Phone banks are a great way to engage people from your community and make real change – all from a fun event that is easy to organize and manage! • HEC provides all lists and a script! • You just have to find a location and invite friends!

26. Greening Your Community House Parties Who: Anyone interested in environmental advocacy! When: Anytime! Where: Homes of HEC supporters, restaurants, churches, rec halls, etc. all across the state! Our goal is to develop a statewide network of environmental advocates to tap throughout the year.

27. THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION:how a bill becomes law

28. The Path of a Bill in the House/Senate • Bill is introduced in House or Senate • Assigned to committee • Committee chair decides whether bill is heard in committee • Second reading then third reading – roll call vote in house of origin

29. The Path of a Bill in the House/Senate • If defeated, the bill is dead. • If passed, the bill goes to the other chamber (House or Senate) and through the same process again. • If the bill is adopted by the second chamber then it goes to the governor for a signature or a veto.

30. Calls to action

31. CLEAR CHOICES CLEAN WATER • Clear Choices Clean Water is a nationally award-winning campaign designed to increase awareness about choices we make and the impact they have on our streams and lakes • Clear Choices Clean Water • Pledge of the Month: • Waterfowl Overpopulation • Here’s what you can do: • Never feed waterfowl • Create a barrier along shorelines by planting native shoreplants. • Take a Clear Choices Clean Water pledge.

32. I-65/I-70 Split Survey If you live in an area that will be impacted by the I-65/I-70 split (in order to “repair deteriorating bridges, upgrade pavement condition, reduce congestion, and improve safety”), please take a few moments to complete the survey at www.northsplit.com/survey

33. COAL ASH • Contact IDEM to oppose “closure in place” for coal ash dumps. • Rebecca Joniskan, IDEM Section Chief for Solid Waste Permits, rjoniska@idem.in.gov • Live near one of these locations and would like to learn more and get involved? Contact HEC’s Environmental Health Director, Dr. Indra Frank, to learn more! • ifrank@hecweb.org

34. Oppose the Newton County CAFO A Texas-based company has been given the go-ahead by IDEM to build and operate a massive concentrated animal feeding operation (“CAFO”) in one of Indiana’s most sensitive environmental areas–the Kankakee River Basin, in the former Beaver Lake bed along Beaver Creek, and numerous other tributaries of the Kankakee River. Now HEC is helping the community fight back. Here’s why:

35. Oppose the Newton County CAFO • The CAFO Seriously Threatens Environmentally Sensitive Areas • The CAFO Poses a Major Threat to the Safety of Area Drinking Water • A Dangerous Threat to Air Quality

36. Oppose the Newton County CAFO What is HEC Doing? We are working closely with concerned citizens to hold IDEM and local zoning officials accountable. What can YOU do? Contact Governor Holcomb and urge him to take action to stop the CAFO! Call his office at 317-232-4567 or email govholcomb@gov.in.gov

37. REMINDER – read our emails, pay attention to social media and watch the HEC Bill Watch Page (esp. as we approach the 2020 session) for calls to action throughout the year!

38. Upcoming Events JOIN HEC IN THE WEEKS TO COME!

39. SHOW UP LATER! • Picture the River – Mobile Photo Tips • August 4th – Killbuck Wetlands, Anderson • Five Opportunities for Environmental Progress • August 30th – Barrington of Carmel, Carmel • SAVE THE DATE: Greening the Statehouse 2019 • November 16th • IMMI Conference Center, Westfield • Stay informed on upcoming events at • hecweb.org/events • Events are being added regularly!

40. STAY ENGAGED! SEND AN EMAIL NOW TO ASHEPHERD@HECWEB.ORG TO RECEIVE TONIGHT’S SLIDES AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFO!

41. Be sure to keep an eye on our Events Calendar for phone banks, future trainings, & more! QUESTIONS? Thank you! My contact info: Amanda Shepherd ashepherd@hecweb.org